New Jersey Eastern Star Home

Pros

• The staff care about the patients and generally answer questions well.
• The new visitor sign-in system was easy to use and enhances resident safety.
• The family has used the facility for years and would continue to recommend it.
• The NJ Eastern Star team shows dedication and genuine care, delivering compassionate, high-quality care.
• The rehabilitation program is attentive and professional, helping residents transition smoothly back home.
• The facility is described as state-of-the-art with excellent medical treatment.
• The environment is clean and comfortable, with spacious rooms and friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Cons

• The staff can be slow at times.
• The weapon detector is seen as an extreme and inappropriate security measure for a nursing home.
• The reviewer would never return to this facility due to security concerns.
• The room was filthy upon arrival, with a dirty toilet and missing toiletries.
• The discharge decision seemed arbitrary and offered little opportunity for explanation or appeal.
• The admissions process for short-term respite care was a waste of time.
• The facility appeared seriously understaffed, impacting rehabilitation and daily care.
• Urgent matters were not taken seriously, and family inquiries were ignored or not answered.

Review

The experiences shared about NJ Eastern Star Home in Bridgeway, NJ, paint a deeply mixed picture that sits somewhere between heartfelt praise for caring, capable staff and serious concerns about safety practices, administration, and the admission process. On one hand, many reviewers emphasize that the facility's clinicians and aides are dedicated, compassionate, and attentive to the medical and daily needs of residents. They describe staff as patient-focused, responsive to questions, and invested in helping loved ones recover and settle in. In these accounts, the core of the facility's strength seems to be the people: nurses, therapists, and care teams who go above and beyond to support patients and families, even when operational hurdles arise.

Care quality and staff responsiveness are repeatedly highlighted as the facility's strongest assets. Several reviewers note that the staff are willing to provide thoughtful, individualized care, and that the rehabilitation team can make meaningful positive differences in a resident's recovery. There is particular praise for specific nurses and therapists who are described as knowledgeable, kind, and detailed in their attention to patient needs. In one strong example, a family member singles out a nurse (S. Hamm) for her warmth and competence, while others recount that the rehabilitation team delivers care that helps a loved one regain function and improve daily living.

Safety and visitor procedures emerge as a major point of contention and conversation. A newer visitor sign-in system, described by one visitor as a "small detector" intake comparable to a sports venue, is credited with a quick process that nonetheless provides reassurance about safety and resident protection. For many, this mechanism represents a responsible measure that adds peace of mind without imposing a heavy burden on families. However, other reviewers respond with deep concern and frustration, characterizing the weapon detector as excessive or "insanity" for a nursing home setting. They argue that while safety is essential, some security measures feel out of proportion and raise questions about management's strategic thinking - suggesting a need for a balanced approach that protects residents without creating unnecessary distress for visitors or residents and their families.

The facility's friendliness and environment also receive positive notes. Several comments describe well-kept rooms, clean and comfortable settings, and a facility that feels modern or "state-of-the-art." Families recount satisfaction with amenities, including large private baths and the overall ambiance, which helps residents feel safe and cared for. In some stories, families credit the environment with contributing to comfort and well-being, noting that their loved ones enjoy good food and friendly staff, and that the facility's social and emotional supports matter just as much as medical treatment.

Yet the reviews also include serious criticisms and difficult experiences. A number of accounts recount troubling first impressions, such as rooms that were not properly cleaned, toiletries missing, or other cleanliness lapses that raised concerns about basic standards. In these narratives, some families faced a quick discharge or a lack of thorough clinical discussion when serious questions arose, leaving them feeling uncertain about the decision-making process and the transparency of communication. A recurring theme is the difficulty in obtaining timely responses from administration or clinical leadership - names and positions (Administrator, admissions staff, doctors) surface in the attempts to obtain answers, and several reviewers describe frustration at not being able to reach the right person promptly when urgent questions arise.

Beyond cleanliness and communication, the admissions and discharge processes draw particular scrutiny. One caregiver describes an experience where applying for respite care felt unproductive and opaque, with critical guidelines only mentioned after submission of medical and financial documents. The sense conveyed is that while the facility may have legitimate discretion over admissions, a more transparent, step-by-step explanation and earlier expectations could help families plan better and avoid last-minute surprises. In one long narrative of rehab and Medicare dynamics, families recount encounters with disagreements over coverage and therapy mandates, and feelings of being pushed to make difficult decisions with limited support from the facility's team.

In aggregate, the collection of reviews presents a facility that can deliver excellent care and a high level of clinical expertise, especially in rehabilitation and ongoing medical treatment, but is equally capable of generating stress and frustration when communication falters, safety policies feel misaligned with patient-centered care, or administrative processes lack clarity. Several reviewers express gratitude for the dedication and compassion of frontline staff, while others urge leadership to address gaps in transparency, responsiveness, and practical support for families during admissions, transfers, and complex care planning. Taken together, the impressions suggest a facility with substantial strengths in clinical care and a real commitment to residents' welfare, but with room to improve in how it communicates, coordinates, and justifies its safety and regulatory practices to families who rely on it during vulnerable moments.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.1 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.3 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Pharmscript (4 miles)
• Walgreens (5 miles)

Restaurants

• Houlihan's (0.6 miles)
• McDonald's (1 miles)
• Verve Restaurant Bar (1.8 miles)
• Village Brewing Company (1.8 miles)
• McDonald's (1.9 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (2.2 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (2.5 miles)

Physicians

• Hunterdon Family Medicine at Bridgewater (0.8 miles)
• Atlantic Medical Group Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (1.2 miles)
• Beim Daniel S MD (2.2 miles)
• Your Doctors Care PA (2.4 miles)
• Somerset Pediatric Group (3.1 miles)
• Bridgewater Medical Group (3.8 miles)
• University Orthopaedic Associates (4.1 miles)

Theaters

• Reading Cinemas Manville with TITAN LUXE (1.5 miles)
• AMC DINE-IN Bridgewater 7 (2.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.2 miles)
• Panera Bread (3.3 miles)
• Starbucks (4.3 miles)
• Starbucks (4.5 miles)
• Panera Bread (5.3 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)
• Starbucks (6.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Catholic Church Of St Anne (3 miles)
• The Parish Community of St Joseph (4.9 miles)
• Sri Venkateswara Temple (5.2 miles)
• Somerset Presbyterian Church (5.9 miles)
• Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church (6.3 miles)
• Muslim Center of Middlesex County (6.3 miles)
• Chinese Christian Church (7.6 miles)

Parks

• Duke Island Park (4.8 miles)
• Waltersbrook Drive Park (5 miles)
• Grandview School Play Ground (5.3 miles)
• North Branch Park (5.7 miles)
• Columbia Park (6.6 miles)
• Hills Highland Recreation Centre (6.7 miles)
• Harry Dunham Park (6.8 miles)

Transportation

• Somerset Airport (6.3 miles)
• Solberg Airport (N51) (8.2 miles)
• New Brunswick Train Station (8.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Lyons VA Hospital (7.2 miles)
• Emergency Department, St Peter's University Hospital (7.7 miles)
• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (8.4 miles)