Berlin Health & Rehab Ctr

Pros

• The staff is kind and very accommodating.
• The nurse/care provider is amazing.
• The activities director is fabulous.
• Leadership is doing wonderful work.
• The staff spoke kindly to residents and were willing to assist.
• The rooms were clean and group activities were offered.
• Berlin Health and Rehab was awesome.
• The nurses and aides do a wonderful job and truly care about residents.

Cons

• The reviewer described the rehab facility as the worst place to send a loved one for rehab, noting the patient came out worse, required oxygen that was never provided, and developed bedsores from urine-soaked sheets.
• The administrator was described as the rudest bully, disrespectful and unprofessional toward staff and residents.
• The facility was characterized as understaffed, extremely dirty, and serving food that was hardly edible.
• Some nurses were said to have refused basic care and equipment, while calls to the office went unanswered for hours.
• A call-light wiring was reportedly left on the floor, preventing residents from calling for help.
• End-of-life handling was described as disrespectful, with belongings mishandled or discarded and the administrator dismissive when approached.
• Personal belongings were moved or discarded (including clothing, photos, and crucifix), causing distress to the family.
• A reviewer urged others to avoid the facility, stating "do not utilize this facility" and calling it a complete nightmare.

Review

The collection of reviews paints a picture of a facility landscape that inspires both heartfelt praise and sharp condemnation. On the one hand, there are accounts of remarkable growth and attentive care: a resident's family member notes immense improvements in the programming and environment, praising a nurse or care provider who is described as amazing, along with a kind and accommodating staff and a fabulous activities director. Other reviewers highlight strong leadership, with mentions of the center's leadership doing well, opportunities for family involvement such as a resident council, and breezes of positive change under new management. In these voices, the place feels like a community that is moving in a very positive direction, delivering warmth, engagement, and tangible progress.

Yet alongside the praise there is a heavy current of serious concerns that cannot be dismissed. Several reviewers describe the facility as the worst possible choice for a loved one, recounting life-or-death risks and neglect. Specific allegations include a mother who came out "worst than when she went in," being denied oxygen and not receiving timely help, and a lack of basic activities like feeding, with staff simply placing food on a tray and leaving the room. One reviewer even describes a wire connected to a call light that predestined danger because it kept getting found on the floor, leaving a patient unable to call for assistance, and bedsores from lying on urine-soaked sheets. The tone across these accounts is urgent and deeply worried, with some reviewers insisting the facility should be shut down and noting that traveling nurses themselves warned that the place was problematic.

There are also testimonials that emphasize mixed experiences even within the same building. A tour observer, for instance, described staff who spoke kindly to residents and appeared eager to assist, with residents treating staff like friends. The rooms were clean, there were group activities underway, and the overall vibe felt welcoming - though a single complaint regarding a driveway condition from a past storm tempered the otherwise positive impression. Another account praises improved conditions under new management and calls out the attention to residents' needs, including involvement in resident councils and ongoing efforts to create a better overall environment. These voices illustrate how perceptions can vary widely depending on specific interactions, shifts, and perhaps the presence or absence of leadership and staffing levels at any given moment.

There are also stark accusations about administrative behavior and workplace culture. One review identifies a specific administrator, Holly, as a rude and bullying figure who mistreats both staff and residents and is deemed unprofessional. The caller implores families not to send loved ones, and not to work there either. They stand in contrast to other positive notes about staff who are described as caring and engaged, and to comments about staff going above and beyond despite being overworked and underpaid. Taken together, these divergent experiences suggest a facility where the interactions between management, frontline staff, and residents can dramatically shape each person's day-to-day reality.

Beyond individual personalities, a number of reviews describe systemic challenges that affect care quality. Several families recount insufficient communication and accessibility, with calls and questions going unanswered for hours despite the evident dedication of nurses and aides. In some accounts, this disconnect between staff generosity and administrative responsiveness appears to be a recurring theme, suggesting that the burden on frontline caregivers is exacerbated by gaps in leadership, workflows, and accountability. Other criticisms focus on physical conditions - mold on walls, chipped paint, and outdated or inadequate furniture in some rooms - and on basic comfort issues like food quality, which some reviewers found to be lacking while others praised the food as delicious. The contrast underscores how variable experiences can be within the same facility system.

A separate thread of concern centers on the handling of belongings and respect at the end of life. In one account, a beloved relative who had lived at Rowan Court for years died, and after the family arranged to retrieve belongings, they discovered that items had been moved, misplaced, or discarded. Photographs and mementos were removed from walls, and clothing and other valuables ended up in garbage bags near the loading dock. The administrator's reaction - apparent sarcasm or dismissal - left the family feeling disrespected at a profoundly painful moment. This incident adds a layer of emotional distress to an already difficult experience and highlights the importance of compassionate, respectful conduct during sensitive times.

Taken together, the reviews present a nuanced, unsettled portrait. Some families and residents speak highly of improvements, compassionate caregivers, and a sense of community fostered by active leadership and resident engagement. Others describe situations that are alarming and unacceptable - neglect, inadequate pain and oxygen management, unattended safety hazards, under-staffing, and disrespectful treatment by administration. The strongest throughlines are a reminder that quality of care remains highly contingent on factors like staffing, management transitions, communication, and a culture that values both residents and the people who care for them. The voices gathered here underscore the need for vigilant oversight, consistent staffing, and a renewed emphasis on safety, dignity, and timely communication across all levels of the facility.

Physicians

• Central Vermont Emergency Medical - Javad Scott Mashkuri MD (0.4 miles)
• Berlin Family Health (0.4 miles)
• Rheumatology, UVM Health Network - Central Vermont Medical Center (0.4 miles)
• UVM Medical Center Nephrology (0.4 miles)
• Women's Health, UVM Health Network - Central Vermont Medical Center (0.4 miles)
• James G. Rose, MD, Otolaryngologist (0.4 miles)
• Endocrinology, UVM Health Network - Central Vermont Medical Center (0.4 miles)

Hospitals

• Uvm Medical Center Dialysis (0.4 miles)
• CVMC Dicu (0.4 miles)
• Children's Services (3.9 miles)

Restaurants

• KFC (0.6 miles)
• Burger King (0.7 miles)
• House of Tang (2.3 miles)
• Asian Gourmet (2.7 miles)
• Jerry's Sports Tavern (2.9 miles)
• Gusto's (3 miles)
• Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen (3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Kinney Drugs (0.6 miles)
• Kinney Drugs (0.6 miles)
• Shaw's Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Walgreens (2.6 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (3.1 miles)
• Homespun Healing & Wellness (3.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (0.9 miles)
• Big Gear Coffee (2.7 miles)
• Cafe Anna (2.7 miles)
• Maria's Bagels (2.9 miles)
• Tremolo Coffee (3.1 miles)
• Capitol Grounds (3.2 miles)

Transportation

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car (0.7 miles)
• Alamo (0.7 miles)
• Budget Truck Rental (1.2 miles)
• Payless Taxi (1.2 miles)
• U-Haul Neighborhood Dealer (4.5 miles)
• Mountain Deer Taxidermy (8.9 miles)

Places of Worship

• Bible Baptist Church (0.8 miles)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (1.1 miles)
• Christian Alliance Church (2.2 miles)
• Central Vermont Catholic School (2.7 miles)
• Barre Evangelical Free Church (3 miles)
• Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (3.1 miles)
• Southern Baptist Convention (3.4 miles)

Theaters

• Paramount Theatre (2.8 miles)
• Capitol Theater (3.3 miles)

Parks

• Montpelier City Recreation (3 miles)
• Barre Dog Park (3.3 miles)
• Romp! Indoor Playground (3.4 miles)
• Peace Park (3.5 miles)
• Hubbard Park Tower (3.6 miles)
• Hubbard Park (3.9 miles)
• Carpenter Park (9.2 miles)