Harborside Health Care

Pros

• The staff cared for her endlessly and treated her like family.
• The staff were great, very helpful and understanding, and the residents were very nice.
• The facility has awesome staff and engaging daytime activities.
• Head nurse Lara is wonderful and keeps families informed.
• The facility offers wonderful physical therapy, activities and entertainment, and the meals are liked by residents.
• The staff are truly fabulous and very helpful; the facility is highly recommended.
• Patients are treated compassionately and welcomed by staff.
• The staff made her feel comfortable and loved, giving the family peace of mind.
• The rooms were clean and the resident liked the staff and the food.
• They have their own hair salon for residents, which is very convenient.
• Among several nursing homes, this one is by far the best.

Cons

• The facility is described as awful, with residents allegedly waiting hours for help after pressing call buttons.
• Belongings, including clothes, are reported missing or stolen, leading reviewers to advise hiding valuables.
• The environment is filthy, with a strong odor and visible stains on the walls.
• Staff are accused of idling on their phones instead of caring for residents.
• Some reviewers report rude, unresponsive staff and difficulty reaching doctors.
• Rehab and physical therapy are described as inconsistent or minimal.
• Safety lapses are noted, including hazardous items left under beds and other cleanliness concerns.
• Discharge processes are mishandled, with pills discarded and poor communication about discharge.
• There are calls from reviewers to shut the facility down due to mistreatment and neglect.
• A family member claims the facility contributed to serious illness (COVID/pneumonia) and expresses losing a loved one because of care.

Review

The collection of experiences people shared about this nursing home paints a picture of a place that can feel like a sanctuary for some families and a source of deep frustration for others. On one end of the spectrum, there are heartfelt testimonials about compassionate, attentive care on the rehabilitation floor, dependable daily caregivers, and staff who become like family. On the other end, there are alarming accounts of neglect, hygiene issues, mismanagement, and routines that critics describe as unsafe. Taken together, the reviews reveal a facility that elicits intense loyalty from some residents and their loved ones while prompting serious doubts and warnings from others.

A number of voices highlight exceptionally positive aspects. Families frequently describe staff as kind, responsive, and dedicated. In several accounts, caregivers are praised for their consistency and for taking the time to know each patient's individual needs. One reviewer spoke of a rehab floor where "consistent caregivers everyday" created a familial atmosphere, with staff who cared for her loved one "endlessly" and made her feel adored "until the very end." Another set of testimonials emphasizes overall warmth and engagement: residents are described as receiving good rehabilitation services, with especially strong physical therapy and active programming, and as benefiting from good communication with nurses and administrators. Commenters mention friendly greetings from staff like Amanda, the supportive leadership of head nurses such as Lara, and a sense that the facility "by far" stands out in comparison to others she has experienced. The presence of amenities beyond basic care - like a hair salon for residents, ample activities and entertainment, and well-regarded rehabilitation and therapy - are cited as big pluses, reinforcing the impression that, for many, this is a comfortable, engaging, well-staffed place.

Several reviews underscore the value of good day-to-day experiences. People describe manageable, positive interactions with administrators, rehab teams, and the broader staff. There are stories of patients feeling well-supported and cared for, and of family members appreciating the level of communication and involvement they receive when a loved one is staying there. Some reviewers even recount a long-term stay that grew into a trusted routine: a year-long residency in which staff learned each patient's unique patterns and needs, with gratitude for how the staff "keeps us informed" and makes the resident feel welcome and respected. In the most hopeful notes, the facility is framed as a reliable place where medical and rehabilitative goals can be pursued with dignity and attentiveness.

Yet the picture is not uniformly positive. A substantial portion of the feedback raises red flags about safety, cleanliness, and overall care quality. Several reviewers warn prospective families to be vigilant; one blunt line warns to "do not leave ANYTHING of value with your loved one. It WILL be stolen," while another strongly urges people to consider other options and to keep a critical eye on anything that matters to a family member's well-being. There are repeated descriptions of neglectful or slow responses to urgent needs - stories of residents pressing the call button for assistance with basic needs like water or help, sometimes waiting hours, and of care staff appearing disengaged or preoccupied with their phones. The contrast between praised staff in some notes and perceived indifference in others is striking and unsettling.

Hygiene and condition concerns also surface in multiple accounts. Some families report meals and personal care that feel inconsistent, with statements about unclean conditions, unkempt residents, and rooms that do not reflect the level of care families expect. One visit described a sister-in-law with dried feces on her hand and under her nails at breakfast, a situation that prompted the reviewers to report the issue to the nurses station. Others recount more hazardous lapses, including a reviewer who described finding batteries and a breathing tube under a patient's bed, as well as other items left in drawers or nightstands from previous patients. There are vivid, troubling anecdotes about clothing going missing, items being stolen, and in one case, a person reporting that a nurse discarded pills in the trash after a patient requested coffee, then handed over a bag of pills without a full discharge explanation. In this vein, the warning to guard belongings and to monitor daily routines becomes a recurring theme.

Communication and medical oversight also appear uneven across the experiences. Some residents and families report good, timely communication with staff and doctors, with visits and updates that make them feel respected and informed. Others describe difficulty reaching doctors, with claims that there are days when no physician is on site or that calls are not promptly returned. A particularly strong complaint centers on a specific staff member's alleged behavior - an account accusing a nurse named Tina of discouraging ambulance transport for a relative in distress, followed by a later claim that the unit manager labeled that nurse's conduct as merely an "attitude problem." Such accusations color the overall impression of care as inconsistent and dependent on individual staff members rather than the facility's standard practices.

The more alarming narratives and the more glowing ones sit side by side, suggesting a facility whose performance shifts dramatically from day to day and from one staff mix to another. Some reviewers describe clean, orderly rooms, well-run admissions, and a palpable sense of pride among residents and their families. Others recount chaotic days, disorganization, and a sense of being ignored in moments of urgent need. There are even assertions calling for closure or shut-down, alleging that the place failed a loved one during a critical period and calling for more stringent oversight. Taken together, these opinions reflect a complex reality: a place that can embody both comfort and crisis, depending on the moment, the shift, and the people present.

For families evaluating this facility, the stories offer an important, if cautionary, portrait. They highlight the potential for exceptional interpersonal care, meaningful rehab, and a supportive social environment, along with the very real risks of inconsistent staffing, safety concerns, and gaps in oversight. If you're considering this nursing home, it seems wise to move beyond surface impressions and seek direct, current feedback from residents and families who have recent, firsthand experiences. Ask about staff turnover, the availability of a dedicated rehabilitation team, how frequently aides and nurses check in, and what protocols exist for safeguarding personal belongings, maintaining cleanliness, and ensuring timely medical evaluation. Above all, consider visiting at different times and speaking with both front-line staff and management to gauge whether the facility's environment feels stable, attentive, and truly capable of meeting your loved one's unique needs.

Physicians

• Post & O'connor Eye Centers PC (0.1 miles)
• Emerald Physicians (0.1 miles)
• Falmouth Women's Health (1.5 miles)
• Nutritionchoices (1.6 miles)
• Mashpee Health Center (2 miles)
• Community Health Care Center Of Cape Cod (2.1 miles)
• Mass. Eye and Ear (2.3 miles)

Restaurants

• Polar Cave Ice Cream Parlour (0.5 miles)
• Cooke's Seafood (1.3 miles)
• Smitty's Homemade Ice Cream (1.3 miles)
• Dino's Sports Bar (2.8 miles)
• The Chart Room At Crosby (3.9 miles)
• Popponesset Inn Restaurant (4.6 miles)
• Smitty's Homemade Ice Cream (6.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• Molly's Apothecary (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (7.5 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (1.6 miles)
• Cape Cod Coffee (1.7 miles)
• Daily Brew Coffee House (7.6 miles)
• Starbucks (8.6 miles)
• Village Cafe (8.8 miles)
• The Black Dog Heights Cafe (9.1 miles)
• Sea Street Cafe (9.2 miles)

Places of Worship

• Seventh-Day Adventist Church (4.5 miles)
• St Elizabeth Seton Church (8.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod (7 miles)

Transportation

• Thomas B. Landers Lot (7.2 miles)

Parks

• Falmouth Marina Park (9.1 miles)