Brookdale Orange Park

ReviewerFC062022A

I went to Brookdale Orange Park. The overall facility was nice. However on the memory care side, you could smell some urine in the halls. I was not crazy about that. Its appearance was up-to-par. I saw the rooms just from the halls and kind of peeking in. I just did a very quick tour because they did not have any availability at the time to put my mom there anyway. There was really no point in exploring all of the amenities. The staff was nice, professional, and offered me something to drink. She was pleasant.

Provider Response

Kelda

I went to Brookdale Orange Park, and I loved the tour. I liked the guy that we had spoken to. He was reassuring. They were clean. I loved the staff. Everybody was really warm. There's nothing bad I could say about it. They had an area where they can play puzzles, a room where they had things to do, a theater room, and a kitchen area, but they didn't have a kitchen area in the actual room. The air-conditioner in the room was like a hotel; it's against the wall and I didn't like that. It made me think about if Mom's bed was there, that maybe she'd get too cold at night, and she might catch cold with the air blowing out of that. They had a variety of rooms to offer. They had one that was just open floor, and then they had one that had a wall somewhat in between it, which I liked because you can make that a living room area. They had shared rooms and single rooms.

Tammy

I toured Brookdale Orange Park for a loved one. It was definitely an older facility. The layout was all on one floor. The rooms were kind of small. The person who assisted me was wonderful. I toured the whole place, so I saw all of the amenities. Nothing really stands out to me. They showed me where they do the activities, but I did not see any residents while I was there. I viewed their menu for the day, and it looked fine.

Provider Response

Brenda

Brookdale Orange Park was excellent. The customer service was very good. The place was super clean, nice, and they offered some other benefits for my brother. He liked it. They gave us an awesome tour. They explained everything, let us ask any question we had, and they answered everything. They were very professional too. It was very organized.

L.R.

So far we're really pleased with Brookdale Orange Park, it has a homey atmosphere and my mom is doing extremely well there. The staff is extremely professional and very trustworthy with my mother. We didn't have a good experience with the rehab facility she was in previously, but here, I know my mom is being cared for properly. She has a 1-bedroom apartment but it doesn't have a kitchen. I would say it's a studio but it's bigger and it's private. They only either have a shared room or a private room. They have church there and they do multiple denominations. They also do lots of social activities like ice cream socials, birthday celebrations and things like that, they also have guests speakers and exercise activities. There's a library and also a salon.

Foxfire

I toured Brookdale Orange Park. It was the most affordable, and the most conveniently located for me. However, it was older, the activity level was not high, and it felt more like a hospital, rather than a residence. The staff seemed fine, they had some activities, but they didn't have a full schedule like the other places did. They have a restaurant, but I did not eat there.

Richard

I placed my mother in Brookdale, and so far, they've been great. She's been there a week, and I haven't any problems. It is good, clean, and well-maintained. It is easy to get to. She plays Bingo and makes hats.

Steven556423

So far, we thought Brookdale Orange Park was OK just because of our particular budget. The staff didn’t have really any exceptional information. There wasn’t anything that stood out, and I liked that it made me want to choose them because of those folks. It seemed like they really didn’t have anything set up. They only had a couple of places inside where they have like baby dolls and a little work bench and stuff like that for people to sit and to do. But other than that, they didn’t tell me about any programs that they had. If they do have programs, they need to advertise them. That would have been a deciding factor. We gave them the information, so we had to go down there and follow up again, and that is what annoyed me about their staff.

Very Pleased with Brookdale Orange Park.

My mom finally moved into Brookdale Orange Park after looking somewhere else. After about 3 weeks my mom still thrilled with her choice and could not be happier .The staff is amazing ,i feel very comfortable having my mom live there where she always taken care of, can get a meal delivered to her room when she does not feel like going to the dining room, and can see a doctor regularly without driving somewhere. They have a bus to take residents to Wal-Mart, Lunch Outings etc. Everyone there makes you feel like you're family. They call me with any updates , and i know that i can call them any time i want as well ,i finally have a peace of mind. It's a beautiful, loving, caring atmosphere there.

SayNOtoBrookdale

I wish I could rate this facility lower than one star. It is a TERRIBLE place for any family member or loved one. My parent was there I was SO FORTUNATE to get them out of that facility. Since Brookdale bought this facility everything has gone downhill. WORST PART is the senior staff, they are not accountable, ignore phone calls and notes and do not meet important deadlines for paperwork. They seem to be happy to ignore family members and worst of all residents. The staff turnover is a JOKE ....all the best staff left and new personnel don't care. They did not clean our room, we found a roach in the bed. WORST of all is they are very careless with medications and doctor's orders. Put your friend/relative/parent somewhere else!!!!!

Provider Response

Teal1950

I am very disappointed with Brookdale. The staff is not helpful and doesn't return phone calls when they say they will. Asked numerous time to help find financial assistance and was told yes we will make an appointment and help you file and fill out paperwork. That has never happened after many calls. The rooms are very dirty and dusty the staff is very lazy and disconcerting they make promises and that's it. They have one washer and dryer not even commercial size -- dryer was broken for months!!! The food is not good and more then many time they run out of essentials--- they over cook and have a very limited menu--- very rarely have fruit! The residents are not well taken care especially when I'll and need extra help-- staff is not helpful. After taking my mom out for dinner when returning waited and rang bell for half hour to get back in. I could go on and on they need to be more attentive and caring to this elder loving residents. Prior to Brrokdale taking over conditions were a lot better.

Provider Response

RM3

My mother has only been at Brookdale about a month in a nice, private room. So far, everybody seems really nice. They have an excellent activity department where they do arts and crafts, bingo, a Catholic mass on Wednesdays, which is good for my mom.

Judy122715750

I liked everything about Brookdale Orange Park, except that it does not have an outside area. The food was good. The staff was very helpful and were able to show me the rooms. It was very nice.

countrygirl2

I recently had an employee call me to remind that there was a family event at the Ale House for drinks and appetizers. How is it that there is money to spend on things like this yet there isn't money to put out better food, or have more entertainers come in, or better yet, how about more staff.....isn't that a concept. Where is the logic in this? Just more lies they tell you to get you in here. When I came here looking for my mom, they told me there were always at least three people on the floor for the first two shifts plus a nurse. That the rooms would be cleaned twice a week. Really.....the people are lucky if they have two staff working and there have been times when there was only one that had to take care of all three hallways. Its funny though......and it sure is obvious...when the head honchos from the corporate office are there. Then...WOW...amazingly there are three staff members and the ones in the front office are exceedingly friendly and helpful. The turnover in staff is terrible. Why is it that no one from the corporate office is asking why.....why so many of the good workers have left or are going to leave. Oh.....that's right....because when the people from corporate are there, everything appears to be wonderful. I think that the corporate people need to get off the stick and make time to talk to families and perhaps the staff that has left. Pop in unplanned and often. Talk to who you want to, not who is suggested for you to talk to. Don't just come during the day..... then you just might see what we (the residents and families) see. Hopefully this will get read this and eyes will finally open.

Provider Response

Totally Disgusted

I had been to this building. many times years ago with my church group to visit a couple of our members that were residing there. The staff was always very friendly and helpful and the place had a warm, homey feeling. The time had come now that my mom needed assistance. I came in and spoke with Tiffany and took a tour with her. I've never been so disgusted or disappointed as I was during this tour. The odors throughout the building were foul and worse than that, they were being masked by some kind of air freshener that only compounded the odor. The building looks filthy and the residents' looked un-kept. Tiffany told me that they were going to be remodeling.....what difference would that make I wondered....if its not clean now, how long before the renovations look filthy. There also seemed to be very little staff in the building. When Tiffany showed me the model room, I observed a roach on the floor. Sad, but I seem to have been the only one that noticed it. This visit truly upset me as it used to be such a beautiful place with a great staff. Even coming in the front entrance now, the greeting is very cool and no longer friendly as it once was. No longer are there genuine smiles and caring people. Needless to say, I found another home for Mom. I no longer would recommend this place to anyone looking a home for their loved one.

Provider Response

mayhands23

My mother and father has lived at two of the Brookdale Communities. I have been very happy with both location. I had to move them to the Orange Park location because the community was closer to my home. I was so happy when i learned that some of the staff from the old community was now working at Orange Park. The team there is so personable they make you feel like family. Through the passing of my father Latonya and her team made sure my mother was in great spirit everyday. Lana went over and beyond to make sure my mother came out of her room everyday. Latonya and Tiffany is a breath of fresh air. It amazes me to see all of the managers in the dining room during meal time socializing with the residents. I am very happy of the change over in management and the new open door culture that Latonya has put in place for everyone.

Gangster

I'm a family member of a resident that is still there ,I want everyone that puts a family member in any place, Please keep up with their medicine. ..we are for the second time finding they are not ordering her medicine on time but all shows that she had it every day. You do the math. How does 30 days worth of pills go 45 days........ and aways the same answer, we'll check in to that.. this is happening why to much.... please visit often can't say that enough This facility is ALWAYS SHORT STAFF !!!!!!

Provider Response

unhappy person

Be careful. Everyone there will promise you the moon, and then be too busy to return phone calls. Sales staff and management put on a good show, initially, but then fail to follow through. When they DO come through with something "extra" (such as daily bathing assistance), it is assigned to an already overworked and stressed employee. I should have paid attention when several residents pulled me aside in the hallway to whisper in my war that this place was not as great as it was purported to be. Limited staff, poor communication, and documented problems with issuing medications. Be careful! You need to explore why all the wonderful staff at Brookdale Orange Park has quit since the new ED was hired. It is definitely not the same place nor is the atmosphere the same for the residents. We have considered moving our loved one.

Provider Response

Caring104009950

I found it very nice, and the other thing that I found was that it wasn't affordable. We have seen the apartments, but it was all like one building -- like a room type of thing -- and they had stairs and elevators too because of the elderly. I did find it adequate. We just went in and looked around; that was it. The staff was very friendly. I was impressed with the friendliness at Brookdale Orange Park. They were very accommodating when we asked the questions and stuff.

loveliving

The memory unit needs some serious help. The odor is terrible .Also; sometimes you cannot even find a staff or Director member to help you. I ask staff where you’re Director. Answer probably up front with her friend. I asked – who is her friend? - Employees stated Executive Director. The med staff and processer are less than par. Many have attitudes. They definitely need more caring staff on the floor. There are some activities but certainly could be more things available to residents. The Director of memory care acts like she doesn’t know what she’s doing. I really don’t like when she calls residents baby, honey or something else, they all have names. I do not recommend the Memory Care Unit especially if your loved one is a wanderer. I can wait to move my love one to another facility. Residents are allowed to wander into all residents rooms without supervision. Falls are common. Beware this Facility. This community is ok; however it doesn’t have the warmth I like to see in a community that cares for elderly. Some of front management is terrible, the way the dress it’s looks like I just enter a club. Not really happy with new management

Provider Response

Natalied777

Receptionist refused to let me speak with my grandmother, and kept changing her story. For months I have had no issue calling the facility to speak with my grandmother. This time I called and the woman stated that she could not go get her, and that she could only take a message. I told her they have never had a problem doing this for me before, and that this is how I speak with my grandmother. She placed me on hold. When she came back she claimed that they weren't picking up in memory care so she would have to take a message. When 5 hours later I did not receive a call back, I called the facility again. The same woman picked up the phone. She immediately said she can take a message. I told her that is what she did hours ago and my grandmother hasn't called back so I need to speak with her. She claimed she could not go get her. Also, she now claimed that the case was not that memory care wasn't picking up the line, but rather there is no direct line to the memory unit. I informed her to just walk over and get her. She stated she could not do so. I informed her to go get someone else on the phone then. She placed me on hold and then hung up on me. So I called back and she picked up the phone didn't answer and hung up on me again. Then I called back again, and she answered. I asked her what her name was, and she did not answer and handed the phone to another woman. I simply informed the other woman I was trying to reach my grandmother and she said ok and took the phone to her. I don't know why the first woman had to make it so difficult.

Provider Response

Caring103276350

It was nice and clean. People were friendly. They had double occupancy rooms, and they were nice. It was pretty homey.

Linda93874450

It seemed institutionalized to me, and it was not quite what my mom was looking for. She still wants to cook her own meals, and they didn't do dietary stuff, so it just didn't seem to be a good fit for her. I think the location is really good because it was right in the middle of Orange Park and it is very convenient there. The rooms seemed a little small for what I anticipated, and I think that was kind of her feeling as well, that the rooms were a little small and kind of basic. The staff was very nice, very pleasant, very welcoming, and everybody seemed to be really responsive when we took the tour and they walked around and greeted people. It just seemed kind of dingy, not the very light, bright kind of thing, but it may be just because of its age.

Cheryl26

The staff has been absolutely wonderful to work with. They seemed to take time to get to know the patients well. The place is very clean and neat. The ward we put him in is locked, and that is important to us. We have no concerns at all. Everything we came across is very good. Their food appears to be good. My stepfather said he is fed well. We saw a calendar of activities, and they take them out to dinner, and they were doing some mind stimulation there, and we were very pleased with that.

Wayne4

It is a very clean and very nice facility. . The rooms were good and spacious. If I would have to choose, this would be at the top of my list.

CBo

It is only about 10 minutes away from my house. It's a nice, big square building with courtyard in the middle. The rooms are nice and the staff is excellent. My mom is fed, they clean her room, and they have activities set up every day for them. They also have a couple of days a week outing to Walmart or out to lunch one day a week. She's only been there for almost two weeks, so she's still having a tough time adapting to the dining experience.