Berkshire Health Care Ctr in Vinton, VA

Pros

• The staff - from administration to maintenance - are professional, courteous, and caring.
• The physical and occupational therapy teams are fabulous and provide excellent care.
• The staff are kind, welcoming, and explain plans and progress clearly.
• Berkshire has a strong management team and caring employees.
• The facility is clean, well-maintained, and has a friendly, home-like environment.
• CNAs and nurses are wonderful, attentive, and genuinely dedicated to patient care.
• The PT and OT teams are amazing and help residents regain independence.
• The events and activities planned for residents are phenomenal and engaging.
• The director of social work is fantastic and supportive.

Cons

• Berkshire is described as a terrible place to place a family member or friend, with only a few nurses apparently caring about residents and medication sometimes not given as ordered.
• The staff are portrayed as unprofessional, with the facility being dirty and the food horrible, including molded bread.
• The charge nurse on night shift allegedly wouldn't give a doctor-ordered medication and then the family wasn't contacted about the patient's death, with belongings packed away in a maintenance closet.
• Residents begging to use the bathroom were told there was no time, and some nurses were perceived as caring only for a paycheck rather than the residents.
• A reviewer claims Berkshire lied to insurance about a resident's rehab progress and does not trust the facility.
• A patient was left for 12 hours in a soiled diaper with no help, resulting in raw skin and significant weight loss.
• The environment is described as depressing, with a strong medical smell, outdated rooms, and overall poor upkeep.

Review

Berkshire Health Care Center in Vinton is best suited for seniors who need skilled nursing rehab and steady, compassionate daily support, with therapy as the anchor of recovery. The community shines when a recovery-focused program - especially strong physical and occupational therapy - drives the care plan and discharge goals. Families pursuing clear, responsive communication and a welcoming, staff-driven environment will find this facility aligns with those aims. Those who prize gourmet dining, pristine cosmetic updates, or an absolutely flawless daily routine without occasional staffing or communication hiccups may want to explore alternatives.

On the upside, Berkshire consistently earns praise for a professional, courteous staff across the board - from administration to housekeeping. Families frequently remark on how approachable leaders are and how readily questions are answered. The therapy team is repeatedly described as one of the strongest assets: skilled PT and OT, with tangible progress that helps residents regain independence and often return home. The overall environment is considered clean and well-maintained, and there is a strong sense that staff know residents by name and care about their well-being. These elements create a foundation of trust - especially for families navigating the rehab-to-home transition.

Still, several credible and emotionally charged experiences warrant careful attention. A minority of reviews recount serious lapses - delays or disputes over medications, perceived neglect, and distressing communication gaps during caregiver turnover or transitions. Some families describe poor experiences around end-of-life care, including mishandled belongings after a death and situations where basic daily needs or comfort were not promptly addressed. Food quality and consistency also surface in a few accounts, with complaints about taste, portion sizes, and service, sometimes accompanied by concerns about meal temperature. A few comments describe outdated rooms and a medical ambience that can feel depressing, which can color the overall perception of the facility.

Despite these cautions, the majority of experience paints Berkshire as a reliable, outcome-driven setting. The strongest offset to the concerns lies in the rehab-focused model: therapists who deliver practical, goal-oriented plans and a staff culture that prizes patient-centered care and open communication. When things go well, residents regain strength, improve mobility, and achieve a smoother path back to independent living or familiar routines. Positive relationships with unit-based nursing teams, attentive CNAs, and especially engaged social work and admissions staff create a sense that problems are heard and addressed. In this context, the care experience becomes more about tangible improvements and ongoing engagement than about isolated incidents.

For families weighing alternatives, the key is to match expectations with Berkshire's proven strengths. If the priority is consistently excellent dining, top-tier cosmetic upgrades, or an environment where every day feels flawless, other options may better meet those needs. If the priority is robust rehab outcomes, dependable staffing, and a caring, communicative culture that supports real recovery, Berkshire stands as a strong contender. Memory-care or dementia-support needs appear well-integrated, but it remains prudent to inquire specifically about staff ratios, routine communication about medical status, and current safety measures in the unit handling cognitive impairment.

Practical steps to decide: schedule a thorough visit focused on the rehab units, with particular attention to Unit Three, where staff are repeatedly highlighted as exceptional. Request a current rehab plan and discharge trajectory, and talk with multiple CNAs and nurses about daily routines, response times, and how changes in a plan are communicated. Verify the dining process - meal variety, portions, temperature, and accommodations for dietary restrictions - and inspect room upkeep and accessibility features. Finally, confirm that any past concerns have been addressed and understand how the team manages transitions in medical status. Berkshire delivers meaningful recovery outcomes and a genuinely caring environment; for families prioritizing rehab progress and consistent, compassionate care, it remains a compelling choice.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.3 miles)
• Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n Biscuits (0.3 miles)
• Long John Silver's (0.3 miles)
• KFC (0.3 miles)
• Burger King (0.4 miles)
• Famous Anthony's Vinton (0.6 miles)
• Dogwood Restaurant (1 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.3 miles)
• Cundiff Drug Store (0.9 miles)
• Wonder Drug Southeast Pharmacy (2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Sanco Drug (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.9 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Pharmacy (3.6 miles)

Physicians

• Parkway Physicians (0.9 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Family Medicine - Vinton (0.9 miles)
• James E Thompson, MD (2.1 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Wound Center (3 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Urogynecology - Roanoke (3 miles)
• Pediatric Clinic-Carilion Center (3.1 miles)
• Endocrinology Associates (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Roanoke Memorial Hospitals (2.1 miles)
• Carilion Clinic Inpatient Rehabilitation (3 miles)
• Carilion Roanoke Community Hospital (3 miles)
• Roanoke Ambulatory Surgery Center (3.1 miles)
• Carilion Health System (3.6 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2.7 miles)
• Starbucks (3.2 miles)
• Sweet Donkey Coffee (3.7 miles)
• Starbucks (4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Rescue Mission Ministries (2.7 miles)
• St Johns Episcopal Church (3.1 miles)
• St James Episcopal Church (4.8 miles)

Parks

• Mill Mountain Park (3 miles)
• Elmwood Park (3 miles)
• Washington Park (3.4 miles)
• Wasena Park (4.1 miles)
• Vic Thomas Park (4.4 miles)
• Norwich Park (4.9 miles)

Transportation

• Roanoke Higher Education Center Smart Way Stop (3.1 miles)