Nella's in Elkins, WV

Seniors.FYI Elite Community Awards

Add this award to your website

Pros

• Nella's is a traditional facility that makes the elderly feel at home.
• Residents have their own TVs and rooms are equipped with air conditioning and heating.
• Meals are provided three times daily with snacks and drinks available constantly.
• Activities are enjoyable and residents are sometimes taken on outings.
• The staff do their best, and that best is great.
• The administration is very willing to accommodate complaints or concerns.
• The facility is always clean with excellent, caring staff.
• The experience at Nella's Lake was great.
• The admission and social worker staff have been very helpful.
• The staff are great and the nurses really care.

Cons

• The facility is dirty and the staff are mean and ill-mannered toward patients and visitors.
• Residents reportedly have to wait hours for help, and quality care is not being provided.
• Blood, feces, and other bodily fluids are reportedly found throughout the facility, with dirty towels and diapers left around.
• There are reports of patients falling from beds while staff walk by.
• The reviewer would absolutely not recommend putting anyone here.
• Upon arrival, visitors were not given a tour or instructions, and the doors were left unlocked.
• There are times when a smell is present due to insufficient housekeeping and staff shortages.

Review

Nella’s in Elkins is best suited for families seeking a traditional, home-like nursing home environment where routine, meals, and social engagement hold real value. The community leans into a familiar, comfortable atmosphere, with decor and furnishings that feel like a true residence rather than a clinical setting. Each resident typically has their own TV and climate control in the room, and daily life revolves around three solid meals, ample snacks, and beverages available throughout the day. This is a place where residents are encouraged to participate in activities and occasional outings, reinforcing a sense of belonging and routine. For seniors who prioritize continuity, warmth, and a steady, predictable schedule, Nella’s delivers.

Those who should consider alternatives are families with loved ones needing intensive rehab services, complex medical management, or specialized dementia care requiring heightened supervision. While a large portion of feedback is positive, several reviews raise red flags about safety, responsiveness, and overall care quality in crisis moments. Reports of neglected bedpans, long waits for assistance, and rude or disengaged staff surface in a minority of experiences, and concerns about unlocked doors and inconsistent housekeeping show that the environment can shift. If safety, rapid response to calls, or highly individualized medical oversight is nonnegotiable, it is prudent to explore other facilities with stronger acuity-focused programs and stricter safety protocols.

On the upside, the strongest, most consistent pros center on a clean, welcoming environment and dependable everyday routines. The facility is widely praised for its cleanliness and for staff who are genuinely kind and helpful, with management that is described as hands-on and responsive to concerns. The residential feel is reinforced by thoughtful decor and seasonal or holiday touches that help residents maintain familiarity and comfort. Meal quality and structure stand out as reliable anchors, three daily meals, regular snacks, and continuous drinks, along with activities that frequently engage residents and offer opportunities for social connection. For families seeking reassurance that daily life is well organized and pleasant, these attributes are meaningful.

The main cons, where acknowledged, tend to revolve around variability in care quality and staffing responsiveness. When problems arise, they tend to be described as significant enough to affect trust, delays in assistance, sensory or safety concerns, and occasional lapses in personal care and sanitation. These issues can erode the sense of security that families rely on, especially during times of transition or medical fragility. Yet the pros, cleanliness in most days, a caring staff core, predictable routines, and an emotionally supportive environment, often offset many of these concerns for residents who do not require constant medical escalation. The key task for families is to verify through a candid tour, ask for recent survey results, and confirm that staffing levels and rehabilitation options align with the specific needs of their loved one.

Practical decision steps should follow a focused plan: arrange an in-person tour and observe how staff interact with residents, especially during peak times; request current staffing ratios and call-light response times; inquire about rehabilitation services, therapy frequency, and access to specialists; ask about memory-care support, wandering safety, and individualized care plans if cognitive impairment is present; and solicit feedback from current families about daily life, meals, and safety practices. It is essential to press for concrete examples of how concerns are handled when they arise and to seek recent inspection or accreditation information. The goal is to confirm that the community’s strengths, stability, warmth, and reliable daily structure, align with the exact needs and expectations of the person considering care.

In the end, Nella’s presents a compelling option for families prioritizing a warm, traditional living environment with dependable meal service, engaged activities, and generally attentive staff. It stands out for its home-like atmosphere, clean spaces, and the visible dedication of management and caregivers in typical days. At the same time, potential residents and their families should enter with a clear checklist: ensure rehabilitation expectations are met, validate safety and staffing reliability, and insist on current, specific assurances about how exceptional concerns are managed. When these conditions align, Nella’s can be a solid, practical choice; when they do not, the search should continue toward alternatives that emphasize higher acuity care, stricter safety controls, or a more consistently responsive caregiving team.