Forest Lake Health Care

Pros

• The facility was clean, residents were calm, and the staff were friendly.
• The staff were great and very courteous.
• The majority of the staff were pleasant, helpful, and patient.
• They took good care of residents and communicated well.
• The Place at Martinez provided great rehab, and everyone - from the social worker to the nurses and CNAs - was nice, kind, and took good care.
• The staff showed pure caring.
• Weekday staff were better than weekend staff.

Cons

• The Place at Martinez is described as awful and extremely unprofessional.
• The facility has an overwhelming smell, and visitors are directed to the back entrance, which feels unprofessional.
• Cleanliness is poor; baseboards are said to have never been washed.
• Residents are forgotten for meals unless family intervenes.
• The call button system is useless and nurses respond very slowly.
• Staff are frequently rude, inattentive, and lacking in compassion.
• CNAs are overworked and under?staffed; nurses do the bare minimum.
• Residents are not bathed, not dressed, and rooms are dirty or outdated.
• The social worker is described as rude and hostile, with poor communication.
• There are reports of mishandled care and paperwork (e.g., Medicaid issues, bed given away, improper 30?day notices).
• Many reviewers say not to send a loved one there and urge avoidance of the facility.

Review

There is a striking contrast in the experiences people report about The Place at Martinez, but a common thread runs through many of the stories: families are consistently alarmed by what they describe as neglect, poor communication, and a troubling lack of attentiveness to residents' basic needs. Several observers paint a picture of a facility that feels more chaotic than comforting, with odor and cleanliness concerns often cited as the first impression many visitors mention. One reviewer notes being steered around to the back of the building and away from the front door, an experience they found unprofessional and off-putting. Another describes the place as having baseboards that look like they have never been washed, and they describe the environment as overwhelmed by an overpowering smell that made the overall impression feel dirty and run-down.

Cleanliness and sanitary conditions come up repeatedly as a major worry. Reviews describe dirty rooms, bathrooms in disarray, floors with debris, and rooms that feel outdated or neglected. One account even uses the term "DUMP" to convey a sense that the facility has not kept pace with modern standards. Several families recount scenes where residents appeared unbathed or inadequately groomed, and they express disbelief at what they see as a lack of basic hygiene and care. In some cases, the concerns extend beyond cleanliness to questions about the general upkeep of the facility, including aging furniture and deteriorated spaces that give the impression of being stuck in the past rather than a place designed for current rehabilitation and recovery.

Care quality and safety are recurring themes, with many stories focusing on missed meals, delayed or unavailable assistance, and ineffective safety systems. Families report instances where meals were forgotten or not provided, and call buttons that seem to fail to prompt timely responses from nurses. One vivid allegation describes a nurse pressuring a resident with a swallowing difficulty to take a large amount of pills, coupled with a dismissive comment about relying on cookies for swallowing - an example that several reviewers used to illustrate a broader pattern of impatience and poor bedside manner. In these narratives, urgent needs often go unmet, and residents are left waiting for help that never arrives quickly enough.

Administrative and systemic problems are also a major source of distress. Some reviews describe Medicaid paperwork not being filed correctly, which in turn leads to placement complications, hospital transfers, and even the perception that the facility is mishandling admissions or discharges. There are accounts of bed management issues, with beds being "given away," and notices that should accompany patient discharge not being properly communicated. In one instance, a resident ended up in the hospital and was told the facility could not accept her back because the bed had already been assigned elsewhere. The sense conveyed in these stories is that of disorganization at a level that undermines trust and safety for residents and their families.

Interactions with staff are another major point of contention, though not uniformly negative. Some reviewers describe staff as rude, hostile, or indifferent, with examples of long holds on the phone, dismissive responses, and a general impression that certain nurses or aides are overwhelmed or disengaged. A number of complaints highlight a pattern of staff appearing distracted, with caregivers who seem to be multitasking or socializing rather than focusing on residents' needs. Yet within the same pool of experiences, there are mentions of compassionate and capable individuals who provide good care, clear communication, and steady updates to families. A few reviewers praise the environment as clean and calm and speak positively about particular CNAs or nurses who treated them well, underscoring that the experience can vary significantly depending on who is helping.

The most troubling narratives describe serious failures in basic care and dignity. There are allegations of residents being left unclothed or not properly dressed, and at least one account of a resident lying in bed in distress or in a state that suggested neglect. Some reviewers recount persistent bathing neglect, limited physical therapy, and a sense that residents have become disengaged or "like a zombie" due to insufficient therapeutic activity. In several stories, families felt compelled to intervene personally to get care back on track or to remove a loved one from the facility altogether because family oversight was the only way to ensure safety and basic human treatment.

Despite the overwhelmingly negative experiences, there are a handful of positive mentions that acknowledge good aspects or moments of better care. A few reviewers describe the facility as clean and open, with staff who were courteous, responsive, and engaged with rehabilitation goals. Some families felt that their loved ones received adequate care or that the staff demonstrated kindness and professionalism in particular interactions. These anecdotes suggest that, within the same facility, care quality can vary by shift, department, or individual caregiver, leaving families to weigh inconsistent experiences against moments of competence and compassion.

For anyone considering care at The Place at Martinez, the body of feedback suggests a cautious approach. Families routinely recommend thorough, independent assessment - not just a tour or a single family member's impression - but ongoing oversight: verifying that meals are provided, monitoring call-button responses, and observing interactions between staff and residents over multiple days or shifts. Questions to ask might include how the facility handles medication administration, whether there are robust safeguards for swallowing difficulties, how therapy services are scheduled and delivered, and what procedures exist for discharge planning and Medicaid paperwork. It's clear from these accounts that concerns about cleanliness, attentiveness, and safety are central to the overall perception of the facility, and that families may need to advocate actively to secure consistent, respectful, and professional care for their loved ones.

Restaurants

• Waffle House (0.5 miles)
• Five Guys Burgers & Fries (0.6 miles)
• First Watch (0.6 miles)
• Wife Saver (0.8 miles)
• McDonald's (0.9 miles)
• Sunrise Grill (0.9 miles)
• California Dreaming (0.9 miles)

Physicians

• David W Blackstock (0.7 miles)
• Ryan Thomas Smith (1.6 miles)
• Reginald A Pilcher Pc (1.7 miles)
• Ross-Douglas Brandi K MD - Doctors Hospital of Augusta (1.8 miles)
• Jay Patel, MD (1.8 miles)
• Augusta Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists PC (1.8 miles)
• Colon-Santini Juan L MD Faap (1.8 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.8 miles)
• Starbucks (1.1 miles)
• Panera Bread (1.3 miles)
• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (2.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Miller, Aubrey Neal (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Abilene Baptist Church (1.4 miles)
• Stevens Creek Church (2.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Doctors Hospital Of Augusta (1.9 miles)
• Davita Kidney Care (3.5 miles)

Parks

• Lakeside Park (2.5 miles)

Theaters

• GTC Riverwatch 12 Cinemas (3.5 miles)

Transportation

• Daniel Field Airport (DNL) (3.6 miles)