United Helpers Cedars Nursing

Pros

• The mental health counseling staff are great.
• The staff are friendly.
• The services are good.

Cons

• They described the facility as a joke and the process as a struggle to get any medical care.
• They criticized staff for rushing through paperwork and failing to explain things clearly.
• They faulted a house-visit clinician for missing an appointment and not apologizing or rescheduling.
• They noted a long, frustrating wait to see a doctor and questioned having to wait months for care.
• They found the receptionist unhelpful and clueless about the staff, effectively taking on the receptionist's role themselves.
• They argued that requiring a primary care physician before seeing a doctor is a barrier for someone with severe anxiety.
• They alleged deceptive billing practices, including being charged $150 when the patient was unemployed and unclear billing policies.
• They called therapy and counselors pathetic.
• They claimed management is incompetent and overpaid, focused on profits rather than patient care.
• They criticized insurance handling as deceptive, describing contradictions like "we take your insurance" vs "we don't participate."

Review

There's a running thread in these comments about a healthcare network that people hoped would be a lifeline but ultimately left many feeling more stressed and frustrated than helped. Across several locations and services, the sense that the system is bogged down by miscommunication, scheduling chaos, and paperwork overload comes through loud and clear. For some, the disappointment is tempered by occasional praise for the people who do show up with care, but the dominant impression is one of systemic friction that makes it hard for patients - especially those dealing with anxiety and mental health concerns - to get the help they need in a timely and respectful way.

A recurring sore point is the difficulty getting actual appointments with doctors. Several reviewers describe being promised house visits or office visits that never materialize or are delayed without proper communication. One person recounted a scheduled house visit that never happened, with the clinician not showing up on the chosen date and no genuine apology offered afterward. The patient had even traveled to the site, incurring significant time and stress, only to be met with silence and a lack of accountability. This pattern is compounded by the receptionist's role - described as disconnected or uninformed about who is who, effectively forcing patients to act as the receptionist just to confirm that someone is aware of their appointment. For someone already anxious about medical visits, such experiences feel almost punitive rather than supportive.

The experience at intake and sign-in adds another layer of frustration. People are asked to sign documents but aren't given clear, patient-focused explanations of what they're signing or why the documents matter. One reviewer vividly recalls being told to sign "the dotted line" and then being offered a vague "explain if you need" line after the fact, which is hardly comforting for someone who struggles with social situations and quick explanations. That misalignment between what's required on paper and what's explained verbally helps explain why patients feel blindsided, rushed, and undervalued at the precise moment they are trying to engage with care.

Access to specialists and primary care is another sticking point. Several patients point to the need for a primary care physician to even talk to a doctor - an obstacle that is particularly hard for someone with severe social anxiety who may already rely on medication or accommodations. The wait times are described as long and uncertain, with staff suggesting a "list" to see a doctor but offering no reliable timeline. The sense is that the system promises access but delivers inconsistency, leaving patients in limbo as they navigate paperwork, referrals, and the fear of triggering panic or anxiety in unfamiliar medical settings.

Financial and insurance issues surface as a major source of distress as well. One narrative highlights a boyfriend's outstanding bill after being laid off from work, with the facility expecting payment of a $150 co-pay despite the financial hardship. The confusion and emotional toll of those financial demands amid unemployment - especially for someone who worked through the pandemic and would have preferred to settle smaller charges - creates a painful backdrop to any conversation about ongoing care. Another reviewer describes ongoing billing disputes with a separate facility, accusing them of deceptive practices around insurance status: promising that they "take" the patient's insurance while simultaneously admitting they do not participate, and failing to communicate how much of the cost would be out of pocket. The result is not just a balance on a statement but a deep erosion of trust in the care relationship.

Interwoven with the criticisms are pockets of praise that remind readers this isn't a uniformly negative picture. At least one reviewer notes that mental health counseling there has "great people," and others acknowledge friendly interactions or positive encounters with some staff. These glimmers of kindness and competence appear as bright spots within otherwise frustrating experiences, suggesting that individual practitioners can and do provide meaningful support even when the system around them feels fraught with inefficiencies.

A broader critique extends to management and organizational practices. One person bluntly says they left United Helpers because "management is incompetent, overpaid and only worried about their next paycheck." The accusation is that the business side - funding, pay, and lobbying - takes precedence over patient care, with a sense that those at the top are insulated from the day-to-day consequences felt by patients and frontline workers. This sentiment echoes through another account about Mosaic, where a longstanding insurance issue caused by unclear participation and paperwork handling left a family with thousands in unexpected bills and a sense that transparency was inconsistent at best. The core complaint is not simply a billing error but a pattern of ambiguity about what services are covered and how to navigate the system to avoid surprise charges.

Taken together, these voices paint a complicated picture of a healthcare ecosystem that holds potential for genuine support but is buoyed by deep-seated issues around scheduling reliability, clear communication, and financial transparency. The positive notes about caring staff and supportive counselors show that when individuals are able to connect with a capable clinician, meaningful progress is possible. Yet the overwhelming message is that the structure around those interactions - appointments, intake, paperwork, insurance, and the management of expectations - needs dramatic improvement to prevent unnecessary stress and to ensure that the promise of accessible mental health care becomes a lived reality for people who already feel vulnerable.

Located in Ogdensburg, New York, this area offers a variety of amenities and services that cater to seniors. With multiple restaurants within a short distance, such as Gran-View Restaurant and Mr Mozzarella, there are plenty of dining options to choose from. Additionally, there are several healthcare facilities nearby, including St Lawrence Health Alliance and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, ensuring easy access to medical care. For those looking for spiritual fulfillment, there are several places of worship in the vicinity, such as St John's Anglican Church and Seaway Christian Church. With pharmacies like Medicine Place and Kinney Drugs close by, obtaining medications is convenient. Transportation options are also readily available with U-Haul locations for any moving or storage needs. Overall, this area provides a comfortable and convenient environment for seniors looking to live in Ogdensburg.

Restaurants

• Gran-View Restaurant (0.1 miles)
• Freight House Restaurant (2.9 miles)
• Katarina's Coffee Shop (3.1 miles)
• Mr Mozzarella (3.3 miles)
• Prescott Turkish Restaurant (3.3 miles)
• The Red George Pub (3.4 miles)
• Phillips Diner (3.4 miles)

Physicians

• St Lawrence Health Alliance (2.7 miles)
• Helen & Stanily McCadam Medical Office Building (2.7 miles)
• Richard E Winter Cancer Treatment Center (2.7 miles)
• Ogdensburg Medical Group (3.1 miles)
• Ogdensburg Family Practice (3.2 miles)
• Northern Orthopedic Laboratory (3.4 miles)
• Community Health Center of the North Country (18.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center (2.8 miles)
• Claxton Hepburn Hospital (5 miles)
• Rev. Thomas T. Patterson Wound Healing Center (5 miles)
• Canton Potsdam Hospital (18.6 miles)
• Canton-Potsdam Hospital (19.7 miles)

Pharmacies

• Medicine Place (3.3 miles)
• Kinney Drugs (3.6 miles)
• Price Chopper Pharmacy (3.6 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (5 miles)
• Walgreens (19.7 miles)
• Kinney Drugs (19.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• St John's Anglican Chr (3.3 miles)
• Seaway Christian Church (4.1 miles)
• Philadelphia Pent Tabernacle (11.6 miles)
• Philadelphia Pentecostal Church (12.3 miles)
• United Church of Madrid (18.8 miles)
• Canton Campus Ministry (18.8 miles)
• Convent Saint Thomas More (18.8 miles)

Cafes

• Piccolo Cafe Plus (3.4 miles)
• Tim Hortons (3.8 miles)
• Tim Hortons (4.1 miles)

Transportation

• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (7.2 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (7.7 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (8.1 miles)
• U-Haul Moving & Storage (20.9 miles)

Parks

• Butterfield Park (8 miles)

Theaters

• American Theatre (18.9 miles)