Overall impression: Reviews present a mixed picture of Sombrillo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Multiple commenters consistently praise the hands-on caregiving, regular nursing presence, and available rehabilitation services, and many note that housekeeping keeps rooms clean and residents well-groomed. At the same time there are repeated, specific concerns about dining quality, management changes and pricing practices, communication gaps, and a few serious clinical/operational lapses. Taken together, the sentiment is: strong direct care and basic facility upkeep, but important issues around food, administration, communication, and some safety/medical process lapses that prospective residents and families should probe further.
Care quality and staff: Several reviewers emphasize that staff are caring and provide regular nursing and rehab care. Therapies are offered and some residents participate actively in therapy programs. Positive comments include residents being clean, well-groomed, beds made and bedrooms kept tidy — indicating reliable day-to-day personal care. However, staff consistency and communication are recurring weaknesses. Reviewers note that while staff are friendly when present, they can be difficult to deal with and do not always communicate clearly. More serious problems were raised such as a missed doctor's appointment and an instance of unapproved medications being given. These items suggest variability in operational reliability and potential lapses in clinical coordination that should be investigated when considering placement.
Facilities and cleanliness: Cleanliness and housekeeping receive generally positive mentions. Rooms are reportedly cleaned daily, and reviewers explicitly say bedrooms and beds are kept clean. The facility appears to have mostly shared rooms, with few private-room options; private rooms are available but described as expensive. This pattern is important for families to consider depending on privacy needs and budget constraints.
Dining and daily living: Food quality is a clear negative theme — reviewers repeatedly describe the food as terrible. Additionally, at least one reviewer feels overall quality dropped after a takeover, while prices remained the same. Food dissatisfaction combined with perceived quality decline after ownership/management changes are notable red flags for overall resident experience and value for money.
Activities and social programming: The facility offers a variety of activities — specifically bingo, gardening, chair exercise programs, bean bag toss, and nail care — and some residents participate in therapy-based programs. These activities indicate an active programming schedule that supports engagement and recreation, which is a strength for resident quality of life.
Management, pricing, and visitation policies: Management and administrative practices are another area of concern. Reviewers report pricing confusion, an unexpected transfer to regular pricing without clear notice, and a sense of paying the same price despite perceived declines in quality. Communication problems from staff and administration amplify these frustrations. Visitation and access restrictions related to COVID are mentioned; while safety precautions are acknowledged, restricted access and confused or unclear communication about those policies have negatively affected families’ experiences. One reviewer called it the "best nursing home in the state" and another reported that his wife was happy there, indicating that experiences can vary significantly.
Patterns and recommendations: The dominant positive patterns are consistent personal care, rehabilitation services, cleanliness, and a reasonable activity program. Dominant negatives are poor dining, administrative/pricing opacity, communication breakdowns, occasional clinical/process errors, and limited private-room availability. For families considering Sombrillo, it would be prudent to: 1) verify current ownership/management and any documented changes to services since the reported takeover; 2) ask specifically about medication administration protocols and how doctor appointments are scheduled and tracked; 3) tour dining and sample meals if possible or ask about menu options; 4) confirm pricing structure in writing, including any potential transfers to different rates and private-room costs; 5) inquire about staffing levels, shift continuity, and how family communication is handled; and 6) ask about current visitation policies and how pandemic-related restrictions are implemented and communicated.
Summary judgment: Sombrillo appears to deliver solid, compassionate hands-on care and maintains clean living spaces with active programming, but there are credible and recurring complaints around food quality, administrative transparency, communication, and a few operational safety concerns. Prospective residents and families should weigh the strengths in clinical and housekeeping care against reported deficiencies in dining and management, and perform targeted due diligence on pricing, medication safety, and staff communication before deciding.
