Covenant Village-The Great Lks in Grand Rapids, MI

Pros

• The grounds are very well kept and clean, and the staff are very nice.
• Residents received excellent care.
• A nurse was with a resident in bed to comfort her when she passed.
• The Activities Director at CKGL is praised for creating wonderful experiences.
• Residents describe the community as a big family and love living there.
• The community offers amazing amenities, and the staff and residents truly care for one another.
• It is described as a kind, loving Christian community with wonderful food, fun, and faith.

Cons

• The staff were uncaring, rude, and indifferent.
• There was only one nurse on the whole floor.
• The facility was understaffed, resulting in substandard care.
• Residents were not given needed assistive devices, such as walkers, despite requests.
• Nighttime noise from staff prevented residents from sleeping.
• Management was unresponsive and failed to address concerns.
• Agency pay promises were misrepresented and not honored.
• Communication with HR and administration was poor and unreturned.
• A resident fell and did not receive timely assistance.
• The facility was perceived as prioritizing money over resident care.

Review

This community is best suited for seniors who prize a faith-centered, socially active environment and a campus that keeps grounds well and facilities clean. The atmosphere can feel like a tight-knit, Christian extended family where residents rally around one another during emergencies, and where amenities and programming provide regular opportunities for connection. For older adults who can thrive with consistent social engagement, meaningful activities, and a visible, caring staff presence on multiple shifts, Covenant Village-The Great Lakes can offer a welcoming home. However, this is not a guaranteed fit for everyone; the most reliable clinical care and uninterrupted staffing are not uniformly assured, so families should weigh the care economy against the emphasis on community life.

Those whose priority is dependable, around-the-clock care and rigorous supervision will want to compare other options. The most troubling patterns cited in reviews center on staffing shortages, slow or missing responses to calls, and safety concerns that escalate when nursing and aide coverage is thin. Intake and communication gaps before admission also raise red flags for families trying to understand what level of care is truly available. For residents with complex medical needs, fragile mobility, or a history of falls, a facility with steadier staffing and transparent leadership is essential. In short, if care reliability and prompt problem-solving trump social life and faith-based culture, alternatives should be pursued.

Key positives include a clean, well-maintained campus and engaging programming. Several accounts praise clean environments, inviting common spaces, and strong, functional amenities. The rehab experiences recounted by some families were excellent, with attentive staff and compassionate bedside care, suggesting that when staffing is sufficient, the clinical side can shine. A trusted Activities Director is repeatedly singled out for creating meaningful outings and events that foster connection among residents. The Christian identity is palpable for many, and families report moments of warmth, sharing, and mutual support during crises. For residents who lean into community life, these are genuine advantages.

On the downside, chronic understaffing is the most consistent theme, assisted living and skilled nursing alike are described as understaffed, with limited bedside coverage and delayed assistance. Nighttime routines can feel unsettling when noise or interruptions disturb sleep, and reports of safety lapses , including falls or discomfort around personal care , recur. Communications gaps and unresponsiveness from leadership amplify distress when concerns arise, and intake or Medicaid-related scheduling issues can create frustrating barriers before admission. Several families recount experiences of poor treatment by staff or management, including perceived indifference and unresolved grievances. These are not isolated incidents but a pattern that colors the overall sense of security.

Prospective residents will recognize that the community’s strengths, clean, inviting spaces, a lively calendar, and a compassionate, faith-oriented culture, deliver high quality of life and meaningful days. Those benefits are meaningful for many older adults who value belonging and purpose. Yet the degree to which they offset the main cons hinges on tolerance for risk and the ability to supervise care closely. When care needs escalate, the gap between excellent social life and uneven clinical care becomes critical. In practical terms, Covenant Village may be a good fit for a self-sufficient or lightly assisted resident whose family can monitor care and respond quickly; for others, the risk calculus points toward alternatives with stronger staffing and more consistent clinical oversight.

Before deciding, conduct a structured due diligence: visit and observe, request to speak with current residents and families, ask for staffing ratios by shift, and examine incident histories and response times. Press for concrete commitments on staffing, accountability, and responsiveness; confirm discharge and intake procedures for Medicaid scenarios; request a trial period or clearly defined transition plan. If faith-based community and social vitality are non-negotiable, Covenant Village can deliver a warm, connected experience. If consistent, high-quality care and predictable communication are paramount, explore either other Covenant villages with stronger staffing benchmarks or competing providers with documented reliability.

Pharmacies

• Family Fare Supermarkets (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• Meijer Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Meijer Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.8 miles)
• Family Fare Supermarkets (4.2 miles)

Physicians

• Lake Michigan Dental (0.5 miles)
• Spectrum Health (1.6 miles)
• Advantage Health Physician Network Northwest Locations (2.6 miles)
• Family & Pediatric Eye Care (3 miles)
• Area Wide Ob/Gyn Health Services (3.3 miles)
• Orthopaedic Associates Of Mi (3.4 miles)
• Hand & Plastic Surgery Center: Luce Paul A MD (3.5 miles)

Parks

• Millennium Park (2.2 miles)
• Belknap Park (3.3 miles)
• Riverside Park (4.3 miles)
• Chesebro Park (5.3 miles)
• Lemery Park (5.5 miles)
• Huff Park (5.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Turnstiles (2.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2.3 miles)
• Steel Cat Bar (2.3 miles)
• Condado Tacos (2.5 miles)
• The Knickerbocker (2.6 miles)
• The Mitten Brewing Company (2.7 miles)
• Uccello's Ristorante (2.7 miles)

Cafes

• The Intersection (2.9 miles)
• Starbucks (3.4 miles)
• Rowster New American Coffee (4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.2 miles)
• Real Food Cafe (5.4 miles)

Theaters

• Studio Park (3.1 miles)
• Celebration Cinema Stu (3.1 miles)

Transportation

• Amtrak - Grand Rapids Vernon J. Ehlers Station (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Helen Devos Children Emergency Room (3.3 miles)
• Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion (3.3 miles)
• St Marys Hospital (3.5 miles)
• Trinity Health Birth Center - Grand Rapids Hospital (3.5 miles)
• Richard J. Lacks Sr. Cancer Center (3.5 miles)
• Blodgett Hospital (5.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Madison Square Christian Reformed Church (4.2 miles)
• Temple Emanuel (5.2 miles)