Harbourwood Health & Rehab Center in Clearwater, FL

Pros

• Terri in admissions is lovely and goes out of her way to help families.
• The nurses and CNAs are awesome and show compassion for residents.
• The staff are helpful, professional, and clearly care about residents.
• Terri Bolander is the kindest, most compassionate person the reviewer has met.
• The facility is clean, well-maintained, and welcoming.
• Terri and the admissions team make the process smooth and feel like family.
• The therapy department is spectacular; the staff is patient and encouraging.
• The marketing and admissions team, especially Sara, goes above and beyond.
• The DON and ADON are helpful and trustworthy; residents are in good hands.
• The staff consistently respond to call lights in a timely manner.
• HarbourWood is a place where staff treat residents with kindness and respect.
• The facility is one of the best options for elderly care in the area.

Cons

• The care at Harbourwood Care is atrocious; they fail to provide 24-hour supervision, medications, wound care, and a safe living environment.
• The food service department has no dietary protocols or considerations for medically necessary conditions.
• The assigned doctor is useless; he is rude, uncaring, and refuses to provide orders or guidance.
• Critical medications and IV fluids are delayed or not administered, and a lab sample was left on a nightstand and never tested.
• Harbourwood waited too long to call 911 because of a standing order that blocked urgent emergency action.
• The staff are inept, rude, and disrespectful; CNAs are threatening.
• The facility is dirty and understaffed; belongings get lost and there are HIPAA violations and theft.
• Call lights go unanswered and residents are left without care for hours, especially at night.
• Five-star reviews largely come from staff and are a lie; management is a joke and the facility should be shut down.

Review

Harbourwood Health & Rehab Center in Clearwater is best suited for families seeking a rehab-forward transition with strong therapy services, a clean, welcoming environment, and front-line staff who genuinely treat residents with warmth. The community often earns praise for its therapy department and for admissions personnel who are responsive and communicative. For families who want a facility where the building feels tidy, the common areas are pleasant, and the care teams show visible compassion on a day-to-day basis, Harbourwood can feel like a solid match. In short, it works well when the priority is structured rehabilitation, steady routine, and a personal touch at the point of entry.

However, this is not a one-size-fits-all option. Those who require consistently high-urgency medical oversight, rapid nurse responses, and ironclad safety protocols should consider alternatives. A number of reviews raise red flags about 24-hour care, timely administration of medications, and prompt hygiene assistance, suggesting that staffing realities and management decisions can create dangerous gaps. Families with loved ones who have complex medical needs, chronic conditions that demand immediate attention, or a history of falls and infections may prefer facilities with a longer track record of relentless supervision and fewer reported lapses.

The major positives at Harbourwood - compassionate nurses and CNAs on many shifts, an active therapy team, and a reputation for cleanliness - do translate into real value for pursuing short-stay rehab or a smoother, more human transition into long-term care. Terri in admissions repeatedly emerges as a standout advocate who helps families navigate plans and timelines, and the therapy staff is frequently described as patient, encouraging, and skilled. When these strengths align with a resident's goals, rehabilitation can progress with continuity, equipment and accessibility are well-kept, and visiting with loved ones feels comfortable. Those elements can offset some everyday irritants if overall medical risk remains manageable.

Yet the constellation of chronic complaints in other reviews cannot be ignored. Allegations range from neglect of basic hygiene and mattress changes to missed doctor appointments, delayed emergency responses, and even safety incidents involving belongings and patient dignity. Several families report understaffing, voicemail-heavy communication, and inconsistent accountability at the administration level. While some residents sing praises about staff warmth and good days, the severity and recurrence of these concerns in multiple accounts raise a legitimate caution about relying on Harbourwood for high-stakes, long-term medical stability.

For decision-making, the practical takeaway is clear: Harbourwood can deliver meaningful progress in rehab and a respectful, home-like atmosphere when care teams are engaged, attentive, and well-coordinated with families. But the risk profile matters. If the resident's needs include complex wound care, tight glycemic or IV therapy management, frequent medical supervision, or fast, reliable response to crises, the potential gaps cited in reviews become a decisive factor. The facility's ability to consistently implement orders, coordinate transportation for appointments, and maintain absolute hygiene standards should be confirmed in person, with concrete questions and recent performance data.

To proceed with confidence, schedule thorough, in-person evaluations focused on process and people. Ask to meet the director of nursing and the DON, request recent state survey results, and insist on a transparent schedule showing nurse-to-resident ratios on every shift. Verify how care plans are written, updated, and communicated to families; test call lights and response times during a visit; review medication administration procedures; and probe transportation logistics for appointments and emergencies. Talk to current residents and families about consistency of care, and press for explicit guarantees around timely hygiene practices, dignity in daily activities, and a workable plan if a crisis arises after hours.

Bottom line: Harbourwood holds genuine strengths in therapy quality, cleanliness, and a compassionate, hands-on admissions team, which makes it a strong pick for rehab-focused care and for families who value a welcoming, family-like atmosphere. But the facility warrants caution for anyone prioritizing unwavering medical vigilance and flawless day-to-day safety. If those higher-stakes needs cannot be confidently met after a careful visit and verification, exploring well-mcreened alternatives in the Clearwater area is prudent. The right choice hinges on matching the resident's medical risk profile and care expectations with the facility's demonstrated capacity to deliver timely, consistent, and compassionate care every day.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.2 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.7 miles)
• McDonald's (2.9 miles)
• Bar Fly (3 miles)
• Duff's Buffet (3.6 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3.9 miles)
• P.F. Chang's China Bistro (4.1 miles)

Parks

• McMullen Booth Tennis Center Clearwater FL (0.9 miles)
• Kapok Park (1.3 miles)
• Dog Run (1.4 miles)
• Cooper Bayou Park (2.6 miles)
• Eagle Lake Park (3.2 miles)
• Largo Central Park (4.8 miles)
• Sand Key Park (6.6 miles)

Physicians

• Clearwater Pediatric Care (1.3 miles)
• Premier Miller (3 miles)
• Bay Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery (4.3 miles)
• Academic Alliance in Dermatology (4.5 miles)
• Florida Department of Health, Pinellas County Health Department, Clearwater Center (4.6 miles)
• Pinellas County Environmental Health (4.9 miles)
• Virginia Street Dermatology (5.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (3.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.9 miles)
• Walgreens (4.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.7 miles)
• Belleair Coffee Company (6.4 miles)

Transportation

• St Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) (4 miles)

Hospitals

• Morton Plant Hospital (5 miles)
• Morgan Heart Hospital (5 miles)
• Mease Countryside Hospital (5.6 miles)
• Mease Countryside Hospital-Medical Arts Building (5.7 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Largo Mall (5.9 miles)
• AMC Woodlands Square 20 (6.6 miles)