600 Mcclellan Street, Schenectady, NY 12304
For more information about senior living options: (866) 208-4318
Overall Review of Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center
Pros
The nurses are wonderful.- The reviewer’s mother is very happy at Ellis Residential.
- The grandfather has just been discharged after rehab.
- The grandfather is now home, which is where he belongs.
Cons
The call lights were ridiculous and often took 25 minutes to answer.- Residents were left sitting in their own feces for over 25 minutes.
- On the second day, it took 14 minutes for a response to a call light.
- A nurse allegedly spoke nastily, saying “turn on your grandpa’s light and we will get there when we get there.”
- An overnight CNA yelled at the patient and then apologized for being harsh.
- The staff were described as uncaring toward long-term patients, with aides on their phones and the ice machine down for three days.
- Basic care was lacking, with door cards not checked, snacks not given due to diabetes, no showers for a week, and water sometimes unavailable.
Review
Ellis Residential & Rehabilitation Center is best suited for families seeking steady, personable nursing attention within a residential setting, and for seniors who require ongoing daily support more than aggressive, goal-oriented rehab. The strongest positive thread in the feedback is the quality of the nursing staff, with multiple mentions that nurses are wonderful and that a resident can feel genuinely cared for on a daily basis. For families, this can translate into reliable bedside presence and a sense of continuity in daily living. However, those relying on prompt rehab progress, rigorous therapy schedules, and consistently high rehab outcomes should explore alternatives, as several reviews flag uneven rehab experiences and gaps in operational performance.
On the upside, the residential side can offer a sense of stability when nursing care is the priority. Families frequently point to the warmth and attentiveness of nurses, and one reviewer notes a resident’s happiness in this environment, implying that daily interactions with caregiving staff can create a supportive living atmosphere. In practice, that means Ellis may deliver solid basic care, predictable routine, and a familiar staff presence that reduces anxiety for long-term residents who value personal attention over aggressive rehab targets. Yet these gains rest on a fragile base, because the same facility is repeatedly described as lacking in systemic reliability.
The most consequential drawbacks center on responsiveness and overall reliability. Call lights are repeatedly described as slow to be answered, sometimes taking 14 to 25 minutes, with accounts of residents left uncomfortable or unattended during critical moments. Illness or accidents are framed as worsened by delayed assistance, and episodes of staff hostility or curt replies further undermine dignity and safety. Add in reports of aides on phones, aides who seem disengaged, and frequent excuses about staffing, and the environment feels chronically strained. For families with residents who require consistent monitoring or diabetes management, these patterns pose real safety concerns.
Rehab quality emerges as a consistent weakness across multiple accounts. Several reviews allege rehab was not delivered as discussed, with minimal movement, insufficient assistance with basic hygiene, and even prolonged periods without showers or water access. One account ties a rehab stay to grave health outcomes, describing a resident who deteriorated while under care and was ultimately transferred to the ER with serious infections. The strongest caution here is that rehab may not meet expectations for structured, evidence-based therapy, leaving families to compensate outside the facility. These questions about rehab efficacy and daily routine are hard to reconcile with the core promise of an integrated rehab and residential setting.
The key dynamic is that the perceived strength of nursing care does offer some offset to the facility’s most troubling gaps, but not enough to erase them. High-quality nurses can provide essential reassurance, call attention to patient needs, and sustain basic comfort; however, systemic issues, slow responses, inconsistent rehabilitation delivery, stressed administration, and disengaged aides, erode trust and jeopardize safety over time. In practical terms, Ellis can be a viable choice for residents who prize personal nursing attention and a steady daily rhythm, provided the family is prepared to vigilantly supervise operations and escalate concerns when needed. It is not a reliable fit for those whose top priorities are predictable rehab outcomes, rigorous safety standards, and consistently responsive care.
For families weighing Ellis, the prudent path is to treat this as a careful, condition-specific decision rather than a default option. Seek alternatives if rehab efficacy and consistently prompt response times are non-negotiable. If pursuing Ellis, ask direct, concrete questions: what are current nurse-to-resident ratios on day and night shifts; what are the documented call-light response times; how often are hygiene and basic care tasks completed for rehab residents; what process exists to address staffing gaps; and how are infection risks managed day-to-day. Request to review recent state inspections, speak with frontline staff on multiple shifts, and observe a full care cycle during a visit. In the end, Ellis should be considered only when the family is prepared to maintain active oversight, insist on transparent communication, and prioritize nursing quality as the anchor for daily life, while accepting that rehab and administrative reliability may require ongoing compromise.
82 resident community capacity
Skilled Nursing Facility
Air-conditioning
Beauty salon
Cable or satellite TV
Computer center
Dining room
Fitness room
Fully furnished
Gaming room
Garden
Housekeeping services
Kitchenette
Move-in coordination
Outdoor space
Private bathrooms
Restaurant-style dining
Small library
Telephone
Wellness center
Wi-Fi/high-speed internet available
Albany Cty (7 miles away)
Community operated transportation
12-16 hour nursing
24-hour call system
Activities of daily living assistance
Assistance with bathing
Assistance with dressing
Assistance with transfers
Diabetes diet
Medication management
Mental wellness program
Special dietary restrictions
Concierge services
Planned day trips
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