Overall sentiment across the reviews for Sunnyside Assisted Living is strongly positive, with repeated emphasis on compassionate, friendly, and dedicated staff. Reviewers frequently describe the caregiving team as warm, welcoming, professional, and willing to go above and beyond — staff are noted to spend quality time with residents, visit them in the hospital, and provide emotional as well as physical support. Multiple staff and administrators receive individual praise (Melissa, Julie Santiago, Maribel Rojas, Randy Webb, Delaney, Val and others), and families repeatedly express gratitude, peace of mind, and strong recommendations. The facility itself is consistently described as clean, well maintained and home-like, and reviewers remark that residents appear happy, social, and well cared for.
Care quality is generally characterized as excellent by many reviewers: medication administration and daily assistance are noted to be reliable; nursing and caregiver staff are described as competent and knowledgeable; and several reviews emphasize the individualized attention residents receive. That said, there are recurring operational concerns around nursing retention and leadership. Several reviews explicitly cite RN turnover and difficulty recruiting/retaining a strong head nurse, suggesting salary and staffing stability as an area for improvement. While some reviewers praise the nursing director and long-tenured staff, others criticize specific leaders (for example, a negative mention of Executive Director/ED Julie Alvarez) — indicating inconsistent experiences with management and nursing leadership across families.
Activities, dining, and community life are clear strengths. Reviewers highlight a robust activities program (arts and crafts, outings, elk feeding, holiday and birthday celebrations, Easter egg hunts) and praise an activities director who was very active prior to COVID. Food receives positive comments as well, with multiple notes about good meals and varied menus (Val's meals are singled out positively). These programming elements contribute to the repeated description of Sunnyside as a family-like, homey community where residents remain engaged and social. Families also appreciate frequent communication from leadership (daily updates from an Assistant Director was praised), and staff members are described as accommodating and responsive to requests.
However, several important concerns appear in the reviews and should be noted. Safety issues were raised in specific contexts: a Parkinson's-related fall risk and reports that residents sometimes attend outside medical appointments alone due to unclear protocols — families felt this was unsafe and requested clearer caregiver accompaniment policies. There are also isolated but serious negative reports, including claims of poor care, communication failures, and at least one report of a resident death tied to dissatisfaction with care. A small number of reviews mention unprofessional behavior from management or staff (yelling, refusal to listen, aggressive behavior attributed to an individual named Valerie), which contrasts sharply with the many positive accounts of compassionate staff and suggests inconsistency in staff behavior or supervision.
COVID-19 response receives mixed but largely positive mentions: Sunnyside is credited with a strong pandemic response and safety measures, though reviewers also note the emotional and social toll of isolation during COVID on residents. This reflects a common assisted-living challenge of balancing infection control with residents’ social and emotional needs.
In sum, Sunnyside Assisted Living is presented by most reviewers as a clean, caring, and activity-rich community with many staff who provide exceptional, personalized care and foster a family-like environment. Prospective families should be reassured by the abundant praise for day-to-day caregiving, dining, activities, and the overall atmosphere. At the same time, they should investigate nursing staffing stability, clarify protocols for off-site appointments and fall-risk management, and ask questions about leadership responsiveness and how the community addresses any instances of unprofessional conduct. The dominant pattern is strong, heartfelt endorsement from families, tempered by a few specific operational and safety concerns that warrant direct follow-up during tours and conversations with management.
