The Cortland Riverside Gardens

This community is beautiful and has a robust activities program. You are always greeted by the friendly front desk staff. I've watched interaction with the aides and the residents and they seem like they truly care about their wellbeing. The administrator and the Wellness Director are nurses so they are able to oversee the residents' care with a clinical eye. This community fills up fast as it's in a great location. You need to stop by and take a tour with the caring sales team.

I toured with April Rosa- she was compassionate and caring during my visit. The community is very friendly and super clean! Do yourself a favor and talk with April.

I have very mixed feelings about Riverside Courtlands. On the surface, the facility is beautiful, well-maintained, and offers appealing amenities for residents. The admission process was quick and efficient, and for someone who is largely independent and only needs minimal support, this could seem like a great option. However, once any level of real care is needed, serious issues become evident. The facility does not have an RN on staff — only CNAs — and during the night shift, the entire facility is often run by just two CNAs – not even a manager in charge. This lack of proper staffing creates a dangerous situation for residents who need more attention or might be at risk for falls. During our time there, falls were frequent, and one day alone saw three residents were taken to the ER due to injuries. I was constantly seeing residents with bruised faces, etc. walking around. The call button system is unreliable, especially at night, and response times can be worryingly slow. Often when they did have adequate staffing you could find 4-5 of the CNAs outside the dining room door congregating. This would be a good time to round with the residents who might not be able to go to the dining room. Another concern was the pressure I felt to use CorsoCare for hospice services — a provider located two hours away from our location. Unfortunately, that experience was far from ideal and felt more like a convenience for the facility than a benefit for us. I wonder if there is some sort of partnership between the two. In short, if your loved one is active, fully mobile, and doesn’t require much in the way of assistance, this might be a pleasant place for them to live. But if they need attentive care or medical oversight, I would not recommend Riverside Courtlands. It offers a nice place to stay — with meals, activities, and a roof over your head — but very little in the way of actual care, which sadly did not support my loved one in their final days. Also, I will say the sales gal was SO nice and helpful during the sign on / move in process but once our loved one passed away we received not one condolence from any of the staff – not one. We received a bill and a notice to vacate the room. I found that very unsettling considering how nice and helpful they were to start.

This is a beautiful community with the most amazing residents. The Life Enrichment team is incredible and makes the community fun and exciting. The maintenance director is friendly and kind. He is super helpful and always goes above and beyond. The gals at the reception desk greet you with a warm smile and genuinely love their jobs. The admissions director is bubbly and fun. She is knowledgeable and makes you feel at home the second you walk through the door. The dietary staff work diligently to meet all the nutritional needs and requests of the residents with a smile. There is a new executive director who feels like a friend after your first encounter. She is going to be a great leader and mentor to all of the staff. Last but not least, the caregivers and med techs with longevity truly are invested in the community members who live there. They work overtime and stay over extra hours to ensure everyone is cared for. This community has been through some changes recently, but they have not wavered in their love for the residents. With change comes growth and I encourage you tour this community and get to know the residents and team that call Riverside Gardens home.