ALF Assisted Living Testimonials in Jacksonville BeachPonte Vedra Florida

Dear Palms Staff,

I started to write Thank You Notes once we returned from Mom’s funeral in Baltimore.

First, to the Front Desk and Administration, then to Nursing Staff, Maintenance, etc. I then realized it was impossible, as each is dependent on the other and overlapping is really what makes it all work, “it’s teamwork at its best”.

Those last few weeks with Mom, she slept quite a bit; however, when she would have a “spark of energy” she said a lot in a few words, her words, not mine, “I can’t complain about anything, everyone is so nice to me and helps me and I know it’s not easy”. Well, she was right, everyone, at The Palms makes it work, and believe me, I had the opportunity often to see all these departments do amazing things! They kept our Mom’s spirit alive and guided her to activities, etc. daily, which gave her purpose!!

Now, to the group that not only took care of Mom, but me also. They are the Nurses, CNA’s and Margaret! Hospice was amazing and it was “this Palm’s team that worked together to make sure Mom was able to stay here, in her room, at the Palms, where felt safe and loved and Hospice worked with us.

So, as you can see, our family is so grateful for your Palms’ Family, because Mom was at peace there and that gave all of us peace to move forward knowing she was happy and well loved.

Again, with grateful hearts,

The Wartman/Gabrielle Family, #308

The Wartman/Gabrielle Family

My mother, at 94 years of age, had been living by herself in her big house for five years since my father died after seventy years of marriage. She had some mild deafness and minor short-term memory loss, but was otherwise amazingly healthy and alert, and attended to herself quite well at her home. She had grown a little reclusive, understandably, but I knew it was time—maybe even past time—for her to be in Assisted Living. Oh, but she DID NOT want to go to an “old folks home”. She fought me, and her first two weeks at The Palms were not good. She was depressed and fearful of the change, and stayed in her (very nice) room, but the outstanding staff promised me that they would gently bring her out of her shell, and they did. I think I helped by visiting often, as she was now very nearby me in Ponte Vedra. And she became a changed lady! Happy, talkative, making friends, enjoying the great restaurant (and I dined with her occasionally, and she loved that), getting exercise in the long hallways, sitting on the front porch, watching people come and go all day. Magic! In a month she thanked me for moving her to The Palms and began to call it “home”. She no longer had to cook or clean or do laundry or worry about her house and yard. Her life became a fun vacation in a rather nice hotel.

The care and friendship the staff provides to “their” residents is remarkable, and in turn, the residents then provide it to each other. More magic.

I have talked with friends and associates who might someday be in the position to recommend or perhaps rely on The Palms. But I wanted to write this testimonial to a wider audience so that others who face this big, difficult decision would know that The Palms exceeded my expectations in every way! ~T

We visited 20 assisted living communities for our mother and we sensed immediately that The Palms is not your average ALF. It’s much more similar to an Independent Living community – the building is spacious and bright, with a wide variety of beautifully decorated public areas designed for varying activities, well-designed apartments (with lots of storage!), large and easily accessed outdoor porch overlooking woodlands, gym and spa pool, and many other amenities not often found in assisted living residences.

Everyone at The Palms gets to know the residents personally, and they genuinely and pro-actively go out of their way to make sure each resident is not only well cared for, but engaged in whatever makes them happy as individuals while at the same time being connected to the community as a whole.

Beyond thrilled that Latte’s pet therapy continues to be productive. One of the residents was lucid, with clear enunciation and stayed calm and seated and engaged during our visit. The nurse and additional staff mentioned this was a remarkable finding based from a historical perspective of the resident’s behavior and verbal acuity. Some of her conversation and complete sentences included but were not limited to:

When I asked if she liked dogs she said yes with great excitement!
In continuing the conversation, I asked if she had a dog and she informed me she did in her home and the dog was big. She discussed her brother, but I do not recall what that was in reference to. Unsolicited, she engaged me and told me I had pretty eyes! She also addressed some of the other residents.

Notably, her conversation continued throughout Latte’s visit. In addition, she was extremely calm, remained seated and social with the other residents.

The exchange highlighted above included Latte approaching the resident with love and the resident in turn petting her…I think it was a moment which may have been a catalyst to her being verbal in the moment.

Latte and I continue to have great fulfillment in our weekly visits to The Palms. We appreciate your willingness to include us in the therapy conducted in the memory care unit.
Best,
M

Hello Barbara, Kay and Marylee,

This is very long overdue, but on behalf of our entire family, we would like to thank you all for the wonderful work you do and for taking such great care of my grandmother. Quite frankly her gains since she has been a resident of the Palms are nothing short of miraculous and it brings us all so much joy and peace to see her not only gaining her health and vitality back but thriving!

If you remember, when we first spoke, grandma didn’t want to leave her apartment where she lived alone and had home aids coming to care for her since her fall in March. It was so difficult to watch her continue to fall, have numerous health problems, including recurring c-diff, and very depressed and anxious. Fast forward to now and what a huge difference! The calls I used to get were from a very sad woman, but now, when she has time to call, I hear only joy in her voice and tales about how she loves exercise (something she has never done in her life!!), yoga, games, singing, friends, fashion shows, movies, and field trips!! She is actually much more independent then she was when she lived alone. It’s really amazing, and I know it takes much hard work and talent to create such a nurturing space. We cannot thank you enough, and I am happy to provide a testimonial on behalf of all the great work you do.

I especially want to thank you for the care during the recent hurricane. I can imagine that is a very difficult time, and although there were some things that my grandmother wasn’t thrilled with, we knew she was safe and well cared for. She in hindsight knows that too and knows everyone was doing their best.

Please share this note with the staff. I know there are many others that make this possible and I want to make sure they know that the families appreciate all their efforts.

If you remember, we were making what at the time seemed like an impossible decision, and we had a very short time to pull it all off. In hindsight, I still do not know how we managed to get it done, but I know that you all made the transition very easy for us. The Palms has been such a blessing in all of our lives.

Much love and a big hug to you all!
A very grateful granddaughter

The Palms is an outstanding facility with a staff that is both friendly and professional. All the nursing staff was awesome and very patient with a very inpatient man (at times).

Again…thank you for everything.
-D

Thank you for giving my husband and me an informative tour of The Palms facility on Friday, September 23. After parking our vehicle and entering the building, the warmth, friendliness, care and happiness were apparent throughout the facility. The residents who were in the hallways & restaurant openly expressed their pleasure with their surroundings.

I know our friend and her family made the right decision for her. None of us can be sure of how long we can be independent; however, when the time comes for us, The Palms @ Ponte Vedra is our only choice.

Again, thanks for the hospitality in sharing all the amenities with us.
A & D

My mom moved into The Palms shortly after it opened in October, 2015 and spent the last fifteen months of her life in their assisted living facility. She absolutely loved it there and everyone in the organization.

I can honestly say, having experience other facilities up north and researching competitive facilities in PVB, The Palms is clearly superior in every way possible. Barbara Matteson has assembled a top-notch team of skilled and compassionate individuals, in each part of that organization, many of whom became very attached to my mom during her life there.

That team has created a close-knit, active and caring environment for the residents of The Palms. I Know this from visiting my mom at least 3 – 4 times a week, many weeks every day since they opened their doors. When you spend that much time you really get a feel for the people and the place.

In the final days of mom’s life the outpouring of love and support from Barbara and her staff was overwhelming to our family. Management, RN’s, CNA’s, Reception, Kitchen and dining room staff… everyone was there for Mom.

Simply stated…there is no better choice than The Palms.

Our family is very grateful to you and The Palms staff for their wonderful attention, compassion, kindness and patience toward mom, especially over the last 4-6 weeks of her life. Mom’s caregivers and nurses during the day and night, the dining room staff, maintenance, housekeeping and very friendly front desk staff were all wonderful to our whole family.

Thank you very much for all you/they did to help our family during a difficult time.

We are thankful to have such a fine assisted living facility as The Palms in the PV community. We believe the leadership, experience, knowledge, expertise and compassion have made The Palms a premier facility. We are very happy mom spent her last couple years there.

Sincerely,
-B

“My wife and I have been very pleased with the care given to my mother from all of the employees at the Palms. I had thought on a number of occasions that I should send you a note to make you aware of particular employees who go far above and beyond what is expected. There are five employees who we feel should be recognized as real assets to your institution and who go out of their way to help patients and families in any way that they can. These employees professionalism, empathy, attention to detail, and willingness to go the extra mile for the patients is appreciated. The Palms is very fortunate to have employees such as these. Our thanks to you and your other administrative personnel for putting together such an excellent staff. Keep up the good work.

Best wishes for continued success.”
H & K

Barbara,
I remember the day I walked into the Palms- exhausted, fearful for my Uncle and his well-being and completely unaware of what my next steps should be…and then I met you. Your care and concern gave me immediate comfort and the facility calmed my deep fears on where my Uncle could be placed to ensure his safety and his health. I knew immediately that this was the place and you were going to help me “make it all right.”… Please continue your great work and please accept my heartfelt thank you. Your work and that of your staff is so greatly needed and our community is fortunate to have The Palms to meet those needs.

Sincerely,
D

To All of the Staff at the Palms

I would like to thank the entire staff at the Palms for the love and excellent care that was shown to my Mother, during her time in both assisted living and in memory care. As a lot of you know, she became a resident of the Palms the very first night that The Palms was cleared by the state to open. All of you helped to make her feel safe and not alone. And as her daughter, I know that she wasn’t always easy to deal with!
Special thanks go out to the entire Activities Staff for the time to learn personal information about my Mom which helped her to recall & participate in activities. Some of you went way beyond the call of duty to provide her with experiences she thought she would not be able to enjoy again.
Special thanks to the culinary staff for brewing a pot of coffee in the wee hours of the morning and making sure Mom got some. Also for bringing over cake & cookies when she tired of pie for dessert!

Special thanks to all of the nursing staff who dealt with Mom on a daily basis. I especially appreciated the evening and night nursing staff who had to deal with her increasing restlessness and her desire to be up and dressed by 3AM! She often told me how one of you would sit with her out in the living room to keep her company.

And last but not least, a special thanks to all of the resident care techs who kept my Mom safe from falls, assisted with her personal hygiene and who kept her in clean clothes which wasn’t easy to do! There were a couple of you that really stood out in their obvious love and care for my Mom- you know who you are!
I certainly will miss the friendship that the Palms Staff showed me over the years and I appreciate the high quality of staff that is present at the Palms.

Thank you again.
S

I just wanted to say thank you to all of the nursing and other staff who have been doing more for my mom since she was released from the hospital last week. With her being isolated in her room for thirteen days following her discharge, her needs have temporarily increased and it has definitely made my life easier knowing that your staff is there to provide her with these extra services. I personally talked with your head chef a few days ago about my mom’s lunch. He was very kind and accommodating, which is the experience I have had with him each of the times I have spoken with him since my mom moved into The Palms. I know that your maintenance staff had to go up to her apartment and reset a plug for her coffee maker, which saved me a trip from a meeting that I was attending in Fernandina Beach. Your head of maintenance has also been very nice and helpful each time I have seen him. Last but definitely not least, I know that your nursing and caregiving staff have more than enough to do already and adding my mom’s needs into the mix added extra work for them. Please let them know that I appreciate all that they have done for her.

This is the first time I have ever had the experience of a loved one being in an assisted-type living facility and I’m glad we chose The Palms. My mom seems very happy and that makes my life a lot easier.

Thanks again,

– L