Tendercare Tawas City

Pros

• The rehabilitation team has been described as awesome and caring.
• The nurses and staff are attentive, caring, and supportive.
• The facility is very clean and well maintained.
• The staff are super friendly, helpful, and explain things clearly.
• The activity director does a great job with resident activities, including the music hour.
• The staff communicate promptly with families about changes or issues.
• Dementia care is handled with kindness and patience.
• The housekeeping team is hardworking and takes pride in their work.
• The facility fosters a welcoming atmosphere with social events and a sense of community.

Cons

• They did not have medicine for his care and were not prepared for the level of trauma he sustained.
• They did not bathe him well, and baths were infrequent.
• The meals arrived late, sometimes around 7 pm.
• There were occasions when they forgot to bring him a tray while he was bedbound.
• The third shift did not answer his call lights for medicine or bathroom needs.
• One night they transferred him to a portable toilet and left him there.
• This was unacceptable for any patient.
• Management was criticized for prioritizing paychecks over patient care.
• The third shift left patients on the commode and sometimes forced them to transfer themselves to a wheelchair or bed.
• They dropped and hurt him because staff did not know how to use the hoyer lift.
• They did not feed him adequately, sometimes not feeding him at all.
• There was no transparency, and the director of nursing disputed the described symptoms with doctors.
• The insulin order was not adjusted despite multiple requests, leaving him on a sliding-scale regimen.
• Weekend staffing was insufficient, with main staff unavailable.

Review

Families describing their experiences with Medilodge (including Medilodge of Tawas City) paint a wide-ranging picture that runs from heartfelt appreciation to deep concern. On one end, there are residents and family members who credit certain nurses, CNAs, and rehab staff with genuine compassion, attentive care, and warm, personal support. They point to crisp, clean facilities, engaging activities, and staff who communicate openly about changes in a loved one's condition. In these accounts, the atmosphere can feel welcoming, and the care teams can be described as kind, patient, and responsive when they are at their best. For some families, the facility remains a bright spot in what is otherwise a challenging journey, with comments about well-maintained spaces, a visible emphasis on resident well-being, and staff who try to make residents feel at home.

But alongside these positive experiences are numerous accounts that express serious distress about the quality and consistency of care. Several reviews describe severe gaps in everyday care, including delays and omissions with medications, insufficient preparation for a patient's level of trauma after an accident, and unsatisfactory personal care like bathing. Families report meals arriving late - sometimes around dinnertime - and, in some cases, not arriving at all. The cadence and reliability of basic routines - such as delivering meals, helping with baths, and keeping a patient clean - are cited as areas that need urgent attention. The sentiment is that when basic needs aren't met, the overall well-being and recovery process can suffer.

A recurring theme centers on shifts and staffing, particularly the third shift and weekend coverage. Many reviews describe a lack of responsiveness to call lights, especially for medicine and bathroom needs. There are pointed anecdotes about patients being left on a commode, or left unattended to transfer themselves back to a wheelchair or bed, before someone finally answers. A striking incident involved a patient being moved to a port-a-potty and left there, with the patient then transferring back to a wheelchair on their own. These episodes fuel concerns about patient safety and whether residents who don't have strong advocates receive the timely help they need. Across these stories, the sense emerges that staffing levels, training, and accountability vary by time of day and day of week, which can have real consequences for patient safety and comfort.

Medical care and communication are also at the heart of the most troubling reviews. One family recounts frustration with insulin orders and blood sugar management, noting that an order they trusted wasn't followed, which led to dangerous readings after discharge from the facility. There is also criticism of transparency and communication, with some families feeling shut out or inadequately informed about their loved one's symptoms or changes in condition. In one particularly charged account, the director of nursing is accused of dismissing a family's concerns and contradicting the treating physicians, with the family eventually pursuing ER evaluation and hospital care after monitoring suggested more urgent needs. Another family describes being told that certain symptoms were not acute, despite their own observations and the physicians' concerns, underscoring a breakdown in collaboration and trust.

Yet even within these hard experiences, there are glimmers of hope. Several reviews highlight the dedication of specific staff members who go above and beyond - the nurses, CNAs, therapists, and the activity team - who show up with warmth, patience, and a genuine willingness to help. Families speak of care teams that call immediately when there are changes, that make an effort to keep families in the loop, and that create opportunities for residents to participate in activities and social programs. Statements about the dining experience occasionally contrast with the negative anecdotes, suggesting that when the kitchen and nursing teams align well with the residents' needs, the quality of life and recovery can look markedly better. The contrast between these pockets of excellence and the broader concerns underscores the importance of consistency and teamwork across all shifts.

Overall, the collection of reviews presents a facility with real strengths and real vulnerabilities. On the positive side, many residents experience compassionate, capable care from some staff members, a comfortable and attractive environment, clean surroundings, and engaging social and activity programs that help residents feel included and valued. On the negative side, multiple observers describe dangerous lapses in basic care, inconsistent communication, and safety-related incidents that raise serious questions about staffing, training, and leadership. A common thread is the call for improvements in staffing stability, more reliable response to call lights, better meal coordination, more regular bathing, and clearer, more transparent communication with families - especially during weekend shifts and after new admissions.

For families choosing a facility, these narratives suggest a need for careful, situational due diligence. If you're considering Medilodge or Medilodge of Tawas City, it may help to speak with multiple staff across shifts, request a clear care plan, verify how medications and diabetes management are overseen, and ask about response times to call lights. Equally important is voicing your expectations early and documenting any concerns, so the care team understands what matters most to you and your loved one's safety and dignity. While some residents thrive and praise the care they receive, others urge prospective families to gather a broad set of perspectives and to push for consistent, compassionate care across all shifts and days.

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)