Overall sentiment in these reviews is strongly weighted toward praise for frontline caregiving, the facility’s cleanliness, and the home-like environment, tempered by several operational and management concerns that multiple reviewers flagged. The majority of reviewers emphasize that staff are compassionate, attentive, and treat residents like family. Names that recur positively include Courtney (noted as promoted to Administrator in Training), Ashley, Tiffany, and Meka; several comments specifically credit these individuals with improving care and creating a nurturing atmosphere. Many reviewers describe the facility as warm and welcoming, with clean common areas, well-kept grounds, a tidy dining room (flowers on the tables), and resident rooms that feel homey because residents can bring personal furnishings.
Care quality and staff culture emerge as the strongest positive themes. Reviewers frequently describe caregivers as going "above and beyond," providing loving and attentive care, and creating a reassuring environment for families. Activities such as exercise classes, singing, and games are mentioned repeatedly, and residents are portrayed as engaged and safe. Multiple reviewers explicitly recommend Kiva-Palatka because of the staff and the feeling that residents are well cared for. There is also recognition that recent management changes and leadership (including Courtney’s promotion) have contributed to operational improvements and a more collaborative spirit among the team.
Facilities and dining receive largely favorable comments with some nuance. The facility is described as very clean, odor-free, and comfortable. The dining experience is often praised: reviewers mention fresh hot food brought from a next-door kitchen, homemade breads, rolls, and desserts, and meals that taste homemade. The dining room is noted as clean and well cared for. However, several reviewers point out limited menu variety (one reviewer specifically stated they "never saw a salad") and at least one reviewer alleged there was not enough food for residents, with workers reportedly buying food with their own money. These dining-related concerns intersect with operational and resourcing issues discussed below.
Significant operational and managerial concerns appear across reviews and are the main negative recurring themes. Some reviewers allege serious issues with ownership and payroll — phrases used include claims that the owner is "dishonest" and not paying staff, and that paychecks have bounced. A number of reviewers report that staff have been forced to purchase food for residents out of pocket. These claims contrast sharply with the otherwise-positive comments about frontline staff and suggest that caregiving teams may be strained by financial or administrative instability. Reviewers also report administrative disorganization and poor communication in certain instances, including multiple cases of lost belongings (clothes, a wallet, and three phones) combined with limited or no follow-up from staff, which caused family stress.
There are a few isolated but noteworthy quality concerns: one reviewer reported roaches in the beauty shop, and another described unprofessional staff behavior (being distracted by phone use) that was not addressed. While these reports seem less frequent than the praise for cleanliness and staff performance, they are significant because they point to lapses in standards or oversight. Taken together with payroll and ownership complaints, these issues form a pattern that prospective residents and families should probe when evaluating the community.
In summary, most reviewers portray Kiva-Palatka Assisted Living as a clean, warm, resident-focused community with a caring staff that fosters a home-like atmosphere and engaging daily life. Many families feel their loved ones receive compassionate, above-and-beyond care and note positive changes under new leadership. At the same time, recurring concerns about ownership behavior, payroll stability, staff having to cover food costs, limited menu variety, occasional unprofessional conduct, and some instances of lost property and pest sighting warrant careful attention. Prospective residents should weigh the consistently strong praise for direct caregivers and resident life against these operational red flags: when touring or interviewing staff, ask about current management structure, payroll stability, food sourcing and menus, policies for protecting resident belongings, pest control measures, and recent changes that management has implemented to address earlier issues.
