Heritage Nursing Home Inc in Athens, PA

Pros

• The care she received was absolutely amazing; she was treated with love, kindness, and respect.
• The staff included the family in all aspects of her care.
• Athens Health & Rehab Center has great administration and a friendly environment that keeps residents comfortable and well-supported.
• The nursing staff are awesome and very caring.
• The staff, including therapists and aides, are the nicest, kindest, most caring people.
• The facility is peaceful and clean, with attentive staff.
• The care provided by the staff consistently demonstrates compassion and respect for residents.

Cons

• The facility delivers horrible treatment to the elderly, to the point where illness occurs.
• The patient care is at the bare minimum.
• The facility neglects elderly residents and endangers their health.
• The staff gave a resident the wrong medications, including meds she cannot take.
• The staff mistreated and neglected an elderly woman, and even gave her prohibited medications.
• The hydration needs were neglected, leaving residents severely dehydrated and requiring emergency transfer.
• The nurse-to-patient ratio is unacceptable and calls are often not answered.
• Communication with families is poor and concerns are brushed off.
• The facility is understaffed and lacks a doctor on site.

Review

Heritage Nursing Home Inc in Athens, PA is best suited for families seeking a facility that can deliver hands-on rehabilitation and daily caregiving with a clearly compassionate, person-centered approach when oversight and ongoing communication are actively maintained. The community has shown that its strongest advocates value an engaged therapy program, accessible nursing staff, and a responsive social-work/administrative cohort. When these elements align, residents experience meaningful rehab progress, social interaction, and a sense of dignity preserved through attentive care. That said, this is a setting where outcomes hinge on reliable staffing, consistent med management, and clear, timely family communication - areas where experiences diverge sharply.

Families who should consider alternatives are those for whom high, unwavering safety requires near-perfect staffing ratios, continuous physician presence, and flawless medication administration. The most serious red flags surface in several accounts: dehydration, wrong medications, and neglectful responses to basic needs. In these situations, the risk of harm appears substantial enough to warrant exploring other options with stronger oversight, steadier call accountability, and a proven track record of immediate escalation when concerns arise. For residents with complex medical regimens or those who rely on rapid, consistent communication with family, a facility with demonstrated reliability in med management and fewer reported lapses is often the wiser choice.

On the upside, the best-reviewed elements at Heritage center on the people delivering care. Numerous families praise the nursing staff, therapists, and aides for their kindness, patience, and genuine attention to individual needs. Positive remarks frequently highlight successful rehabilitation outcomes, engaging activity programs, and a welcoming, friendly environment. Several residents and families report clean facilities, good housekeeping, and ancillary services - such as a weekly hair stylist and accessible private meetings with administrative staff - that help families feel involved and supported in planning care. When care teams are stable and responsive, the facility can feel like a capable partner in recovery and daily living.

Yet the cons are persistent enough to color the overall assessment. Reports of missed calls, poor communication, and complicated or delayed updates to families are repeatedly noted. Staffing concerns - whether due to inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios or inconsistent on-site coverage - emerge as a recurring theme, sometimes correlating with lapses in hydration, overlooked needs, or delayed response to alarms. Certain reviews describe both chipped dishware and lapses in basic comfort measures, underscoring a pattern where environment and safety protocols can vary week to week. The spread of experiences - from deeply positive to seriously troubling - creates a climate where risk must be weighed against reward.

The key pros can offset the main cons only if the facility enforces rigorous, verifiable safeguards. When nursing teams are consistently present, therapy plans are visible and actionable, and administrative staff facilitates transparent, timely updates, Heritage can deliver meaningful rehab and respectful daily care. However, without predictable staffing, robust med-check processes, and reliable family communication, the positive elements lose steam. Prospective families should insist on concrete assurances: a written med-management protocol, guaranteed nurse presence during peak hours, a defined call-bell response standard, and routine, structured family updates. Without these, the perceived benefits fail to counterbalance the risk of medication errors and neglectful gaps.

Practical next steps are essential. Before deciding, request a direct conversation with the director of nursing and the head of therapy to review current staffing patterns, med administration procedures, and the facility's escalation process for family concerns. Ask for recent state survey findings and any corrective-action plans, then verify the tone and timeliness of communications with families during a trial period or short-term stay. Visit at different times, speak with front-line staff about workflows, and examine how hydration, meals, and daily cares are documented and reviewed. If the answers reveal consistent, dependable operations, Heritage can be a solid match; if not, alternatives with stronger, verifiable safety records should be pursued.

This area of Athens, Pennsylvania offers a variety of amenities and services that may be appealing to seniors looking for a peaceful and convenient place to live. There are several places of worship nearby, as well as restaurants offering a range of dining options. Transportation options are easily accessible, with car rental services and a railway station in the vicinity. The presence of parks allows for outdoor activities and relaxation. The availability of physicians, pharmacies, and hospitals ensures access to healthcare services within a short distance. Overall, this part of Athens provides a well-rounded and accommodating environment for seniors seeking a comfortable and engaging community to call home.

Places of Worship

• Unitarian Universalist Church (0 miles)
• Valley United Presbyterian Church (0.4 miles)
• Trinity Church (0.5 miles)
• Sayre Christian Church (1.2 miles)
• Seventh-Day Adventist Church (1.4 miles)
• First Presbyterian Church (1.5 miles)
• Grace Episcopal Church (3.2 miles)

Restaurants

• The Showroom (0.2 miles)
• Mooney’s (0.3 miles)
• Grace Chinese Buffet (1.1 miles)
• Beeman's Family Restaurant (1.1 miles)
• Yanuzzi's (1.4 miles)
• Kelley's Pitstop (1.4 miles)
• Wendy's (1.5 miles)

Transportation

• Alamo (0.2 miles)
• Williams Auto Rental (1.8 miles)
• U-Haul (8.2 miles)
• Dreck's Taxidermy (12.9 miles)
• Bone Stripper (13.5 miles)
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (13.7 miles)
• Lehigh Railway (14 miles)

Parks

• Round Top Recreation Area (0.8 miles)
• Mt. Pisgah (13.1 miles)

Physicians

• Eric Schackow, MD, PhD (1.4 miles)
• Timothy Flurschutz, MS, FNP (1.4 miles)
• Angela Crisp, MD (1.4 miles)
• Guthrie Wound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine (1.5 miles)
• Guthrie Walk-In Care - Sayre (1.5 miles)
• David Piatok, MD (1.5 miles)
• Guthrie Desmond Street Practice (1.5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Twin Tier (1.5 miles)
• Clinic Pharmacy Guthrie (1.5 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.5 miles)
• Waverly Pharmacy (3.1 miles)
• Waverly Pharmacy (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Guthrie Healthcare System (1.5 miles)
• Memorial Hospital (12.7 miles)
• Personal Care Home Of Memorial Hospital (12.7 miles)
• Memorial Hospital (13.7 miles)

Cafes

• Owego Soft Serve (7.2 miles)

Theaters

• Keystone Theatre (14.1 miles)