Valley Retirement Home Inc in Roanoke, VA

Pros

• The staff at Our Lady of the Valley are friendly, cheerful, and help residents feel at home.
• The therapy team is kind, encouraging, and instrumental in helping residents recover quickly.
• The facility is beautiful, clean, and well-maintained, with a welcoming atmosphere.
• The dining experience is praised, with good food and pleasant dining areas like the Bistro.
• Brandon on the evening shift is celebrated for going above and beyond in resident care.
• The admissions and social work teams communicate well and coordinate care to families.
• The care provided is genuine and heartfelt, with staff who treat residents with dignity and respect.
• Families feel the community is supportive and the staff are attentive and involved.

Cons

• The staff rushed the patient out before she could pass away, and a bill followed, suggesting money was prioritized over care.
• The patient was left alone at meals with her food in front of her and a fork found in her bed.
• Medications were never delivered on time and the call light was useless.
• The CNAs were described as basically off the street with no medical care background.
• The food was described as nearly inedible.
• Management was criticized for poor leadership and failing to follow through on promises.
• The facility was perceived as prioritizing money over residents’ well-being and lacked compassion.
• A secretary was rude and incompetent, hanging up the phone.

Review

Valley Retirement Home Inc in Roanoke is best suited for families seeking a warm, home-like rehabilitation and long-term care environment with a long local footprint. It works well for residents who need skilled nursing, short-term rehab, memory-care support, or a facilitated transition into independent living, with an emphasis on comfort, nutrition, and social engagement. The atmosphere often feels welcoming and familial, the common areas inviting, and the dining experience frequently praised. For families prioritizing a strong rehab trajectory, clean surroundings, and staff who genuinely connect on a personal level, this community offers tangible advantages. It is especially appealing to those who value a multi-service setting, where rehab, memory care, and assisted living can be coordinated under one roof, and to those who are reassured by years of local operation. Still, the facility’s strongest value proposition can be undermined by variability in staffing and management that show up unevenly across shifts.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include families with residents who require near-constant, highly reliable one-on-one supervision or acute medical oversight. Several reviews point to inconsistent attention on certain shifts, delayed medication administration, and call-light responsiveness that can lag at key moments. The impression that some shifts run thin on staff and leadership can be a decisive drawback for residents with high care needs, complex schedules, or end-of-life planning where prompt, compassionate intervention matters. Billing disputes and discharge-process miscommunications also surface in a way that can create stress for families navigating expectations and costs. For these reasons, care teams and families who need unwavering consistency, tightly controlled care plans, or transparent financial terms might find solid alternatives worth a closer comparison.

On the positive side, the core advantages are clear and meaningful. The staff, across many shifts, are frequently described as friendly, cheerful, and genuinely invested in residents’ well-being, which translates into a day-to-day sense of safety and belonging. The rehab teams, including physical and occupational therapy, consistently receive praise for skill, encouragement, and measurable progress; several families report their loved ones achieving meaningful gains within a few weeks. Cleanliness and an inviting environment contribute to a dignified daily experience, while the food quality and private-room options, often highlighted as comfortable and well-maintained, support nutritional well-being and mood. The community’s breadth of services, rehab, long-term skilled care, memory-care programming, and assisted living transitions, means care plans can be coordinated without the disorientation of moving between facilities.

Despite the strengths, the main cons cannot be dismissed. Staffing variability stands out as the most consequential drawback, especially when it intersects with medication timing, assistance during meals or hygiene tasks, and timely response to call bells. Reports of rude or inattentive nursing staff in some shifts clash with the overall positive tone of other staff members, creating an inconsistent experience for residents and their families. Administrative gaps, ranging from admissions and discharge coordination to social work follow-through and billing communications, have caused frustration and mistrust in certain cases. The concern about management’s ability to sustain reliable coverage, supervise second shifts, and implement promised services is not minor; it affects day-to-day quality of life and overall trust in the facility’s long-term reliability. In memory care and rehab-specific contexts, some families describe negative interactions with therapy leadership or discharge planning that left them feeling unsupported.

The strongest offset to these concerns lies in outcomes that matter to most families: genuine caregiver compassion during rehab, genuine warmth in daily interactions, and a clear commitment to helping residents recover and remain engaged. Where staffing aligns with expectations, residents often flourish: therapy can deliver real functional gains; residents participate in structured routines; meals and social opportunities enhance quality of life; and the facility’s established reputation gives families confidence that experienced professionals are coordinating care. For many, the presence of a known admissions team and a receptive social-work mindset, who listen, provide options, and help families navigate choices, can make the difference between a stressful transition and a hopeful, well-managed one. The facility’s long tenure in the Roanoke area also translates into a recognizable, stable community where neighbors become familiar and staff adopt a family-like approach over time.

For families weighing a decision, a practical approach is essential. Visit multiple times and at different hours to observe the flow of care across shifts; request to speak with both nursing leadership and rehab directors; and, crucially, sit in on a rehab session to gauge how therapists coordinate with nursing staff and family goals. Talk directly with current residents and family members about medication timing, meal support, and call-bell responsiveness. Assess whether the admissions team provides clear expectations about pricing, services included, and what happens if needs escalate. Finally, compare with nearby facilities that advertise stronger staffing visibility and more consistent discharge planning. In the end, this community can be an excellent home for those who prize warmth, a robust rehab pathway, and a familiar, multi-service setting, provided the family prioritizes verifying staffing coverage, management consistency, and transparent care planning before making a commitment.

Physicians

• Carilion Internal Medicine (0.5 miles)
• Star City Eye Care (1.2 miles)
• New Horizons Healthcare (1.3 miles)
• City of Roanoke Employee Health (1.4 miles)
• Lions Sight Foundation of Virginia (1.5 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Wound Center (1.8 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Urogynecology - Roanoke (1.8 miles)

Parks

• Washington Park (0.6 miles)
• Wasena Park (1.6 miles)
• Elmwood Park (1.7 miles)
• Vic Thomas Park (1.7 miles)
• Norwich Park (1.8 miles)
• Mill Mountain Park (2.9 miles)

Restaurants

• Chipotle Mexican Grill (0.8 miles)
• Lupita's Tacos (1 miles)
• Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen (1 miles)
• Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill (1.1 miles)
• Fillin' Station (1.1 miles)
• Carrabba's Italian Grill (1.2 miles)
• Rodeo Grande (1.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• Medicine Shoppe (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Wonder Drug Southeast Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Kroger Pharmacy (2.3 miles)

Transportation

• Roanoke Higher Education Center Smart Way Stop (1.2 miles)
• Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) (2.4 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.3 miles)
• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Sweet Donkey Coffee (2.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• St James Episcopal Church (1.6 miles)
• Rescue Mission Ministries (1.7 miles)
• St Johns Episcopal Church (1.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital (1.8 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Inpatient Rehabilitation (1.8 miles)
• Roanoke Ambulatory Surgery Center (2 miles)
• Carilion Health System (2.7 miles)