Brookside Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln, NE

Pros

• Emerald Brookside is clean and elegantly decorated, with a therapy gym that has the needed equipment.
• The therapists Zach, Rikki, and Jennifer are skilled, helping patients become stronger and more confident.
• Nursing at Emerald Brookside is excellent, and management promptly addresses concerns.
• Paige, the administrator, has put together a really good team.
• Brookside Rehabilitation is recognized for high-quality short- and long-term care and service.
• The staff are compassionate and hardworking, going above and beyond to care for residents.
• The nursing staff consistently goes above and beyond for residents.
• The facility is friendly and family-oriented, with residents and families feeling supported.
• The rehabilitation team is great, and the nursing staff are helpful and dedicated.
• Residents are treated with kindness and compassion, like family.

Cons

• The care is horrible and the residents look miserable.
• The staff are rude and unhelpful, and doors often go unanswered on weekends.
• The facility is dirty, stained, old, and smells of urine.
• Residents sleep in chairs in the hallways and receive little supervision.
• There are reports of abusive behavior, including a caretaker spitting on a patient and an almost altercation.
• Meals are not delivered at consistent times and are often cold, sometimes served in styrofoam.
• Call lights are ignored and communication between staff and patients is poor.
• Hygiene is neglected, with residents left wet and soiled for hours and delays in baths.
• The memory care area is described as having bedbugs and mold, indicating serious sanitation issues.
• Management is criticized as unprofessional, with calls to shut the place down and alarm over ongoing neglect.

Review

Brookside Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln, NE is best suited for families pursuing short-term, therapy-forward recovery where the emphasis is on rehabilitation and a facility that can deliver a structured rehab program. The strongest draw is a therapy team and a well-equipped rehab gym, with several accounts describing tangible strength gains and progressive mobility for residents who engage in therapy. The environment has shown signs of improvement under newer leadership, including cleaner spaces and more organized intake processes, which can support a smoother rehab trajectory. However, this facility remains more credible as a rehab-focused option than as a reliable long-term home, and outcomes hinge on ongoing staffing stability and proactive family oversight.

Alternatives should be seriously considered for anyone prioritizing consistent daily care, reliable communication, and memory-care or long-term custodial needs. A substantial portion of reviews allege neglect, unreliable call responses, and hygiene lapses, with reports of meals arriving late or cold, and instances where staff appeared disengaged or insensitive. The tone across many accounts is urgent: when care lapses occur, residents' dignity and safety can suffer, and turnover at the management level compounds the risk. For families seeking a facility to entrust for extended periods or for residents with high acuity or memory-care requirements, Brookside's inconsistencies create a dissonance between the rehab promise and day-to-day reliability.

On the upside, the rehab-focused strengths and some nursing staff quality stand out as tangible benefits. In well-staffed shifts, residents experience capable therapists and attentive nurses, and where management has intervened, care plans and communications have improved. Clean public spaces and a functioning therapy gym contribute to a more reassuring atmosphere for those undergoing rehabilitation. For families who are prepared to monitor progress closely and to press for timely meals, timely med administration, and prompt communication, Brookside can deliver meaningful rehab outcomes and a reasonable quality of life during a shorter stay.

Yet the cons are not trivial and frequently dominate the narrative. Multiple reviews describe baths and personal hygiene being delayed for extended periods, belongings going missing, and medications mismanaged or delayed. Call lights are reportedly ignored, and the overall responsiveness of staff is inconsistent, contributing to a sense of insecurity for families. Food quality is a recurring disappointment, with meals often arriving cold or improperly prepared, signaling deeper process gaps. Incidents of residents remaining in chairs for long stretches, or being left without timely transfers or updates, frame a pattern of care that many families find unacceptable. In several deeply troubling accounts, families allege abuse or neglect, culminating in withdrawals, legal actions, or public complaints.

How the pros offset the cons depends on priorities and the willingness to stay engaged. If rehabilitation outcomes and a well-maintained, professional environment are the primary objective - and if the family can commit to rigorous oversight - Brookside can still serve as a legitimate option. The leadership change appears to have energized improvement in therapy and nursing areas, suggesting reforms are possible when oversight is persistent. Before committing, demand a candid tour, speak directly with the therapy director and unit managers, and request the current, itemized care plan. Review state inspection findings, verify call-bell response times, and confirm meal preparation and delivery protocols. A focused trial period with clear milestones will illuminate whether Brookside truly aligns with the family's expectations.

Bottom line: Brookside is a viable choice for families prioritizing rehabilitation outcomes in a setting that can feel clean and organized, but only with stringent oversight and a readiness to pivot if safety or dignity falters. For long-term custodial care, memory-support needs, or any scenario demanding unwavering daily reliability, explore alternatives with steadier staffing and proven consistency. If Brookside is pursued, set explicit expectations: establish daily care goals, schedule weekly family check-ins with supervisors, and insist on accountability for meals, hygiene, and medication management. The right family can harness Brookside's rehabilitation strengths while mitigating its most troubling liabilities through proactive governance, transparent communication, and disciplined transitions when milestones are not met.

Pharmacies

• Nebraska Ltc Pharmacy (0.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Pharmacy Specialty Services (1.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)

Physicians

• Edgewood Family Physicians (0.4 miles)
• Elizabeth Park South Radiology (1.1 miles)
• Women's Health Care Center of Williamsburg (1.3 miles)
• Cheney Ridge Family Medical Clinic (1.3 miles)
• Doctors Of Children (1.3 miles)
• Linc Care (1.4 miles)
• Primary Care Partners (1.5 miles)

Restaurants

• Don & Millie's (0.4 miles)
• Valentino's (0.4 miles)
• Stauffer’s Cafe & Pie Shoppe (0.6 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (0.7 miles)
• Lazlo's Brewery & Grill (0.8 miles)
• McDonald's (0.8 miles)
• Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (0.9 miles)

Parks

• Colonial Hills Park (0.8 miles)
• Holmes Lake Dog Park (1.5 miles)
• Holmes Lake Park (1.5 miles)
• Williamsburg Village Park (1.6 miles)
• Bishop Heights Park (1.7 miles)
• Irvingdale Park (2.8 miles)
• Antelope Park (3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Sheridan Lutheran Church (1.4 miles)
• Lincoln Berean Church (1.8 miles)
• Congregation Tifereth Israel (1.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital (1.7 miles)
• Faulkner Medical Plaza (2.1 miles)
• Speciality Clinic (2.2 miles)
• Bryanlgh Medical Center (2.2 miles)
• 2South ICU (3.1 miles)
• 6South Neuro - PCU (3.1 miles)

Cafes

• Scooters Coffee House (1.8 miles)