Candlewood Valley Hlth & Rehab in New Milford, CT

Pros

• The staff are caring, friendly, and professional, consistently going above and beyond for residents.
• The facility is clean, odor-free, and well maintained.
• The rehabilitation team is excellent, with therapists who are supportive, professional, and encouraging.
• Families and residents often describe the staff as like family, showing compassion and empathy.
• Communication with families is proactive, including regular updates and options for video chats.
• The activities program is engaging and well loved by residents.
• Nurses, CNAs, and aides are attentive, knowledgeable, and dedicated to care.
• The care team listens to concerns and tailors care plans to individual needs.
• The staff work well as a team and collaborate effectively with hospice and other partners.
• The environment is welcoming, bright, and comforting for residents and visitors.
• The facility has a strong, positive reputation in the community for dedicated staff and quality care.
• Residents and families report improved mood, comfort, and quality of life due to attentive care.

Cons

• The level of neglect and carelessness at this facility is beyond unacceptable.
• Many of the employees appear miserable, disengaged, and only there for a paycheck.
• Patient belongings go missing, the environment is not kept clean, and compassion is nowhere to be found.
• This is not just poor service - it is a complete failure of responsibility and humanity.
• The facility is an embarrassment, understaffed with disgraceful management, and they fire employees who care too much about the residents.
• They prefer to do the bare minimum rather than provide the attention and care that should be given to each resident.
• The staff ignored a patient and treated him badly for simple requests like throat lozenges.
• The social worker is described as anti-social and unhelpful, repeatedly citing procedures to avoid assisting families.
• The facility is dilapidated and unsanitary for the needs of the patients.
• The food was poor quality and consistently unappetizing.
• The staff were rude, not qualified, and completely unempathetic.
• It is described as horrible for being short-staffed and relying on agency staff who are not adequately integrated with the team.

Review

Candlewood Valley Health & Rehabilitation Center in New Milford is best suited for families seeking a post?acute, rehab?centric stay where the emphasis is on daily therapy, skilled nursing oversight, and an active activities calendar. For residents recovering from fractures, surgeries, or medical setbacks, this campus can offer meaningful gains when a strong rehab team and attentive nursing staff are present. It is a practical choice for families who want structured rehabilitation, consistent medical review, and opportunities for family participation in care planning, with a facility that aims to be welcoming and community?minded.

Those considering alternatives should note that Candlewood Valley may not be ideal for every need. Several families flag long?standing concerns about staffing levels and administrative responsiveness, and the mix of experiences suggests risk of inconsistent care. Dementia?focused long?term care or highly regulated needs requiring near?constant, predictable supervision are areas where other facilities may perform more reliably. For families who place a premium on transparent administration, steady leadership, and a consistently calm, unfragmented care experience, it is prudent to explore other options or insist on specific assurances before committing.

The strongest positives center on the rehab and direct care teams. Reviews repeatedly praise the therapists, nurses, CNAs, and social workers for their competence, compassion, and ability to drive progress. When care plans are collaborative, and updates are timely, residents often show improvements in mobility, appetite, and daily functioning. Cleanliness and a welcoming environment also surface as consistent strengths in many accounts, with families appreciating that the building feels well cared for and that staff members go above and beyond to engage residents in activities and social routines. The ability to coordinate with hospice partners and the emphasis on person?centered care in many shifts paint a picture of a facility that can be responsive and humane when operations run smoothly.

However, a substantial thread of criticism cannot be ignored. A number of reviews describe understaffing, high turnover, and management frustrations that translate into missed calls, delayed assistance, and perceived indifference from administration. Some families report inconsistent communication about medications, admittance procedures, or care changes, and several accounts allege that the environment can feel chaotic when staff are stretched thin. The most alarming anecdotes involve questions about safety, accountability, and the handling of paperwork, with at least a portion of reviewers urging extreme caution or suggesting alternatives for loved ones requiring steady oversight. Food quality also surfaces as a recurring concern for at least some residents, contrasting with the otherwise positive notes about therapeutic care.

In weighing these dynamics, the key pros - robust rehab, compassionate frontline caregivers, and a clean, engaging setting - do offset risk only when staffing and leadership alignment are solid. When administration is effective and lines of communication stay open, Candlewood Valley delivers on its rehab promise and can become a trusted bridge back to independence. Yet when staffing gaps widen and management communication falters, the same strengths struggle to shine, leaving families hesitant about long stays or dementia?focused care. For families navigating a short judgment window after hospital discharge, the facility can be a strong option; for those who anticipate long?term custodial needs or pattern?sensitive conditions, it warrants careful due diligence or comparison against other communities.

For families evaluating Candlewood Valley, actionable next steps are clear. Schedule a thorough tour and insist on meeting the director or the administrator, the head of rehabilitation, and the charge nurse on a typical shift. Request a detailed, written care plan with daily therapy targets, medication administration routines, and a transparent escalation path for concerns. Scrutinize staffing ratios during peak hours, inquire about the use of agency staff, and ask for recent quality and safety metrics. Speak directly with current residents and their families about communication responsiveness, meal variety, and activity programming. If dementia care or 24/7 supervision is essential, bring those requirements to the table and probe how the facility handles wandering, behavioral health, and staffing coverage around the clock.

Ultimately, Candlewood Valley represents a practical, rehab?forward choice with real strengths in therapy quality and resident engagement, tempered by legitimate concerns around staffing consistency and administrative reliability. For families who can anchor care with attentive oversight and who prioritize measurable rehab progress, it remains a compelling option in the New Milford area. For others, especially those with long?term dementia needs or a demand for unwavering administrative clarity, the recommendation is to compare closely with other communities and to seek clear assurances before committing. The decision should rest on a candid assessment of staff stability, communication habits, and the ability to maintain a steady, person?centered care experience day after day.

Physicians

• New Milford Family Practice (0.2 miles)
• New Milford Medical Gr (0.2 miles)
• Danbury Eye Physicians & Surgeons (0.6 miles)
• Women's Healthcare of New Milford (0.6 miles)
• Candlewood Valley Pediatrics (0.6 miles)
• Physician Care (0.7 miles)
• Kent Med Peds (9.7 miles)

Hospitals

• New Milford Hospital, part of Nuvance Health (1.2 miles)
• Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center (8.9 miles)
• The Wellspring Foundation (9.3 miles)
• Danbury Hospital Business Office (12.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Big Y Foods (1.5 miles)
• Kent Apothecary (9.7 miles)
• Kent Station Pharmacy (9.7 miles)
• Towne Apothecary (10.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (10.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (10.7 miles)

Parks

• Youngs Field Park (1.6 miles)
• Creative Playground (2.5 miles)
• Sega Meadows Park (2.7 miles)
• Lynn Deming Park (3.3 miles)
• Lovers Leap State Park (3.8 miles)
• Harrybrooke Park (4.2 miles)
• Lake Waramaug State Park (5.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Wilson’s Bakery and Cafe (9.6 miles)
• Kent Coffee & Chocolate Co. (9.6 miles)
• Warren General (10.6 miles)
• Arethusa A Mano (12.2 miles)
• Panera Bread (12.8 miles)

Restaurants

• Three Brothers Family Restaurant (2.5 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (3.3 miles)
• 202 Tavern (4.4 miles)
• The White Horse Country Pub (4.8 miles)
• Bridgewater Village Store (4.8 miles)
• Gaylordsville Diner & Restaurant (5 miles)
• The Old Oak Tavern (5.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Christ Church On Quaker Hill (8.2 miles)
• St Joseph's Church (9.2 miles)
• Sacred Heart Rectory (9.5 miles)
• Greater Washington Coalition (11.9 miles)

Transportation

• Harlem Valley Metro North Station (9.2 miles)