Overall sentiment in the reviews for Brookdale Florence is mixed but leans positive, with the strongest and most consistent praise focused on the staff, the home-like atmosphere, and the social/amenity offerings. Many reviewers emphasize that staff are friendly, compassionate, and genuinely involved in residents' lives — from servers in the dining room to nurses and activity directors. Reviewers repeatedly describe a small, family-like community (one review cites roughly 45 residents), a clean facility and grounds, comfortable apartments (many with kitchenettes and terrace or garden access), and an active calendar of events including religious gatherings, movie nights, cooking/baking classes, seasonal decorations, bus trips, and therapy-animal visits. Several accounts note personalized care plans, pre-move outreach (including home visits), frequent family-invited events, and coordination with outside home health providers, all of which contribute to residents reporting increased social engagement and improved quality of life after moving in.
Care quality and staffing receive predominantly positive remarks about day-to-day compassion and individualized attention: staff are described as going "above and beyond," attentive to residents' preferences, and involved in activities. There are multiple references to on-site nursing and medical staff, and some reviewers specifically praised the director of nursing. However, a recurring concern is staffing adequacy — particularly at night and on weekends — with several reviews describing long wait times for bathroom/ADL assistance, inconsistent meal delivery, and occasions when residents were left without timely help. A minority of reviews raise more serious safety concerns: isolated reports allege negligent or incompetent aides resulting in injuries requiring hospital/trauma center care. These serious incidents are not the majority view but are notable and suggest variability in clinical reliability that prospective families should investigate directly.
Management, communication and operations show a mixed pattern. Many reviewers applauded helpful, accommodating sales staff and praised easy, supportive move-ins. Conversely, others reported poor management responsiveness, unreturned calls, unanswered doors/phones, miscommunications during tours (staff no-shows), and instances where billed services were not delivered. There are also comments about staff turnover which can exacerbate communication and continuity-of-care problems. Housekeeping and maintenance are generally satisfactory in many accounts, but some reviewers cited lapses or lack of housekeeping service and maintenance issues in other instances. These mixed reports suggest that day-to-day operational consistency may vary over time or between shifts.
Facilities and amenities are frequently described positively: dining rooms are homelike and bright, activity rooms, lobby seating, patios/courtyards, a central garden, and accessible transportation were called out as assets. Dining is often praised — professional chefs, personalized menus, and popular menu rotations — though a number of reviews note inconsistent meal service or that meals may not always be included in base rent, prompting families to supplement groceries. Activities programming is a clear strength (seasonal events, veterans' partnerships, town events, therapy animals, Town Hall meetings), and reviewers credit the activities director for creating engagement and outings.
Cost, contract terms and suitability for higher-acuity care are important themes. Several reviewers described the community as expensive, with some mentioning a cash-upfront policy and separate charges (including hospital service charges) that were unwelcome surprises. A repeated caution is that Brookdale Florence may not be equipped for long-term skilled nursing or rapidly progressing medical needs; reviewers explicitly noted it "may not meet future health needs" and that it is "not set up for long-term care." Prospective residents who anticipate increasing care needs should clarify what services are included, what triggers a transfer to higher-level care, and how hospitalizations are billed.
COVID and access: reviewers generally praised the facility's COVID precautions (some reported no cases) but also described restricted visitation and communication difficulties during the pandemic era. These policies contributed to frustration among family members who experienced limited access at times.
Recommendation and guidance: many reviewers highly recommend Brookdale Florence, highlighting its compassionate staff, warm, home-like environment, active programming, and overall cleanliness. Yet the consistency concerns — understaffing during off shifts, occasional lapses in meal service or housekeeping, communication/management issues, and the community's limited ability to serve higher-acuity medical needs — appear frequently enough that families should perform focused due diligence. Practical steps for prospective residents/families include: inquire about current staffing ratios (especially nights/weekends), ask for documentation on incident history and staff turnover, clarify what is included in the monthly fee vs. extra charges (meals, housekeeping, emergency/hospital billing), tour during different times (evenings/weekends) to observe staffing and meal service, verify policies for transfers if care needs increase, and request references from current families. When balanced, Brookdale Florence appears to be a strong fit for seniors seeking a small, home-like assisted living with active social programming and compassionate staff, but families should verify operational consistency and clinical capacity relative to their loved one's anticipated care trajectory.
