Kessler Cedar Grove-CLOSED

Pros

• Gabriel is wonderful.
• Coretta is absolutely wonderful.
• Marybeth is a wonderful person.
• Raquel is a dedicated and compassionate nurse.
• The staff are extremely friendly and attentive.
• The treatment and attention are excellent.
• The facility is clean and well-maintained.
• Maria and Sally are miracle workers.
• Nurse Ahmed is outstanding.
• Mr. Nixon's leadership, compassion, and responsiveness are impressive.

Cons

• They described the facility as dirty and poorly maintained, with trash on the floor and patients not showered for days.
• They stated the staff were rude, uncaring, and unprofessional, with call bells often unanswered.
• They claimed the facility is extremely short-staffed, causing long delays for basic needs like water, bathroom assistance, and therapy.
• They reported the food as terrible and cold, with meals sometimes mislisted or not suitable for dietary needs.
• They observed roaches and odors, including smells of urine, within the building.
• They alleged medication errors or delays, including missed doses and late administrations, sometimes leading to harm.
• They criticized management and leadership as unresponsive or abusive, including claims that the DON is evil and some staff are condescending.
• They warned others not to send loved ones there, calling the place a nightmare and suggesting it should be shut down or restaffed.

Review

This Cedar Grove location is best suited for families prioritizing intensive rehabilitation and highly engaged, hands-on caregiving from a consistent team, with the caveat that ongoing oversight will be essential. Several reviews highlight exceptional physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing attention when staff are present and engaged. In many cases, residents who receive focused rehab emerge with noticeable mobility gains and regained independence, and family members repeatedly credit individual caregivers for warmth, dignity, and practical support. For families who can actively participate, ask targeted questions, and insist on clear care plans, the rehab-focused path can deliver meaningful short-term gains.

That said, those seeking a reliably calm, consistently staffed environment with uniform daily caregiving may want to consider alternatives. The facility's reports read as a mixed bag: some families describe excellent clinical outcomes and courteous, capable teams, while others recount chronic understaffing, slow responses to calls, and uneven quality of basic daily care. Several reviewers caution that when administrators or front-line staff are unavailable or inconsistent, gaps in attention, hygiene, and safety can arise. For residents with significant cognitive or daily-assistance needs, or for families who cannot provide steady oversight, safer, more consistently staffed options should be explored.

The strongest pro-to-con offset rests with rehabilitation strength and the experienced teams that drive it. Positive notes frequently center on dedicated therapists, compassionate CNAs, and leaders who connect with families, coordinate care, and push residents toward tangible improvements. The campus environment - clean facilities in the better-reviewed areas, pleasant outdoor spaces, and a rehab culture that emphasizes progress - reinforces those benefits. When therapy drives recovery, the positives can outweigh many process flaws, especially for short-term stays aimed at regaining function. Yet this offset does not erase the risk profile: without reliable staffing and prompt basic care, gains from rehab may be undermined by gaps in everyday support.

The dominant concerns, frequent across many reviews, center on staffing consistency, communication, and basic care delivery. Reports describe long waits for assistance, missed or delayed medications, and variable bedside attentiveness. There are serious accusations of neglect, unsafe conditions, and insufficient hygiene in some units, alongside pointed praise for specific nurses, aides, and supervisors. A recurring theme is that outcomes depend heavily on which shift is in charge, which unit a resident is assigned to, and how actively families advocate on behalf of their loved ones. For families prioritizing predictability, these inconsistencies are not easily offset by the occasional heroic rehab session.

Practical steps emerge for families evaluating this option. Schedule a detailed meet-and-tour focused on day-to-day routines, not only therapy goals. Request to speak with the Director of Nursing and the rehabilitation director to understand staffing patterns, turnover, and how open issues are tracked and resolved. Probe med-management processes, incident reporting, and recent survey deficiencies, if any, to gauge current risk. Verify the facility's closure or relocation status and what continuity of care would look like if a move is imminent. Demand concrete care plans, daily schedules, and guarantees about restroom assistance, medication administration, and meal quality. Finally, compare the rehab-focused track record here with other local facilities that consistently demonstrate strong daily care metrics and transparent family communication.

In the end, this community presents a nuanced choice. For families whose priority is aggressive rehabilitation, with vigilant oversight and a willingness to intervene when care gaps appear, the Cedar Grove campus can deliver meaningful mobility gains and pockets of genuinely compassionate care. For those who require unwavering daily reliability, consistent staffing across all shifts, and consistently high standards of cleanliness and responsiveness, alternatives are advisable. The decision should hinge on whether the emphasis will be on therapy-driven recovery - with active family involvement and clearly defined care plans - or on steady, dependable daily support across the board, where more uniformly positive daily care metrics are evident elsewhere.

This part of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, offers a convenient and diverse range of amenities for seniors. With multiple pharmacies nearby, accessing medication and health supplies is easy. The area also boasts several parks for leisurely walks or outdoor activities, as well as various dining options catering to different preferences. Additionally, there are cafes for social gatherings and transportation options for getting around the area. Medical services are readily available with physicians and hospitals within reasonable distance. There are theaters nearby for entertainment purposes, along with places of worship for spiritual needs. Overall, this part of Cedar Grove provides a well-rounded community with essential resources for senior living.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)

Parks

• Anderson Park (1.6 miles)
• Edgemont Memorial Park (1.8 miles)
• Degnan Memorial Park (3.4 miles)
• Eagle Rock Reservation (3.6 miles)
• South Mountain Reservation (3.9 miles)
• Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5.4 miles)
• Rutherford Memorial Park (6.2 miles)

Restaurants

• Mercado Cafe & Kitchen (1.6 miles)
• Applegate Farm (2.2 miles)
• Cloverleaf Tavern (2.2 miles)
• Faubourg (2.5 miles)
• Egan & Sons (2.6 miles)
• Yard House (3.1 miles)
• Mayfair Farms Banquet Facilities (3.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Paper Plane Coffee Co. (2.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (2.8 miles)
• Panera Bread (4 miles)
• Starbucks (5.4 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)
• Starbucks (6.8 miles)

Transportation

• NJT - Watchung Station (2.1 miles)
• NJT - Brick Church Station (5.9 miles)
• East Orange Station (6.2 miles)
• NJT - Hawthorne Station (7.8 miles)
• NJT - Maplewood Station (8.4 miles)

Physicians

• Summit Medical Group (2.6 miles)
• Women First Health Center (3.1 miles)
• Care Station Medical Group (4.1 miles)
• Summit Medical Group (4.2 miles)
• Retina Associates of New Jersey PA (5.2 miles)
• Paterson Community Health Center (6.2 miles)
• Summit Medical Group (6.8 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark (3 miles)
• AMC Clifton Commons 16 (5.3 miles)
• AMC East Hanover 12 (8.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Clifton Blue Mosque (5 miles)
• Ahavas Israel (5.6 miles)
• Bais Torah U'tefilah (5.6 miles)
• Immaculate Heart Of Mary School (6.9 miles)

Hospitals

• St Joseph's Regional Medical Center (5.2 miles)
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center (6.9 miles)