Healthaven Nursing Home

Pros

• Andrea is an exceptionally caring and dedicated Director of Nursing who makes residents feel like family.
• The staff are caring, knowledgeable, and consistently among the best around.
• Kailey is a fantastic unit manager who brings a friendly smile and dependable support.
• The facility is wonderful with beautiful lake views and a home-like atmosphere.
• The care team goes above and beyond to provide quality care with kindness and dignity.
• Residents are thriving and engaged thanks to attentive care and meaningful activities.
• Andrea Gooden is consistently helpful and responsive to families.
• Leslie, the activities director, offers a variety of enjoyable options that residents appreciate.
• St. Luke's Portage Lakes is described as a hidden gem with pristine views and a calming environment.
• The staff create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where residents feel loved and respected.
• The facility is clean, well-kept, and the staff take pride in their work.
• The facility is highly recommended for quality care.

Cons

• The facility is unsafe and neglectful.
• Residents are left waiting for hours on call lights.
• A resident was left sitting on a bedpan for over an hour.
• Bed sores are common and untreated due to lack of staff support or direction.
• Basic care is ignored.
• The facility stocks only one size of briefs (medium) and forces them on every resident, even those who clearly need a larger size.
• The briefs don't close and residents are left exposed and humiliated.
• Management is disorganized and unprofessional; one manager regularly leaves shifts for personal matters, and another is unstable.
• Families and residents have gone to upper management for help, but nothing is ever done.
• Their actions show they simply do not care.
• The 36 residents deserve dignity, safety, and proper care, and they are not getting it.
• Families should strongly consider moving their loved ones elsewhere.

Review

St. Luke's Lutheran Community at Portage Lakes stands out in reviews for its picturesque lakeside setting and the way staff treat residents as family. The facility is repeatedly described as beautiful and serene, with pristine lake views that create a calming backdrop for daily life. But more than the scenery, what shines through in many of the reflections is a culture of genuine care and connection. At the heart of that culture is Andrea Gooden, the Director of Nursing, who is frequently singled out as the most caring and responsive member of the team. Reviewers note that Andrea and the nursing leadership create an atmosphere where residents feel respected, safe, and truly valued, with staff who communicate openly with families and go the extra mile to ensure comfort and dignity.

Andrea Gooden is praised as a standout leader who brings compassion and professionalism to the bedside. Multiple comments emphasize her dedication to residents and to keeping families informed and reassured. One reviewer describes Andrea as "one of a kind," consistently supportive to both residents and their loved ones, while others call her "amazing" and "truly second to none" in her devotion to quality care. This leadership seems to cascade through the rest of the nursing team, with family members and residents alike noting that the level of care, kindness, and attentiveness remains high day after day.

The staff ecosystem surrounding Andrea is further highlighted by mentions of several other key team members. Kailey, the unit manager, receives frequent praise for her warmth, competence, and dependable presence; she is described as fantastic and a familiar, reassuring face for residents and families alike. The nursing staff more broadly is described as knowledgeable, helpful, and genuinely caring about every patient. People often reference the comfort that comes from seeing familiar faces - the same aides and nurses offering daily assistance and companionship, which contributes to a home-like atmosphere where residents feel seen and appreciated.

Beyond clinical care, St. Luke's is celebrated for its environment and activities. Reviewers frequently mention beautiful, year-round lake views and a setting that feels peaceful and welcoming. The activities program - led by Leslie, the activities director - offers a range of options designed to keep residents engaged and connected to their interests, from social events to diversions that foster daily meaning. Families note that staff strive to keep residents active and engaged, and they express gratitude for the opportunities to participate in things residents enjoy, such as boat rides, fishing outings, and other lake-based activities. While some reviewers acknowledge room for more targeted programs for younger survivors or varying needs, the overall sentiment is that the facility makes a strong effort to create enjoyable and meaningful days for its residents.

A notable aspect of the facility's operations is its partnership with Harmony Hospice, which reviewers describe as a shared commitment to ethics and patient-first care. This collaboration is cited as evidence of the staff's dedication to compassionate end-of-life and ongoing support for residents and families. The facility's approach to care - emphasizing dignity, safety, respect, and a sense of home - receives additional reinforcement from personal anecdotes. Families speak of my father and husband receiving attentive, patient-centered care, with staff who are responsive to questions and who make an effort to keep residents comfortable and engaged. These testimonies contribute to a broader impression of a warm, supportive community where residents are treated like family.

Not every review is glowing, however. One comprehensive critique describes St. Luke's Portage Lakes as unsafe and neglectful, painting a starkly different picture of daily care. The reviewer claims residents experience long delays with call lights, requiring 911 calls in some cases, and describes a resident left on a bedpan for an extended period. They report bed sores due to insufficient staff support and note supply issues, such as only one size of briefs being stocked and a lack of timely restocking during shortages. The critique extends to management, describing it as disorganized and unprofessional, with instances of managers leaving shifts for personal reasons and others deemed unstable by coworkers. According to this account, families and residents have sought help from upper management without meaningful resolution, leading the reviewer to urge others to consider moving their loved ones elsewhere. The reviewer even offers a list of ten alternative nursing homes and rehab facilities, underscoring a deep concern for dignity, safety, and proper care.

In response to that severe critique, the other impressions from residents, families, and staff emphasize the consistent strengths of the Portage Lakes community: compassionate leadership, a caring and capable staff, strong family communication, a tranquil and scenic setting, and a vibrant activities calendar. The repeated themes across positive reviews suggest that Andrea Gooden and her team work hard to cultivate a supportive, respectful environment in which residents feel at home and families feel informed and included. At the same time, readers are reminded that no facility is perfect for every individual, and there are differing experiences that can emerge in any large caregiving operation.

Overall, St. Luke's Lutheran Community at Portage Lakes presents as a place where dedicated leadership, particularly from Andrea Gooden, fosters a compassionate and family-oriented culture. The lakefront setting, the warm interactions with staff, the emphasis on dignity and safety, and the ongoing collaboration with hospice services all contribute to a positive and reassuring picture for many families seeking quality care for their loved ones. Yet potential residents and their families should also weigh the strongly negative account that calls for careful consideration of safety, management stability, and consistent care, recognizing that experiences can vary and that dialogue with the facility can help address concerns and align care with individual needs.

Restaurants

• Guiseppe's Pizza (0.9 miles)
• Dietz's Landing (1.2 miles)
• Lala's In The Lakes (1.6 miles)
• Pav's Creamery (2.4 miles)
• Biggins' Big Dip (2.7 miles)
• The Basement Spor (3 miles)
• McDonald's (3 miles)

Physicians

• Womens Health Group (2.9 miles)
• Akron General Family Medicine, South Central (3 miles)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology of the Reserve (3.1 miles)
• Comprehensive Pain Management Specialists (4 miles)
• Children's Hospital Physicians Associates (4.1 miles)
• Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics - Green (4.2 miles)
• Roholt Vision Institute (7.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (3.3 miles)
• Starbucks (7.9 miles)
• Starbucks (8.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.2 miles)
• Acme Fresh Market (4.2 miles)
• Marc's Stores (4.7 miles)
• Rite Aid (4.7 miles)
• Walgreens (4.7 miles)
• Walgreens (5.1 miles)

Parks

• Southgate Park (5.3 miles)
• Ariss Park (5.6 miles)
• Summit Lake Park (6.5 miles)
• Silver Creek Park (7.6 miles)
• North Park (7.7 miles)

Transportation

• Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) (6.6 miles)

Places of Worship

• Faith Family Church (7.6 miles)

Hospitals

• Akron Children's Hospital (8 miles)
• Summa Akron City Hospital (8.3 miles)
• Jackson Mercy Statcare (8.8 miles)

Theaters

• Tinseltown (8.6 miles)
• Cinemark (9 miles)