Brookdale Palmer Ranch

I am continuously impressed by this facility and the staff. I have been at this building several times to visit various people and the staff is always very friendly and engaged with the patients particularly in memory care. CNA Carlos in memory care is amazing. He jokes around with the residents making them feel loved and treating them like they are his family. The receptionist are also wonderful. 10/10 experience.

This building is a great example of why this company is always drowning in lawsuits, scandals, and bad publicity. “Totally devoted to the care and well being of residents” is nothing more than a sales pitch. Once they have your money that goes right out the window. Expect there to be a new executive director every time you go there. Elderly residents need stability and consistency, not the revolving door of incompetency and dishonesty that this company likes to breed. Ironically, despite the dysfunction of management, they like to be draconian in their jobs and exert authority over residents and employees, as well as concerned family members. If you care about your loved one, keep them away from this nightmarish facility.

I arrived at the Brookdale Palmer Ranch Skilled Nursing Facility two weeks ago for medication management of intravenous antibiotics following septic shock. I was a little anxious because the last time I was in a facility of this type I was unhappy with the level of care and the facility. From the moment I arrived I was greeted warmly by the staff. The receptionist, Nancy, who was literally on her way out the door at the end of her shift, remained behind to ensure I was escorted to my room. Most of the patients there seemed to be memory care, elderly, some with dementia and several who were nonverbal. The staff was attentive to everyone's needs. They were not only pleasant but were genuinely friendly, compassionate and helpful. I had special dietary needs because of a weight loss program I am on (I've lost 135 lbs) and needed accommodations. The nutrition staff who are accustomed to putting weight on people did everything they could to assist me. Shout out to Ms. Nancy who sat with me and reviewed every meal for my duration AND checked in regularly. There was one mishap with nuts due to a recording anomaly on the menus which has since been remedied. Anything that comes up here (and there has been very little), a broken o-ring in the toilet, a spider in the bathroom (I'm allergic), the staff have jumped in and handled. People come genre and do their jobs. They genuinely and routinely show the compassion it takes to work with some if the most vulnerable (and often demanding) populations. I am so grateful that I landed here. It has been a frightening thing to get what took my mom (sepsis), but have a level of care she was not afforded. From the phone call I received in the hospital from Felicia in intake, to my extraordinarily dedicated nurse China Smith, and the other nursing and CNA staff, Beverly, Jeanette, Janelle, LaToya, Maggie, Max, and the tech with the beautiful thick curly hair who is always smiling, and is professional and helpful (I have forgotten her name), PT Maurice, Ray and OT Christine (I might have her name wrong), the environmental staff who greeted me daily with a smile and a singsong voice - such joy, and Ms. Maria who took me to shower and frequently checked on me throughout the day, Larry in Maintenance, who hadn't expected to be doing this work post retirement but does a great job and is so competent and reassuring! The administrative staff - Suzanne, your staff is fantastic! There are staff whose names I have forgotten but please attribute it to my head and not my heart. Clearly, these are people who take their time and who make an impact every day. You made me feel safe and cared for. I am so very grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope the company recognizes you (beyond a pizza lunch) and puts something extra in your paychecks because you deserve it!

My review is based on the care my father received on the memory care floor of the assisted living. The apartment layout is the best of any of the apartments we toured in Sarasota. There was always a fun activity going on in the day space though my Dad wasn't a joiner. Amaya was often his daytime resident assistant and I can't say enough about how much my family appreciated her. Amayas patience and kindness was priceless and she developed a sweet relationship with my father. We put a camera in the apartment and when we saw Amaya come in in the morning we knew it was going to be a good day and I didn't feel the need to keep checking the camera. I will say the 2-10 shift was lacking as they wouldn't always come in unless they were dropping off his dinner tray as my Dad often didn't like to eat in the dining room. If they did come in after he had already put himself in the bed they often wouldn't check if he was dry as my father had urinary incontinence and they would just throw a blanket over him. Now that I think of it only day shift 6-2 (Amaya) would make sure he was clean and dry.This part was especially upsetting as my mom paid hundreds of dollars every month for incontinence assistance. I started coming after work to sit with my Dad, help him shave then get ready for bed including a fresh brief. I started to enjoy this part of my routine in life so I can't say I'm super salty about it.If my dad had Mirlaine as an aid she would help him get dressed in the morning and you wouldn't see her for the rest of the day/night unless she was dropping off the food tray and unfortunately for my Dad she would pick up double shifts on days Amaya was off. Kimberlie the health and wellness director was very caring and I truly felt she had my Dad's best interest at heart especially when his behaviors associated with Lewy body dementia became problematic. The nurses were also all kind, attentive and approachable. My dad enjoyed the food at Palmer ranch though according to him everything could use a little salt but that's a Dad for you. If I had a do over would I chose this community? Yes I would. There were a few kinks here and there but nothing that couldn't be smoothed out with proper communication and additional staff training.

My stay for recovering from surgery could have been for 3 months but my wife got me out in 3 weeks for all that I went through there. After taking me to my first shower the aide brought me back to my room completely moved the bed away from the wall (for what reason I do not know) had it put down all the way to the floor (my wife and I told her it was to low for me to sit after arguing back and forth she bumped it up one notch and when I sat my leg snapped upward I screamed out aide looked scared my leg was killing me and I feared the pins in my leg had dislodged. Knee still is feeling it! One day no one came in my room for over 5 hrs my wife was there she can attest to that, it is why she spent 7 hrs a day with me to be my advocate. Most of my food was picked up uneaten, I was on a low sodium diet and restricted fluids but everything they served was dry as a bone. There is a huge problem with aides on staff conversing in front of the patients about there jobs and how their going to walk out due to the staff, pay etc situations that should not be what patients need to hear during their stay. Pharmacy was horrendous on timing of meds Sent there sometimes went a few days without certain meds, that is inexcusable! With the stress of staying there I lost 30 lbs, so leaving early was the best thing I could do. Oh also I expected to be transported home, as I was to the facility being in a wheelchair still. Was told they don't do that, but my wife spoke to higher up about all that happened and was told they would handle it. I arrived at home 7pm was giving med-van driver a tip and he said where is his payment, we told him they were paying and he was told otherwise. He would not leave until we payed so I wrote out a check for $119 for a 14 mile one way trip, texted it to official and to this day over 2 months later no compensation just one story after another.