Sensations
Memory Care, Adult Day Care & Respite Care · Charlotte, MI
Sensations
Memory Care, Adult Day Care & Respite Care · Charlotte, MI
Overview of Sensations
Sensations is a 39-bed memory care residence at 511 East Shepherd in Charlotte, Eaton County, Michigan, operated by AWL Companies LLC. Originally licensed in March 2011, it offers memory care with permanent residency, respite care, and adult day care. Twenty-four-hour staffing is provided. Amenities include on-site wellness center, meals included, laundry service, outdoor commons areas, and activities including fitness, music, games, and pet therapy.
Walk score 81 reflects a highly walkable location where most errands are possible on foot. The facility’s location in Charlotte’s downtown area provides residents with genuine neighborhood access, not isolation. License.
Over 15 years, Sensations accumulated only 3 deficiencies at 0.2 annually, placing it 63 percent better than Michigan’s state average. Original licensing in March 2011 found zero deficiencies with substantial compliance. Administrative renewal in March 2024 confirmed zero deficiencies and continued substantial compliance. This sustained posture for 13 years is objectively strong.
A March 2023 renewal identified one deficiency regarding service plan documentation. Resident service plans lacked adequate information about bedside assistive devices, including their purpose, staff responsibility for safety verification, and maintenance schedules. This is a documentation failure rather than a care failure and appears corrected by the 2024 renewal.
A March 4, 2025, complaint investigation identified two deficiencies stemming from a medication incident in February 2025. Resident A was prescribed Haldol and ran out of medication for 48 hours after staff placed it in a locked drawer without notifying others. Investigation documented 4 missed doses from this single incident. The facility also lacked a formal policy for how staff should proceed when a resident’s medication supply is interrupted.
For a facility with 14 clean years before this incident, the February 2025 medication issue appears isolated rather than systemic. The track record suggests genuine attention to compliance.
Families placing residents in memory care should ask about the February 2025 incident, the corrective action plan, and whether the medication shortage policy has been implemented.
39-bed community Rank #292 / 428Bed count — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 292nd out of 428 homes we track in Michigan for bed count. Shows this facility's certified or reported bed count compared to other Michigan facilities. Larger communities may offer more amenities, programs, and on-site services for residents and families.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Michigan that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
A moderately sized community that may balance personal attention with shared amenities and social activities.
1 year in operation Rank #142 / 295Years in operation — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 142nd out of 295 homes we track in Michigan for years in operation. Shows how long this facility has been in operation compared to other Michigan facilities. Longer operating histories may benefit residents, families, and staff.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Michigan that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
A newer community that may feature more recent facilities and programs.
Walk Score: 81 / 100 Rank #27 / 674Walk Score — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 27th out of 674 homes we track in Michigan for walk score. Shows how walkable this facility's neighborhood is compared to the average walk score across Michigan facilities. Higher scores benefit residents, families, and staff.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Michigan that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
Very walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot, and many essentials are within a short walk.
About this community
Facility TypeHomes For The Aged
IssuanceAugust 1, 2025
CountyEaton
License NumberAH230303551
Owner NameAwl Companies LLC
Respite Care
Licensed Nurses/CNAs
24-Hour Staffing
Permanent Residency
Pets not allowed
Wellness Center
Laundry
Meals Included
Outdoor Commons Areas
ActivitiesActivities include fitness, music, games, and pet therapy
Touring HoursMonday-Friday: 9am-5pm
Inspection History
In Michigan, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) conducts unannounced inspections and investigations to ensure long-term care facilities comply with state health codes.
Since 2011 · 15 years of data
These figures come from state-published and/or federal inspection records. The period covered can vary depending on document availability.
3 deficiencies
4 inspections
Inspection Scorecard
This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the Michigan state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.
Since 2011 vs. Michigan state average
Overall vs. MI average
0 Worse
No metrics in this bucket.
2 Better
Metrics better than Michigan average:
• Total deficiencies (70% below)
• Deficiencies per inspection (60% below)
• Total deficiencies (70% below)
• Deficiencies per inspection (60% below)
Deficiencies
| This Facility | MI Average | vs. MI Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total deficiencies
Formal regulatory issues recorded by inspectors across all inspection types.
| 3 | 10 | This facility has 70% fewer total deficiencies than a typical Michigan assisted living residence (3 vs. MI avg 10).↓ 70% better |
|
Deficiencies per inspection
Average deficiencies per inspection.
| 0.8 | 2 | This facility has 60% fewer deficiencies per inspection than a typical Michigan assisted living residence (0.8 vs. MI avg 2).↓ 60% better |
Inspections
| This Facility | MI Average | vs. MI Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total inspections
Combined count of all inspections conducted at this facility.
| 4 | 5 | This facility has had 20% fewer total inspections than the Michigan average (4 vs. MI avg 5). More inspections can mean more regulatory scrutiny rather than worse care.↓ 20% fewer |
Places of interest near Sensations
0.0 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Charlotte's city center to Sensations's address, calculated via Google Maps.
Calculate Travel Distance to Sensations
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Compare Memory Care around the area
Info below is compiled from the MI Licensing & Regulatory Affairs (LARA), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest to lowest based on our ranking methodology.
Care Types in This Table
AL (Assisted Living):
Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing.
NH (Nursing Home):
24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs.
SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility):
Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness.
MC (Memory Care):
Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia.
RC (Respite Care):
Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break.
IL (Independent Living):
Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care.
ADC (Adult Day Care):
Daytime supervision, health monitoring, and social activities for seniors who live at home.
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City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
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Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
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Indicates whether residents are allowed to have pets in the facility.
|
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
|
Description of bed or unit types offered (e.g. assisted living, memory care), as reported in state or facility disclosures.
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Number of years the company has been in operation.
|
Better Business Bureau grade for the operating company. Reflects complaint handling and business practices, not clinical care quality.
|
Count of regulatory inspections in the reporting window. Higher volume can reflect more oversight visits, complaint-driven surveys, or routine licensure cycles.
|
Total count of deficiencies (cited regulatory issues) recorded in the selected reporting period. Read alongside inspection counts for context.
|
The average number of deficiencies this facility receives each time it's inspected, calculated as total deficiencies ÷ total inspections. A lower number suggests more consistent compliance with safety and care standards.
|
Name of the licensed owner, operator, or managing entity as filed with the state. Useful for grouping facilities under the same organization.
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County Medical Care Facility | MC AL NH SNF | Crystal Falls | 200
Facility
200
MI AVG
74
Rank
#7 / 428 | No |
11
Facility
11
MI AVG
40
Rank
#595 / 674 | Private Rooms | 25
Facility
25
MI AVG
14
Rank
#83 / 295 | A+ | 4 | 19
Facility
19
MI AVG
8
Rank
#286 / 330 | 4.8
Facility
4.8
MI AVG
1.6
Rank
#311 / 330 | - |
| Porter Hills Village | MC NH AL IL | Grand Rapids (Grand Rapids Charter Township) | 100
Facility
100
MI AVG
74
Rank
#126 / 428 | No | - | Private Rooms | 1
Facility
1
MI AVG
14
Rank
#142 / 295 | - | 2 | 0
Facility
0
MI AVG
8
Rank
#1 / 330 | 0.0
Facility
0.0
MI AVG
1.6
Rank
#1 / 330 | Porter Hills Presbyterian Village, Inc |
| IHM Senior Living Community | MC NH AL IL | Monroe (Ihm Campus) | 58
Facility
58
MI AVG
74
Rank
#245 / 428 | No |
40
Facility
40
MI AVG
40
Rank
#315 / 674 | 1 Bed | - | - | 7 | 3
Facility
3
MI AVG
8
Rank
#116 / 330 | 0.4
Facility
0.4
MI AVG
1.6
Rank
#116 / 330 | Ihm Senior Living Community, Inc |
| Friendship Village – Kalamazoo | MC AL IL NH SNF | Kalamazoo | 57
Facility
57
MI AVG
74
Rank
#249 / 428 | Yes |
7
Facility
7
MI AVG
40
Rank
#630 / 674 | 1 Bed / 2 Bed | 51
Facility
51
MI AVG
14
Rank
#3 / 295 | A+ | 4 | 21
Facility
21
MI AVG
8
Rank
#290 / 330 | 5.3
Facility
5.3
MI AVG
1.6
Rank
#316 / 330 | - |
| Sensations | MC ADC RC | Shepherd Charlotte | 39
Facility
39
MI AVG
74
Rank
#292 / 428 | No |
81
Facility
81
MI AVG
40
Rank
#27 / 674 | - | 1
Facility
1
MI AVG
14
Rank
#142 / 295 | - | 4 | 3
Facility
3
MI AVG
8
Rank
#116 / 330 | 0.8
Facility
0.8
MI AVG
1.6
Rank
#116 / 330 | - |
Frequently Asked Questions about Sensations
Who is the owner of Sensations?
Sensations is legally operated by AWL Companies LLC.
Is Sensations in a walkable area?
Sensations has a walk score of 81. Very walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot, and many essentials are within a short walk.
What is the license number of Sensations?
According to MI state health department records, Sensations's license number is AH230303551.
How long has Sensations been in business?
Sensations has been operating for approximately 1 year, based on available licensing and registration records.
Are pets allowed at Sensations?
No, Sensations has a no-pet policy.
How many beds does Sensations have?
Sensations has 39 beds.
Has Sensations had any deficiencies?
Sensations has had 3 reported deficiencies since 2011 according to records from Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
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