The reviews for Lake Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center present a deeply mixed and polarized picture, with strong, recurring praise for the facility’s therapy programs and individual staff members contrasted sharply by repeated, serious allegations of neglect, mismanagement, and unsafe conditions. A substantial portion of reviewers highlight excellent physical, occupational and speech therapy—described as outstanding by many—and attribute positive rehabilitation outcomes to skilled therapists. Several reviewers also noted compassionate CNAs, effective social work (specifically Lava Jackson), successful admissions experiences, and an engaging activities program (bingo, church services, holiday events, nail painting) that contributed to a welcoming, community feel. Multiple reports praise renovated, spacious, and clean private or semi-private rooms and describe a pleasant, odor-free environment with attentive bedside meal delivery in those positive experiences.
However, an equally large and vocal set of reviews details systemic problems, particularly on the nursing/long-term care side. The most frequent complaints are chronic understaffing and high turnover, which reviewers connect to unresponsive nurses, long waits for assistance, unanswered call bells, residents left in soiled or wet diapers for many hours, and even reports of residents being left in wheelchairs in hallways or in EMS trucks overnight. There are multiple specific safety and clinical quality concerns: delayed or missed medications, alleged overmedication and heavy sedation that impaired rehabilitation, bedsores, dehydration, infections, falls, and transfers to hospital. Several reviewers recounted near-fatal events or deaths they attribute to neglect. Charting and documentation problems are also repeatedly cited—difficulty accessing charts, disorganized charting, and poor communication with families—which compounds clinical risk and undermines trust.
A notable pattern is the contrast between the rehab unit and the nursing/long-term care unit. Many reviewers say the rehab side is nicer, better staffed, and delivers warmer food and more consistent therapy; others explicitly recommend the facility for short-term post-surgical rehab and PT but warn against long-term placement. This uneven quality appears organizational: while some staff (therapists, certain CNAs, some nurses and office personnel like Sandra Kamara and Admissions Director Aja Harris in positive write-ups) receive high praise for kindness and responsiveness, reviewers frequently name poor leadership, evasive administration, or a rude director of nursing on the negative side. Several reviews allege manipulation of staffing records and therapy metrics—e.g., using events like pizza parties to boost engagement scores—and point to state infractions, complaints filed, and possible attempts to game inspections.
Facility operations and safety concerns extend beyond direct care. Multiple reviewers reported dirty housekeeping—never-clean toilets, dirty sheets, strong bathroom odors—while others strongly contradict that, calling the facility clean and well-kept. Temperature control issues (too hot or cold and limited thermostat access) are reported. More alarming anecdotes include unauthorized access to rooms by other patients, a claim of a gun found in a nurse’s car leading to sheriff involvement, and reports of quarantine or vaccine-status assertions not properly disclosed to families. Billing and administrative transparency are recurrent concerns: families allege overbilling, opaque charges, and profit-first motives. Several reviews specifically recounted a lack of physicians on-site (reports of one doctor and one nurse-practitioner alternating), long periods where a resident was unconscious without adequate response, and transfers to hospital after deterioration.
Management and leadership receive highly mixed evaluations. Some reviewers state that there has been leadership turnover and a new director committed to hiring the right team and improving care; these reviews note visible renovations, raised standards, and a positive shift in culture. Conversely, many reviews accuse leadership of being unavailable, unprofessional, or dishonest, and of covering up incidents. The coexistence of glowing testimonials and severe allegations suggests either rapid change over time or significant inconsistency across units and shifts. Families should be aware of this variability—some had excellent experiences and felt their loved ones were treated like family, while others describe experiences they characterize as the worst possible care.
For prospective residents and families, the key takeaways are nuance and caution. If the goal is short-term rehabilitation—the majority of reviewers agreed PT and therapy are strengths at Lake Park—this facility may provide high-quality therapy services and a positive short-stay experience. For long-term care, however, there are many documented, serious concerns in these reviews about safety, staffing, hygiene, documentation, communication, and management transparency. Because experiences appear to vary dramatically by unit, staff on duty, and perhaps time period (with some claims of recent improvements under new leadership), visitors should: tour the specific unit they are considering, ask for up-to-date staffing and inspection records, request to meet the therapy and nursing leads, verify physician coverage and charting/medication procedures, and monitor for consistent answers on infection control, bathing schedules, wake/sleep routines, and billing practices. The aggregate sentiment is split: strong pockets of clinical and social care excellence exist, especially in therapy and among specific staff, but persistent, repeated allegations of neglect and administrative failures are numerous enough to warrant careful scrutiny and follow-up before placement.
