The Palms at Ponte Vedra

The Palms at Ponte Vedra was very nice. We were very pleased with what we saw. They seemed well staffed. The rooms were very nice. We really like the space and the fact that they were more than sufficient in size. The bathrooms and the kitchens were wonderful. I really love the fact that they have full kitchenettes, and that the décor was amazing. The staff was very knowledgeable. She answered all of our questions and she went over the information that was available to us at the time. She was more than accommodating. The food was very good. The place was very clean and very well kept. It was very good. The only negative I have about The Palms is that it is on a fairly busy street.

The sales staff did an outstanding job showing interest and following up with me when my mother was a prospect. Then we she needed to get released from an ER visit -- and they knew that her next fall would be the catalyst that would force her to give up her independence -- a different department stepped in and gave me all kinds of resistance and would not take her in straight from hospital like we needed, and as had been discussed with them as part of the plan.. This in a medical and emotional crisis for us as family. Nurses in hospital paved the way for my mother to go to another facility. The memory care place, where mother ended up, treated my mother and me with compassion and excellent care and spent time educating me so I understood what was happening with my mother and how to proceed. I'm relieved The Palms showed true colors before I signed papers and that my parent avoided it.

The Palms at Ponte Vedra looked like a wonderful place to be in. The representative was pleasant and helpful. She talked straight, and she was honest. The place and its location were beautiful. It looked like it was very new and shiny. There were a lot of residents up and about, and they seemed to be content and enjoying themselves at lunch time. The food smelled wonderful. Everything about the place impressed me, and I would definitely consider it for my mother.

My mom moved into The Palms shortly after it opened in October, 2015 and spent the last fifteen months of her life in their assisted living facility. She absolutely loved it there and everyone in the organization. I can honestly say, having experience other facilities up north and researching competitive facilities in PVB, The Palms is clearly superior in every way possible. Barbara Matteson has assembled a top-notch team of skilled and compassionate individuals, in each part of that organization, many of whom became very attached to my mom during her life there. That team has created a close-knit, active and caring environment for the residents of The Palms. I Know this from visiting my mom at least 3 – 4 times a week, many weeks every day since they opened their doors. When you spend that much time you really get a feel for the people and the place. In the final days of mom’s life the outpouring of love and support from Barbara and her staff was overwhelming to our family. Management, RN’s, CNA’s, Reception, Kitchen and dining room staff… everyone was there for Mom. Simply stated…there is no better choice than The Palms.

On behalf of our entire family, we would like to thank The Palms for all the wonderful work you do and for taking such great care of my grandmother. Quite frankly her gains since she has been a resident of the Palms are nothing short of miraculous and it brings us all so much joy and peace to see her not only gaining her health and vitality back but thriving! If you remember, when we first spoke, grandma didn't want to leave her apartment where she lived alone and had home aids coming to care for her since her fall. Fast forward to now and what a huge difference! The calls I used to get were from a sad woman, but now, when she has time to call, I hear only joy in her voice and tales about how she loves exercise (something she has never done in her life!!) yoga, games, singing, friends, fashions shows, movies and field trips!! She is actually more independent then she was when she lived alone. It's really amazing, and I know it takes much hard work and talent to create such a nurturing space. We cannot thank The Palms enough! I want to thank you too for the care during the hurricane. I can imagine it was a very difficult time. Grandma knew she was safe and well cared for. We were making at the time which seemed like an impossible decision, and we had a very short time to pull it off,, In hindsight, I still do not know how we managed to get it done, but I know that you all made the transition very easy for us. The Palms has been such a blessing in all of our lives.

This place is all smoke and mirrors. The facility is beautiful and looks like a resort with all of the amenities. The dining room and menu for the assisted living side resembles a fine dining restaurant however, on the memory care side it is a different story. While the menu may appear to be the same , the quality of the food is seriously lacking. They don't provide enough servings for the residents and do not pay close attention to a individual residents "supposed" care plan. Rolls were never served and most of their entrees did not have any gravy, even if it was requested. The management staff all put on a good show to get you to put down your money but they misrepresented their amenities. They boasted that they had a whirlpool bath available for the residents, a unique amenity compared to the other ALFs, however, what they do not tell you is that none of their staff has been trained on how to properly use it with a resident so it is not really useable. Secondly, the CNAs and some of the nurses do not pay close attention to the memory care residents. They did not recognize that my mother was pale for several days and didn't appear right. It wasn't until I pointed it out and called the Dr. Myself, did they start taking some action. As a result, she had an internal bleed and nearly died. I took her out of that place immediately. I cannot vouch for the assisted living side but I would not recommend the memory care. The value for the exorbitant cost was not worth it. They also recommend a pharmacy to use for ease of prescriptions and packaging but the cost of the medications are ridiculously expensive. The whole place is a rip off.

I would not recommend The Palms to anyone. I had my parents there for 7 months. I was told before we signed the contract that they could take my parents to the end of their life however when my parents started to need more assistance they advised me I would have to hire a private caretaker at my own expense. They told me the only way they would accept my mother back when she was ready to be released from the hospital was if I hired a twelve hour a day caretaker. Then when my Dad was ready to get out of a short-term rehab facility they refused to let him come back. They gave me a three day notice to find him another facility to live in. The management here runs this place like a used car dealership and does not care about the residents or the employees. Horrible Place.