WillowWood at Woldenberg Village

Pros

• Natasha in admissions took the time to meet right away and give a tour, making the admission process easy during a difficult time.
• The staff were always very nice.
• The facility was immaculately clean and odorless every day.
• April, the daytime caregiver, was a true gem and was loved by the resident.
• Bobby the social worker organized the post-discharge homecare and necessary equipment.
• The nursing staff was terrific and scheduled follow-up doctor visits and transportation.
• Dr. Powell never seemed rushed and took plenty of time with the patient.
• The speech, OT, and physical therapy helped to regain strength and return home safely.
• The laundry was done neatly and returned to the room on hangers.
• The building and grounds are attractive and spotless.
• The food is delicious.
• There are a number of activities for residents.
• The staff are helpful and capable.
• The facility is highly recommended by families.

Cons

• The nursing staff were rude and seemed more focused on a paycheck than on caring for residents.
• A reviewer reported missing an important appointment because the facility's afternoon transportation failed to pick up the patient.
• Items such as clothing, Bath and Body Works products, a clock, and a large blanket went missing or were not returned.
• After-hours assistance was inconsistent, with delays in repositioning and concerns about the patient's breathing.
• Soiled diapers were not promptly addressed, leaving residents uncomfortable and at risk for infections.
• A NP allegedly turned off an oxygen concentrator to hear the chest better and forgot to turn it back on.
• Some reviewers found the facility dirty or hospital-like, raising questions about cleanliness and maintenance.

Review

A recent string of experiences with inpatient rehabilitation facilities reveals a landscape where care can be outstanding and life-affirming one moment, and frustrating or even alarming the next. Across several reviews of Woldenberg Village and related facilities, families consistently praised the warmth, competence, and efficiency of some staff, while others recounted troubling lapses in care, communication, and accountability. Taken together, the accounts illustrate how much depends on the specific team members involved, how well the facility is coordinated, and how actively families advocate for their loved ones.

On the overwhelmingly positive side, numerous reviewers highlighted moments when the process felt human-centered and smoothly run. Natasha in admissions frequently stood out as a calm, proactive point of contact who could get things moving quickly - "Natasha in admissions took the time to see me right away and gave me a tour," one family member wrote, adding that Natasha remained helpful throughout the admission process and made a difficult time easier. The daily experience often included kind, attentive staff across shifts, and the environment was repeatedly described as clean and orderly. A family member spoke warmly of a daytime caregiver, April, calling her a "true gem" and noting that her loved one really connected with her. The social worker, Bobby, was credited with organizing post-discharge home care and equipment, while Dr. Powell was described as unhurried and thorough, taking "plenty of time" with the patient. Therapy - speech, occupational, and physical - was repeatedly credited with restoring strength and enabling a safe return home for a loved one approaching his 90th birthday. Laundry was praised for being returned neatly on hangers, labs were performed regularly to monitor progress, and the overall impression of the facility's cleanliness and order contributed to a sense of reassurance. The sentiment from several reviewers was unambiguous: they would not hesitate to use Woldenberg Village again, and they were grateful for the care and for the people who delivered it.

Other reviewers echoed that sentiment from a different angle. One family toured the facility with minimal notice and still found the staff - therapists included - friendly and engaged, noting that the place appeared well staffed and clean, with a sense of activity and purpose. Some described the overall atmosphere as "absolutely beautiful," with warm front staff and a robust program of activities for residents. A recurring thread in these accounts was the importance of accessibility to care: a mom had "needed physical therapy rehab three times" and received consistent, capable support; another family member lauded the staff for maintaining a clean, attractive building, highlighting the presence of regular updates in care and the sense that staff genuinely cared about daily quality of life. Across these messages, the belief that Woldenberg Village (and its sister facilities by name) can offer excellent, compassionate care when the right team is in place comes through clearly.

There are also accounts that emphasize the broader experience of living with a loved one in these facilities, including times when the environment felt well-suited to long-term complex needs. One reviewer described a sister's more extended residency - four years in one facility, six months in another - where excellent care, tidy rooms, and regular family updates were a constant. In another review, a family member expressed strong confidence that Willow Wood's care - specifically for a loved one with dementia after a stroke - was consistently attentive, with clean rooms, good meals, meaningful activities, and staff who were "patient, kind, and caring." The overarching message in these stories is that these facilities can be very strong allies for families facing difficult medical journeys, helping residents maintain dignity and engagement through thoughtful programming and steady, reliable support.

Not all experiences align with those sunny reports. A particularly distressing review describes a stark contrast between the facility's outward beauty and the substantial gaps in care that followed. The writer paints a picture of back-end staff who were unfriendly or dismissive, even claiming, "I have 12 other patients. You are not my only patient." They recount a broken promise of a real shower, missed or mismanaged appointments due to transportation failures, and a troubling decline in health including diaper rash and a perceived weaker condition upon discharge. Items went missing, laundry and belongings were misplaced or not returned, and there were serious concerns about the facility's ability to manage diabetes-related needs and oxygen support. The reviewer notes serious lapses after hours, including a nurse turning off an oxygen concentrator to "hear their chest better" and then failing to turn it back on. The sense of being unheard by management is palpable, with repeated attempts at requesting a direct contact going unaddressed and the promised follow-up never materializing. The review captures a painful arc: a temporary placement intended to help a loved one recover progress, but instead the patient's condition deteriorated and care quality eroded, with a final move to another hospital after a medical crisis.

That negative account also foregrounds concerns about after-hours care, respect for residents, and the security of personal belongings. The reviewer described a pattern of neglect - delays in assistance while staff attended to other tasks, long periods in soiled diapers, and a pattern of not brushing teeth or addressing basic hygiene in a timely fashion. There are complaints about disrespectful communication, including the impression that staff were more focused on tasks or lunch trays than on residents' immediate needs. Items such as bath products, a clock, and clothing allegedly disappeared, and multiple residents expressed concern about stolen belongings. The reviewer's updates - calling for direct management contact, highlighting a need for better documentation, and noting a lack of clear lines of communication - underscore how important clear, accountable leadership is to family trust. In the January update, the reviewer reiterated ongoing concerns and a sense that after-hours and management responsiveness remained lacking, despite daily family presence and repeated attempts to obtain updates.

Taken together, these observations suggest several practical takeaways for families considering inpatient rehabilitation facilities. The level of care and the quality of the patient experience appear highly dependent on the specific team members assigned - admissions staff who can streamline the process, nurses, therapists, and social workers who maintain continuity, and a doctor who takes time to listen. Cleanliness and a welcoming environment matter, but so do reliable transportation, timely medical oversight, and the availability of private rooms when possible. Clear, proactive communication from administration can make a significant difference in family confidence; when it's missing, concerns about patient safety, dignity, and progress quickly rise to the fore. Families are wise to ask pointed questions in advance - about shower access, therapy scheduling, post-discharge planning, oxygen or other medical equipment, and the facility's policies on lost items and after-hours care - and to seek out multiple perspectives from current residents and other families.

If you're weighing options for an inpatient rehab or skilled nursing stay, consider not only the facility's physical appearance and advertised services, but also the day-to-day dynamics that influence a resident's experience: the consistency and kindness of the caregiving team, the responsiveness of admissions and administrative leadership, the reliability of transportation and appointment scheduling, and the facility's track record on preserving resident dignity and safety. The stories above reflect a spectrum - from deeply positive, relationship-based care that helps families feel confident about their loved one's recovery, to warnings about potential lapses that can have real consequences. Your choice may hinge on finding a center where strong clinical care is matched by unwavering communication, thorough oversight, and a culture that genuinely prioritizes the well-being of residents and the peace of mind of their families.

Physicians

• Heitmeier,Armani&Langhetee Medical &Surgical Eyecare (0.2 miles)
• O Sullivan, Jennifer Vigour Pediatrics (0.5 miles)
• Dimitri Dermatology (2.4 miles)
• Bone & Joint Clinic (2.4 miles)
• Smith Demarcus DDS (2.5 miles)
• Martin D. Claiborne (4.3 miles)
• Touro Med Building (4.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.3 miles)
• French Truck Coffee (3.5 miles)
• HiVolt Coffee (3.5 miles)
• Cafe Du Monde (3.8 miles)
• French Truck Coffee (3.8 miles)
• Cafe Envie (3.9 miles)
• CC's Community Coffee House (4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (0.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (2.2 miles)
• Rouses Markets (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (3.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Andrew the Apostle School (1.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Sweet Shack Snowballs (1.4 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (3 miles)
• Cochon Restaurant (3.4 miles)
• Cochon (3.4 miles)
• Turkey And The Wolf (3.4 miles)
• Barrel Proof (3.5 miles)
• Pêche (3.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Seaside Hospial (1.6 miles)
• St Charles Surgical Hospital (3.8 miles)
• LSU Medical - 1400 Poydras (4.3 miles)
• Touro Infirmary (4.4 miles)
• West Jefferson Medical Center LCMC Health (4.9 miles)
• SE Louisiana Veterans Hospital (5.1 miles)

Parks

• Crescent Park (3.7 miles)