Tendercare Tawas City

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Pros

• The staff and rehabilitation team have been awesome.
• The nurses and staff are attentive, caring, and supportive toward residents.
• The facility is beautiful, and the staff work hard to meet residents’ needs.
• The staff call families right away when there are changes.
• The activity director does a great job providing a music hour twice a week for residents.
• The housekeeping team keeps the building clean and well-maintained.
• Medilodge is considered among the best nursing homes by a reviewer.
• Advanced entry at Medilodge worked splendidly.
• The staff are friendly, professional, and very helpful.
• Families report excellent care and would highly recommend the facility.

Cons

• The facility was unprepared for the patient’s level of care and did not have his medications ready.
• Meals arrived late, sometimes around 7 pm, and food was not consistently provided.
• The third shift did not answer call lights for medications or bathroom needs.
• Residents were left on the toilet or forced to transfer themselves without assistance.
• A patient was left on a port-a-potty and not helped until someone finally responded.
• The facility is severely understaffed, leading to neglect and delays in care.
• Some staff were cruel, uncaring, or heartless toward residents.
• Medication orders were forgotten or not adjusted, risking dangerous conditions like high blood sugar.
• Documentation was inconsistent or inaccurate, with reports of falsified records and lack of family notification.
• A patient fell due to improper use of a hoyer lift, indicating training gaps.

Review

Tendercare Tawas City is best suited for families who want a clean, welcoming environment with robust activity programming and an emphasis on social engagement, especially for residents who benefit from dementia-focused support or structured programming. The facility consistently delivers a pleasant atmosphere, and several families report friendly, caring staff and meaningful activities that help residents feel connected. When care partners are present and communication is responsive, residents appear to thrive in this setting. This is a place where the ambiance and programmatic offerings can be meaningful positives for those who value a home-like vibe and regular social opportunities.

That said, potential residents and their families should consider alternatives if high-acuity needs, meticulous medical oversight, and fail-safe responsiveness are non-negotiables. Multiple reviews highlight serious gaps in basic care during certain shifts, particularly third shift and weekends, with delayed medications, unaddressed call lights, and inconsistent assistance with daily living tasks. For families without the ability to advocate and monitor care around the clock, the risk of missed or uneven attention to needs rises substantially. Additionally, those managing strict dietary restrictions or complex diabetes care should be cautious, as several accounts describe nutrition and insulin-management lapses that led to poorer health outcomes.

The strongest positives here, cleanliness, a warm, neighborly staff, and genuine acts of compassion, do create meaningful offsets for many residents when staffing is adequate and communication lines are open. Positive testimonials consistently praise attentive aides, a capable therapy team, and a facility that looks and feels well cared-for. The presence of social hours, events, and activity programming helps residents stay engaged, and several families note that staff members go the extra mile to make residents feel valued. In short, the care can be excellent where staff are consistent, communicative, and empowered to respond quickly to needs.

Yet the main cons cannot be dismissed, and they substantially temper the overall value proposition. Understaffing emerges as a recurring theme, producing long wait times for meals and medications, missed call-light responses, and episodes of residents left without assistance for extended periods. Documentation and transparency issues arise in some reviews, including concerns about record accuracy and insufficient communication with families about changes in health status. Instances of harsh treatment or neglect are cited in multiple accounts, along with fears that some staff are overwhelmed or not fully aligned with patient-centered care. These patterns raise legitimate safety and quality concerns that require careful scrutiny before committing to this campus.

For families weighing a decision, the balance point is clear: the facility can deliver warmth, activity, and solid clinical engagement when staffing is reliable and leadership remains engaged. The risk comes from inconsistencies that jeopardize safety, timely care, and medical management. Prospective residents should demand concrete assurances: stable staffing ratios across all shifts, explicit med-pass protocols, rapid response to call lights, and transparent, timely communication about any health changes. Tour the campus multiple times, observe shift changes, and request to meet the director of nursing and a primary care liaison to establish expectations and escalation paths. Clarify meal service timing, bathing routines, and therapy schedules to ensure alignment with the resident’s goals.

Ultimately, Tendercare Tawas City can be a strong choice for families who prioritize a pleasant environment, engaging activities, and compassionate interactions, and who are prepared to actively monitor and advocate for high-quality care. For those who cannot tolerate gaps in basic care, or who require unwavering consistency across all shifts, alternatives with stronger staffing guarantees and more consistent medical oversight may serve better. In the decision-making process, weight the value of a welcoming atmosphere and rich programming against the non-negotiables of dependable care, rapid responsiveness, and precise clinical management.

Restaurants

• Tawas Bay Beach Resort (0.1 miles)
• Boathouse Beer Co. & Boozery (0.4 miles)
• Pizza Place (0.5 miles)
• Subway (0.6 miles)
• Burger King (0.7 miles)
• McDonald's (0.8 miles)
• Pier 23 (1.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• First Baptist Church (0.3 miles)
• Zion Lutheran Church (0.3 miles)
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (0.4 miles)
• Holy Family Church & School (1.4 miles)
• Lake Huron Community Church (1.4 miles)
• Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (1.7 miles)
• House of Faith Ministries (1.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Sav-Mor Super Drugs Tawas (0.4 miles)
• Sav-Mor Drug Stores (0.4 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.5 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (1.6 miles)
• Au Gres Drug (12.9 miles)
• Gilberts Drug Store (13.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (14.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center-South Bend Campus (0.5 miles)
• St Joseph Occupational Health (0.6 miles)
• Huron Family Medicine (0.6 miles)
• Tawas St Joseph Hospital (0.7 miles)
• Great Lakes Family Medicine (13.7 miles)
• Alcona Health Center (15 miles)

Physicians

• Ascension St Joseph Joint Replacement Center (0.7 miles)
• St Joseph Pediatrics (0.7 miles)
• St Joseph Bone & Joint Center (0.7 miles)
• Tawas City St Joseph Pediatrics at 325 E M 55 (0.8 miles)
• Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center (3.5 miles)
• Oakland Orthopedic Appliances (4 miles)
• Aune Medical Center (14.9 miles)

Parks

• Dewey Durant Park (1.3 miles)
• East Tawas City Park (1.4 miles)
• Bolen Park (1.8 miles)
• Tawas Point State Park (4 miles)
• Tuttle Marsh National Wildlife Area (7.2 miles)
• Au Sable Childrens Park (13.3 miles)
• Riverbank Park (13.5 miles)

Cafes

• Village Chocolatier (1.6 miles)
• The Blue Heron Cafe (4.9 miles)

Theaters

• Family Theater (1.6 miles)

Transportation

• Ausable River Taxidermy (8.6 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (10.6 miles)
• Oscoda-Wurtsmith (14.6 miles)