Eagle Cliff Manor & Rehab Ctr

Pros

• Zach and his team are absolutely incredible; they treat residents like family and communicate with families regularly.
• The administrator goes the extra mile, and the staff are helpful and kind.
• The new administration has turned the facility around.
• The rooms are nice and the remodel is beautiful.
• The staff are kind, compassionate, and many CNAs are good, caring, and hardworking.
• The activity staff are appreciated by residents and activities are valued.
• Communication with families is excellent, giving families peace of mind.

Cons

• There are too many residents and not enough staff, and the remaining staff don't seem to care and issues go unaddressed.
• The Department of Health found River Ridge failed a general inspection, as well as staffing, quality of staff and management, and health inspections; managers are not trained.
• It is unfit for seniors.
• Do not allow loved ones to live here; patients are neglected and unsafe, especially for women.
• There are reports of abuse and neglect, including residents left in urine for hours, call lights removed, and staff disregarding concerns.
• The staff are rude to residents and families; the facility should be shut down.
• Gatekeepers are not trustworthy; visitation restrictions hinder important paperwork deliveries.
• Understaffed and overworked; administration piles on and verbally attacks staff, driving good help away.
• The facility is understaffed, unorganized, and unprofessional.
• The HR department is a joke; transfers between multiple people occur and no one provides help.
• Eagle Cliff hired personnel who cause personal rifts with false accusations against families; beware.

Review

The set of experiences at River Ridge Rehab and Nursing paints a starkly mixed picture. On one hand, there is a loud, collective concern that the facility is overwhelmed by too many residents and not enough staff, with people who are on site described as overworked and stretched far too thin. Several reviewers emphasize that staffing is a chronic problem, that turnover is high, and that the people who do stay are frequently not held accountable for the gaps in care. One reviewer even notes that the Department of Health and Human Services rated River Ridge "MUCH Below all other senior facilities on Billings," and that inspections found failures in general operations, staffing, management, and health compliance. The tone here is urgent: the facility is described as "unfit for seniors," with explicit warnings and a sense of danger for residents, particularly in scenarios where care should be consistent and attentive.

Against this backdrop, there are equally powerful testimonies of extraordinary care and genuine compassion. A prominent thread of praise centers on a staff member named Zach and his team, who are repeatedly described as "absolutely incredible." Families recount being treated like members of the staff's own families, with daily, proactive communication about their loved ones. One reviewer shares that they received phone updates almost every day and felt a sense of peace knowing their dad was in these caregivers' hands. The tone here is one of gratitude for warmth, attentiveness, and a willingness to go the extra mile - forgetting "lazy" labels and focusing on hands-on, thoughtful care.

Further corroborating the upside, several comments celebrate both the people and the environment when administration and routines align well. Descriptions of "great staff," "extremely kind and compassionate" service, and an administrator who "goes the extra mile" recur across multiple reviews. There are mentions of a newly improved administration team that has "really turned this place around," accompanied by confident statements that it should not have such a low score. Positive notes also extend to the physical and cultural environment: remodeled rooms, appealing meal experiences, and quality rehabilitation services that patients and families found satisfying. In these voices, River Ridge is a place where patients feel cared for, respected, and engaged in meaningful activities, including therapy.

Yet the negative feedback cannot be ignored, and it is forceful. Several reviewers warn prospective families not to place a loved one at River Ridge, describing it as dangerous and unsafe, with neglect so severe that it feels inhumane. Some accounts use blunt language - "do not allow your loved ones to live in this facility," "the worst place I've ever experienced" - to convey experiences of being left in urine for hours, call lights ignored, and staff allegedly prioritizing their own comfort or preferences over residents'. There are claims of abuse and neglect, with allegations that nurses sometimes prioritize themselves over residents and that management has ignored or dismissed concerns raised by frontline staff. These accounts extend to accountability issues, including paid hours disputed by management and a sense that staff who did speak up faced repercussions or lack of response from supervisors.

Other critical notes touch on governance and trust. A recurring grievance centers on "gatekeepers" and visitation controls linked to COVID-era policies, described as untrustworthy by some families who felt important paperwork never reached the intended recipients. The complaint continues with reports of rude interactions among staff, a perception that the facility operates more on its own rules than on resident needs, and a belief that the overall environment fails to live up to the responsibilities of a modern nursing home. There are mentions of routine activities, such as a jewelry-making initiative, where the social and activity staff sometimes face gossip or lack of participation, highlighting a broader sense of disorganization and morale issues among some teams.

In addition to the extreme contrasts in resident care, there are more pointed criticisms that speak to the internal culture of River Ridge. Descriptions such as "Understaffed. Staff overworked," and "Administration doesn't seem to give a damn about doing everything they can to drive good help away" suggest a systemic frustration with leadership that some feel undervalues or mistreats the workforce. This thread is reinforced by multiple references to a disjointed human resources experience - "The HR department is a joke. I got transferred to four different people before being told nobody could help me" - which compounds the sense of chaos and lack of reliable support for both families and staff.

Despite the breadth of concerns, there remains a strand of realism about the staff themselves. Several reviewers acknowledge that, even amid staffing shortages and administrative strain, "most of the CNAs are good, caring, and hardworking people." There is a sense that individual caregivers often do their best under difficult conditions, while the system around them - administration, scheduling, pay, and communications - creates the conditions in which good care can be inconsistent. Some comments also point to the potential for improvement, suggesting that under the right leadership and with adequate staffing and training, the facility could align more closely with the caring, family-like environments that some families experienced.

Taken together, the accounts present River Ridge Rehab and Nursing as a place of sharp contrasts. For some residents and families, the staff's kindness, the responsiveness of a few dedicated caregivers, and the improvements brought by new administration offer a compelling reason to trust their loved ones' daily care. For others, chronic understaffing, alleged neglect, and problematic management create deep concern about safety, accountability, and the overall quality of life for residents. The Department of Health's critical findings add a layer of seriousness to the conversation, while positive testimonials about compassionate clinicians and engaging activities remind readers that care experiences at River Ridge are not monolithic. Families considering River Ridge would be wise to weigh these polarized perspectives, visit personally, and ask pointed questions about staffing levels, training, oversight, and communication to make an informed choice.

This part of Billings, Montana offers a variety of amenities and services that may cater to your needs as a senior looking for a comfortable living environment. With several restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, and physicians in close proximity, you will have easy access to essential resources. Additionally, the presence of places of worship allows for spiritual fulfillment within the community. The nearby parks provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and staying active. With hospitals and transportation options nearby, you can feel assured that your healthcare needs will be met efficiently. Overall, this area offers a convenient and well-rounded environment for seniors looking to settle down in Billings.

Restaurants

• Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant (1.1 miles)
• Okinawa Sushi & Asian Bistro (1.1 miles)
• Off Main Deli And Bakery (1.2 miles)
• Taco Bell (1.2 miles)
• Sonic Drive-In (1.3 miles)
• McDonald's (1.3 miles)
• MacKenzie River Pizza Co. (1.5 miles)

Cafes

• Classy N Sassy Coffee (1.2 miles)
• Tippy Cow Cafe (1.7 miles)
• City Brew (3.6 miles)
• City Brew Coffee (3.6 miles)
• Ebon Coffee Collective (3.9 miles)
• Bull Mountain Brew (6.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.3 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• Sav-On Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• Albertsons Pharmacy (3.6 miles)
• Vintage Apothecary (3.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (5.3 miles)

Physicians

• Billings Family Eyecare (1.4 miles)
• John H Malloy MD (1.8 miles)
• SCL Health Medical Group - Heights (1.8 miles)
• Hall (3.1 miles)
• Eye Physicians Optical Department (3.5 miles)
• Advanced Mri (3.6 miles)
• St Vincent Healthcare (3.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Jehovah's Witnesses Billings Heights (1.7 miles)
• Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church (3.1 miles)
• American Lutheran Church (4.1 miles)
• St Pius X Church (6 miles)

Parks

• Coulson Park (2.6 miles)
• Terry Park (4.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Billings Clinic Intensive Care Unit (3.7 miles)

Transportation

• Billings Airport (4.3 miles)
• United Airlines (4.4 miles)
• Billings Logan International Airport (BIL) (4.6 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (5 miles)