Wheatridge Manor Nursing Home

Pros

• The staff are compassionate and truly care about the residents.
• The administrator is amazing and goes to great lengths to ensure the best care.
• The therapy and social services teams are committed to positive outcomes for residents.
• Wheatridge Care Center feels like a second home and second family to many staff and residents.
• The Director of Admissions, Dee Gallegos, is professional, and the staff are warm and friendly.
• The staff at Wheatridge Manor are kind, compassionate, and genuinely care for residents.
• The facility is an excellent choice for rehab or long-term care, with caring, long-tenured staff.
• PT and OT services are excellent, with dedicated staff like Bella (OT) and Bea.

Cons

• The facility showed systemic neglect and a profound lack of compassion that allegedly contributed to the resident's pain and death.
• Communication with families was nonexistent.
• The social worker allegedly chose not to call the family and was confrontational toward requests to schedule meetings.
• The resident's toenails were severely overgrown and curled, with a severe fungal infection treated inappropriately.
• The family was not informed about a bladder mass or scheduled surgery, leading to delayed treatment and death.
• Management's incompetence and a profound lack of compassion were cited as core problems.
• The facility should not be entrusted with a loved one's care, especially for those needing daily supervision or on Medicaid.
• There were too few caring staff to salvage a facility described as fundamentally broken.
• A patient suffered sepsis due to untreated infections and a delayed, misdiagnosed condition after surgery.
• Nurses wrongly assessed symptoms as anxiety, delaying critical care.
• Nursing staff ignored symptoms and did not document concerns, delaying treatment.
• After a fall, staff did not follow fall protocol or assist, leaving the patient in pain and at risk.

Review

Wheat Ridge Care Center (also referred to in some comments as Wheat Ridge Manor) is a facility that elicits a wide spectrum of experiences from those who have interacted with it. On one side, many years of loyal, compassionate staff create a sense that the place is more like a second home or a family than a routine care center. Long-tenured employees and a leadership team described as dedicated and hands-on contribute to an atmosphere where residents and their care feel deeply personal. The administrator is repeatedly praised for being proactive, practical, and unafraid to roll up her sleeves to ensure high-quality care. Therapy and social services are consistently highlighted as committed to positive outcomes, and several reviewers characterize the staff as kind, patient, and engaging, with residents often described as actively involved in their rehabilitation.

Yet the same facility is also the site of profoundly troubling stories that underscore systemic gaps and failures in communication, safety, and medical responsiveness. One reviewer recounts that for five years they entrusted the care of a father with Korsakoff syndrome and dementia to the center, only to experience what they describe as systemic neglect and a direct contribution to suffering and death. They report frequent communication breakdowns, with calls sometimes going unanswered or being disconnected, and a social worker who allegedly refused to call about episodes of confusion, labeling such calls as "inappropriate." They describe a cascade of neglectful details - overgrown toenails with fungal infection, severe weight loss, a promised dietician who never followed up, and a bladder issue that went unaddressed for months. The reviewer notes a failure to inform them of a urologist appointment and ultimately the father's death before he could receive planned intervention, explicitly tying the tragedy to what they see as management incompetence and a lack of compassion, especially toward Medicaid recipients. It is a stark, heartbreaking account that leads to a clear warning not to entrust the facility with a loved one's care when daily in-person supervision isn't feasible.

There are, however, contrasting experiences that paint the facility in a more favorable light. One reviewer who spent two weeks there for rehabilitation found the environment surprisingly positive. They describe clean rooms, daily housekeeping, and a responsive team when help was needed - singling out aides and nurses, with special praise for LaTesia. Physical therapy and occupational therapy are recognized as effective, with Bella (PT) and Lorie (OT) noted as particularly kind and helpful. The reviewer acknowledges some room for improvement in food, but overall expresses gratitude and willingness to recommend Wheat Ridge Care Center, stating they would gladly return if the need arose.

Another reviewer focuses on a family member who stayed at the facility for care and rehabilitation and came away with a strong sense of satisfaction. They describe feeling that their loved one was treated with care and concern at every step of the rehabilitation process and emphasize that the resident was treated like family. This endorsement - supportive, almost familial in tone - appears repeatedly in other comments as well, contributing to a picture of a center that can deliver compassionate, person-centered care when the staff and systems align well.

Interwoven with these positive notes is a candid remark about financial constraints and the stress they place on families. One commenter expresses a desire to become financially stable so they can move their mother out of the facility, underscoring that financial pressures are a real constraint for some residents and families, and implying that such pressures can color the overall experience and perceptions of care.

There are also disturbing episodes cited that involve care lapses during hospice respite care. A five-day hospice stay turned into a traumatic experience when a patient fell from bed onto a concrete floor and did not receive timely help. The reviewer alleges that no bed alarm was used despite clear fall risk, and that there were missed opportunities for basic care, such as changing into clean clothes and providing adequate washing. A family member's visit reportedly highlighted failures to follow protocol, leaving the family with a strong impression that the facility's safety protocols and responsive care were not consistently applied. This account ends with a strong negative stance, warning others not to rely on the facility for hospice respite care without close, ongoing oversight.

Despite these conflicting experiences, some reviewers recount positive interactions with leadership and admissions staff. A tour guided by Dee Gallegos, the Director of Admissions, is described as professional, informative, and reassuring. Reviewers consistently note that staff can be warm and welcoming, and they thank Dee for the experience of being shown around the facility. These narratives contribute to the sense that the facility has the capacity to present itself well and to deliver compassionate, well-organized tours and initial experiences that set a positive tone for families considering placement.

A recurring thread across several accounts is the facility's strengths in rehabilitation services. Payers and families alike highlight robust physical and occupational therapy programs, with many residents showing meaningful progress after surgeries such as open-heart procedures or orthopedic interventions. The staff's longevity - people with ten or more years of experience - emerges as a strength, contributing to an environment where residents can be actively engaged, moved, and encouraged to participate in their own rehabilitation. In this view, the facility can be a strong choice for rehab or long-term care when the right care team is in place and when families remain actively involved.

Still, one particularly severe critique that stands out is the incident where a patient's survival hinged on the decisive advocate efforts of friends and the hospital's emergency response. The reviewer describes a sequence beginning with an infection and worsening symptoms that the on-site nursing staff misattributed to anxiety, followed by delayed ambulance involvement and a failure to document critical symptoms in the medical record. The resulting sepsis led to a hospital admission and a long rehabilitation horizon with lasting health consequences. This account is unequivocal in its caution: even when PT and OT are praised, the overall quality of care can be compromised by poor assessment, delayed intervention, and miscommunication, underscoring the need for vigilant oversight by families and clear, proactive coordination with medical providers.

Taken together, the comments reveal a facility that embodies both commendable dedication and serious safety concerns. For families considering Wheat Ridge Care Center, the landscape is nuanced: standout rehabilitation capabilities and a workforce that can feel like family to residents and their loved ones exist alongside deeply troubling reports of neglect, failed communications, and safety protocol gaps. The common thread is an insistence on engagement and advocacy - urging families to stay closely involved, ask precise questions, demand timely information, and monitor care closely to ensure that a loved one's health needs are met with the urgency and precision they deserve.

This area of Denver, Colorado offers a variety of amenities for seniors looking for a vibrant community to call home. With several parks nearby such as Panorama Park, Citizens Park, and Sloan's Lake Park, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and stay active. Additionally, there are cafes like The Bardo Coffee House and Dutch Bros Coffee where residents can socialize with friends over a cup of coffee. For medical needs, there are pharmacies like CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens conveniently located within close proximity. In terms of healthcare, there are reputable physicians nearby including Native Roots Dispensary and SCL Health Heart & Vascular Institute - Wheat Ridge for specialized care. Nearby restaurants such as Clancy's Irish Pub and The Pasty Republic offer delicious dining options, while theaters like Alamo Drafthouse Denver provide entertainment opportunities. With hospitals like Scl Health - Front Range and Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in the vicinity, residents can rest assured knowing quality healthcare is accessible. Overall, this area presents a well-rounded environment with convenient access to essential services for seniors looking to live an active and fulfilling lifestyle in Denver.

Parks

• Panorama Park (0.4 miles)
• Citizens Park (0.7 miles)
• Sloan's Lake Park (1.1 miles)
• César Chávez Park (1.3 miles)
• Berkeley Park (1.5 miles)
• Berkeley Leashless Dog Park (1.6 miles)
• Fairmount Park (1.6 miles)

Cafes

• The Bardo Coffee House (0.7 miles)
• Dutch Bros Coffee (1.4 miles)
• The Radiator (2.8 miles)
• Starbucks (2.8 miles)
• Huckleberry Roasters (3 miles)
• Crema Coffee House (4.1 miles)
• Improper City (4.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.7 miles)
• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Lutheran Outpatient Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Best Colorado Meds (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)

Physicians

• Native Roots Dispensary (0.8 miles)
• Dr Bassow (1.5 miles)
• Cornerstone Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine (1.7 miles)
• SCL Health Heart & Vascular Institute - Wheat Ridge (1.7 miles)
• Rocky Mountain Primary Care (2.3 miles)
• Highlands Integrative Pediatrics (2.7 miles)
• Kids First Pediatrics (3.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Clancy's Irish Pub (1 miles)
• The Pasty Republic (1.3 miles)
• BookBar (1.4 miles)
• Domino's Pizza (2.1 miles)
• Linger (2.6 miles)
• Little Man Ice Cream (2.6 miles)
• Recess Beer Garden (2.6 miles)

Theaters

• Alamo Drafthouse Denver (1.6 miles)
• Regal UA Denver Pavilions 4DX & RPX (3.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Scl Health - Front Range (1.7 miles)
• Exempla Lutheran Medical Center (1.7 miles)
• Webb Center for Primary Care (4.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Wat Buddhawararam (2.3 miles)
• St John's Cathedral (4.6 miles)

Transportation

• RTD Rail - 38th & Blake Station (4.6 miles)