Pebble Creek Healthcare Center in Akron, OH

Pros

• The Pebble Creek staff on the 360 side were caring and attentive, with Tyre and LaWanda described as great and Carrie in activities making his stay enjoyable.
• The facility is praised for fabulous care, wonderful employees, and the best activity center, creating a loving environment.
• The staff are amazing and take great care of residents, with social workers explaining everything to families and providing reassurance.
• Pebble Creek Rehab is described as providing an outstanding environment for recovery, with compassionate care and a dedicated staff.
• Christine, a dad’s social worker, is celebrated for intelligence, patience, and a caring, organized approach.
• Families were impressed by the care and compassion from the entire staff, with the therapy team being knowledgeable and supportive.
• The facility is consistently described as clean, well-managed, and welcoming, with staff noted for kindness and professionalism.
• The nursing and rehab teams are repeatedly described as excellent, with many saying they would recommend Pebble Creek to others.
• The care feels like home, with staff described as highly educated, passionate, and dedicated.
• Activities and social services staff are highlighted as key to a positive experience and good progress.

Cons

• Staff showed up to shifts drunk.
• The workers cared more about snacks than patients and pulled out vent machines from the 1800s.
• The room was always in disarray and staff discouraged cleaning.
• The staff complained about being short-staffed, and during a month with the reviewer’s mother there, she did not receive a single shower.
• Therapy was promised as amazing, but she had therapy only once during her month-long stay.
• A nurse mishandled a vent line, lifting it into the air and pouring water into the tube, then was told it wasn’t a big deal.
• Beds were found with urine on them and gowns with stains, and the feeding tube fell out without concern.
• The reviewer believed the facility warranted investigation for neglect and for billing issues.

Review

Pebble Creek Healthcare Center in Akron, OH is best suited for families pursuing a rehab-forward plan: short-term post-acute recovery with strong therapy services, plus a campus culture that emphasizes individualized care and family involvement. When therapy, PT, OT, and speech, drives the care plan, residents often make meaningful progress and return home with practical goals met. The facility’s atmosphere, particularly on the rehab-focused units, can feel supportive and respectful, and the social work and activities teams frequently earn praise for guiding families through transitions and keeping life engaging during recovery. This is a place where the momentum of rehabilitation matters more than anything, and that becomes the deciding factor for those who measure success by discharge to home with regained abilities. The caveat is that rehab strength can’t fully compensate for gaps in other areas; reliability across shifts and consistent nursing oversight remain critical to a well-rounded experience.

Those who should seriously consider alternatives are families whose loved ones require steady, predictable 24/7 skilled nursing with minimal risk. A number of reviews flag concerns about staffing levels and responses, especially on night shifts, which can translate into delays in call-bell responses, missed showers, or slower medication administration. Safety and basic daily care are repeatedly called into question by families who observed lapses in monitoring, hygiene, or timely medical attention. For residents with high vulnerability to infections, falls, or rapid changes in condition, these reports create real hesitancy about long-term placement. Additionally, administrative friction around Medicaid, billing, and discharge planning has shown up in multiple accounts, suggesting that families should plan for a potentially bumpy negotiation with the business office even when clinical care appears solid.

The strongest offset to the main cons comes from Pebble Creek’s therapy ecosystem and the broader care coordination network. When rehab is the objective, the therapy teams, therapists, aides, and the nursing staff integrated with therapy, are repeatedly described as compassionate, patient-centered, and capable of designing individualized plans that yield tangible gains. Family members frequently credit social workers with clear guidance on insurance coverage, discharge options, and linkages to home-care resources, while activity staff and housekeepers contribute to a welcoming, family-like environment that makes visits feel constructive and reassuring. Cleanliness and a calmer daily rhythm on many wings enhance comfort, and the consistent praise for therapists’ expertise underlines why families choose Pebble Creek for rehab specifically. These advantages provide a meaningful counterweight to the more troubling reports about staffing gaps and administrative opacity.

Yet the negative threads remain persistent enough to warrant caution. Some reviews describe a revolving door of caregivers with insufficient support, resulting in late meds, delayed assistance, and a perception of neglect during certain shifts. Severe anecdotes about bed linens, catheter or tube management, and episodes of infection point to potentially dangerous lapses in bedside judgment and supervision. Others recount friction with office staff and questions about billing practices and discharge timelines, creating stress for families navigating complex care needs and finances. The tension between highly competent daytime care and variable nighttime coverage reinforces the reality that Pebble Creek’s strengths depend on maintaining steady staffing, consistent supervision, and reliable communication across all teams, not just therapists and social workers.

On balance, the rehab narrative often dominates the practical decision: Pebble Creek can deliver outstanding outcomes for post-acute recovery and functional improvement when therapy is the central goal. Families with a loved one who can benefit from an aggressive, structured rehab plan often report getting their loved one back to independence more quickly and safely than expected, with credible testimony about walking, balance, and regaining daily skills. The clinical team’s collaborative approach, combining therapy with medical oversight and social work, creates a credible pathway to discharge home. For many, that outcome alone justifies the stay. However, the facility’s mixed reports on day-to-day nursing reliability and administrative transparency mean that potential residents must enter with clear expectations and a plan for careful monitoring.

Bottom line: Pebble Creek is a practical choice for families prioritizing post-acute rehabilitation and real progress toward home life, provided that vigilance accompanies the decision. Prospective residents should probe therapy availability and ask direct questions about shift coverage, call-bell response times, and medication administration timelines. Visiting at different times, meals, therapy blocks, and late evenings, reveals the true tempo of care and helps families assess cleanliness, meal quality, and the overall atmosphere. If constant, predictable custodial care and unambiguous safety are non-negotiable, alternative facilities with more consistent nursing oversight deserve serious consideration. For those who can leverage a robust rehab program and an engaged care team, Pebble Creek represents a capable, if imperfect, ally in recovery and a hopeful bridge back to independent living.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.4 miles)
• Biggins' Big Dip (2 miles)
• Dietz's Landing (2 miles)
• Guiseppe's Pizza (2.7 miles)
• Pav's Creamery (3.2 miles)
• Lala's In The Lakes (3.2 miles)
• The Basement Spor (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.5 miles)
• Starbucks (8.2 miles)
• Starbucks (8.8 miles)
• Nervous Dog Coffee Bar (9 miles)

Physicians

• Womens Health Group (0.9 miles)
• Akron General Family Medicine, South Central (1 miles)
• Obstetrics & Gynecology of the Reserve (1 miles)
• Children's Hospital Physicians Associates (1.9 miles)
• Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics - Green (2 miles)
• Comprehensive Pain Management Specialists (2.2 miles)
• Akron Children's Hospital Pediatrics - Ellet (4.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• Acme Fresh Market (2.7 miles)
• Marc's Stores (2.9 miles)
• Walgreens (3 miles)
• Rite Aid (3.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.8 miles)
• Marc's Stores (5 miles)

Parks

• Ariss Park (4.3 miles)
• Southgate Park (5.2 miles)
• Summit Lake Park (5.5 miles)
• Hartville Memorial Park (8.6 miles)
• North Park (8.8 miles)
• Dogwood Park (8.8 miles)

Transportation

• Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) (5.9 miles)

Hospitals

• Summa Akron City Hospital (6.5 miles)
• Akron Children's Hospital (6.5 miles)

Places of Worship

• Faith Family Church (7 miles)

Theaters

• Tinseltown (8.6 miles)
• Cinemark (8.9 miles)