Rosary Hill Nursing Home in Hawthorne, NY

Pros

• The CNAs are described as caring for residents with love and respect.
• The staff are doing God's work.
• The grounds are lovely and manicured.
• Rosary Hill is a Godsend for families.
• The facility and its sisters and staff are wonderfully compassionate.
• The building is spotless inside and out.
• The level of care and communication by the staff is phenomenal.
• Sisters Rita Marie and Michaela are attentive and proactive in keeping families in the loop.
• Kurtis the nurse is described as very compassionate and human-centered.
• The sisters are the most compassionate and empathetic people encountered.
• The staff are angels on earth.
• They provide loving, gentle care to those who have little time left.

Cons

• The administration was described as lacking empathy and respect.
• The nurse on duty dismissed the wife's safety concerns with a firm "no" and offered no assistance.
• Sister Damien brusquely dismissed the complaint and implied everything was fine while suggesting the wife was drugged or imagining things.
• The sisters were said to show a lack of empathy and respect, with closing ranks and loyalty to the order.
• The nurses allegedly would not allow the wife to leave the bed and told her to defecate in place, contrary to the idea of death with dignity.
• A 1969 account claimed there were no doctors or pain medicine and that the patient died in agony.

Review

Rosary Hill Nursing Home in Hawthorne is best suited for families seeking hospice-focused, deeply compassionate end-of-life care delivered in a serene, faith-centered setting. The community shines when the goal is dignity, comfort, and spiritual support for residents nearing life's end, with a strong emphasis on family involvement and respectful, personal attention from the Dominican Sisters and their care team. It is a place where cleanliness, quiet dignity, and proactive communication help families find peace during a painful time. Those who desire a secular environment, aggressive medical interventions, or non-religious programming should consider alternatives, as the culture here is firmly rooted in Catholic hospitality and a near-sacred commitment to bedside kindness.

Some families may want to consider alternatives if the priority is robust medical oversight beyond palliative comfort, or if a secular, non-religious atmosphere is essential. A few reviews describe administrative friction or mixed experiences with leadership, and there are occasional concerns about how concerns are handled at the management level. For residents who need longer-term rehab with intensive rehabilitative protocols, or for those who require non-spiritual programming and decision-making autonomy, other facilities with different governance and care models may be a better fit. In short, those seeking a highly religious, hospice-forward environment with minute-to-minute family updates will likely feel drawn here, while those seeking a more clinical, secular, or highly medicalized approach should evaluate alternatives carefully.

The strongest positives at Rosary Hill are indisputable and substantial. The facility's environment consistently earns praise for being spotlessly clean inside and out, with a sense of calm that lets families feel their loved ones are truly cared for. Staff - especially the Sisters and experienced aides - are repeatedly described as loving, patient, and genuinely devoted to their guests. Nursing teams are praised for attentiveness and professionalism, with several accounts highlighting proactive communication that keeps families in the loop about condition changes. The setting supports ongoing spiritual practice and ritual - last rites, prayers, and a warm, devotional tone pervade the halls. The grounds, activity programming, and even a therapy dog contribute to a humane, comforting atmosphere that makes end-of-life moments more peaceful.

On balance, the cons cited cluster around administrative dynamics and occasional gaps in organizational responsiveness. A single reviewer's experience paints a troubling picture of curt responses from admissions staff and perceived insensitivity from leadership - an outlier in a landscape overwhelmingly described as compassionate and well-structured. A separate note documents a safety-related interaction where nurses constrained a patient to the bed, which, if accurate, would be a critical red flag. Taken with the chorus of praise, these cautions suggest that while the clinical and spiritual care is pristine, the administrative experience may require proactive navigation by informed families who push for clear, documented lines of communication and a trusted liaison to advocate for the resident's comfort and dignity.

Those imperfections are often offset by the core strengths: a hospice-first focus that keeps comfort front and center, and a culture that treats dying with humanity. The sisters' presence is repeatedly highlighted as transformative, delivering not only practical care but also emotional consolation to families. Proactive nursing and caregiving extend beyond basic tasks, with staff taking pains to bathe, dress, and comfort residents in ways that honor dignity. Families frequently report that their loved ones' physical needs were met promptly, and that spiritual care complemented medical care in ways that offered real solace. The overall experience is one of a sanctuary where tenderness and professional competence coexist, even as families must remain vigilant about administrative interactions.

For families weighing a decision, the practical takeaway is clear: Rosary Hill excels when the objective is peaceful passage, dignified end-of-life care, and a supportive, faith-informed milieu. It is less ideal for those seeking aggressive medical treatment, a secular environment, or a governance structure perceived as uniformly seamless. Prospective residents should plan a thorough visit, request meetings with Sisters Rita Marie and Michaela, and demand a transparent care plan that includes pain management, daily routines, and family communication protocols. If these elements align with the family's values and the resident's needs, Rosary Hill offers an exceptionally dignified and humane setting for life's final chapters.

In the end, Rosary Hill stands out as a sanctuary for those prioritizing spiritual, compassionate care at the end of life, delivered with remarkable cleanliness and human warmth. It is a strong recommendation for families seeking a serene, dignified passing surrounded by devoted caregivers who treat both patient and family with reverence. For anyone who can align with the religious atmosphere and hospice-oriented mission, the choice feels less like a gamble and more like a mindful, prepared path to peace. Families wary of administrative bumps or secular preferences should proceed with a sharper due diligence plan, but with a clear-eyed expectation that the heart of Rosary Hill lies in the extraordinary care delivered by its sisters and staff.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.9 miles)
• Captain Lawrence Brewing Company (3.3 miles)
• Horsefeathers (4.4 miles)
• McDonald's (4.7 miles)
• RiverMarket Bar and Kitchen (4.9 miles)
• Barley On The Hudson (5 miles)
• Sing Sing Kill Brewery (5.2 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (3.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.7 miles)

Physicians

• WMCHealth Physicians Advanced Imaging Center Nuclear Medicine (2.2 miles)
• Advanced Dermatology, PC (3.8 miles)
• Medical Arts Building (5 miles)
• North Star Medical Group (5.2 miles)
• Dickstein Cancer Treatment Center (6 miles)
• Babra Saeed (6 miles)
• WestMed (6.1 miles)

Parks

• Rockefeller State Park Preserve (2.7 miles)
• Louis Engel Park (5.3 miles)
• Tibbets Park (5.5 miles)
• Hart's Brook Park & Preserve (6.5 miles)
• Nyack Beach State Park (6.6 miles)
• Croton Point Park (7.5 miles)
• Rockland Lake State Park (7.7 miles)

Transportation

• Valhalla Metro North Station (2.8 miles)
• Chappaqua Train Station (3.1 miles)
• Metro North - Tarrytown Train Station (4.9 miles)
• Signature Flight Support (5.1 miles)
• Westchester County Airport (HPN) (5.2 miles)
• Million Air White Plains (5.2 miles)
• Metro North - Ossining Train Station (5.4 miles)

Cafes

• Coffee Labs Roasters (4.6 miles)
• Starbucks (4.7 miles)
• Starbucks (5.7 miles)
• Nespresso Boutique at Bloomingdale's, Westchester (6.3 miles)
• Starbucks (6.7 miles)
• Art Cafe Of Nyack (7.2 miles)
• Boxer Donut & Espresso Bar (7.3 miles)

Hospitals

• White Plains Hospital (6.1 miles)
• Northern Westchester Hospital (6.5 miles)
• Burke Rehabilitation Hospital (6.9 miles)
• Northeast Medical Group Family Medicine - Rye Brook (9.2 miles)
• St Vincent's Hospital-Westchester (9.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Presbyterian Church Of Mt. Kisco (6.8 miles)
• Stanwich Congregational Church (8.6 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Palisades 21 (9 miles)
• Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers (9.2 miles)