Jefferson County Home Ketona in Birmingham, AL

Pros

• The location is great.
• Meals were good and served on time, and the staff were friendly and helpful.
• The TCU staff were amazing to the father; the nurses and nurse manager went above and beyond; they were a godsend.
• The building is beautiful and the staff are very friendly.
• It is clean and properly staffed, and residents are well cared for.
• The administrator, Mrs. Moore, is described as a precious woman of God with a purpose of caring for all people; Rita is described as a gift from God; Tearia is praised as a doll with a royal personality.
• The facility did a great job with loved ones; the staff treated grandma like family.
• The nurses are the sweetest, and Meg Jackson is praised.

Cons

• The facility is described as the worst place ever, with a resident diagnosed with dementia who was heavily medicated and whose family was not contacted.
• The room was dusty and dirty, with dust on the bed, bed frame, and wall railings.
• The care was negligent and abusive, including a mother who died after being neglected and meals that were not provided.
• The staff were rude, cold, and unprofessional, and profanity was heard around patients.
• There was not enough staff to tend to residents, leading to delays in care, feeding, and assistance.
• The air conditioning was out for over a month in 90+ degree temperatures, with reports of bugs and deplorable conditions.
• There were reports of theft of residents' belongings and poor security.
• Wound care was neglected, resulting in infections and sepsis in some residents.

Review

Jefferson County Home Ketona in Birmingham is best suited for families that can provide vigilant oversight and want a facility with a respectable rehab track, a pleasant, well-maintained setting, and a willingness to engage directly with staff and administration. This is a place where daily life can be comfortable if care is consistently monitored and residents have advocates ensuring meals, mobility, and therapy sessions stay on schedule. It works best for seniors who need some rehab services or longer-term care but whose families can be present regularly to ensure basic needs are met and to push for timely communication and problem resolution.

Those who may want to consider alternatives are primarily loved ones with advanced dementia, significant cognitive or daily-living needs, or anyone highly sensitive to understaffing and variable quality of care. Several accounts describe episodes of neglect, inconsistent nursing attention, and serious safety concerns, including delayed feeding, untreated wounds, and outbreaks of infection. If a care plan requires constant, high-level nursing supervision, or if family members cannot commit to frequent involvement and escalation, a different facility with stronger staffing, more robust family communication, and proven consistency should be pursued.

On the upside, the community can deliver positive day-to-day experiences when the right staff members are present. The building's aesthetics and cleanliness show through when housekeeping and maintenance are prioritized, and meals are reportedly well-timed and palatable. The rehab arena has recognizable strengths, with therapy staff and certain caregiving teams earning praise for professionalism and skill. In several reviews, independent administrators and some front-line team members are described as caring, capable, and genuinely committed to residents' well-being, providing a counterbalance to the more troubling episodes.

The most troubling threads, however, center on staffing and consistency. Repeated concerns about not having enough staff, uneven care quality, and inappropriate bedside conduct undermine trust and safety. Patients have endured delays in basic assistance, inconsistent hydration and nutrition practices, and reports of inadequate wound care leading to severe complications. Communication with families frequently falls short - essential updates and timely notifications about changes or incidents are not reliably provided. Maintenance lapses - dust in rooms, temperature issues, and pest concerns - further erode confidence in daily safety and comfort.

Ultimately, the key pros - an appealing environment, certain dependable therapy and nursing staff, and a capable rehab pathway - do not reliably offset the dominant cons unless a highly engaged family advocacy model is in place. Prospective buyers should plan for a regimen of frequent visits, explicit expectations around staffing ratios, robust oversight of medical and wound-care protocols, and a clear plan for rapid escalation when concerns arise. Without that level of hands-on involvement, risks feel too high relative to the potential day-to-day benefits.

For families exploring this community, the prudent path is to verify current staffing levels, request-to-review incident and wound-care histories, and insist on a transparent communication protocol with the administrator and treating clinicians before moving a loved one in. If the staffing picture or the responsiveness of leadership cannot be demonstrated as consistently strong, alternatives deserve serious consideration - facilities with demonstrated higher caregiver-to-resident ratios, stronger family communication cultures, and a track record of minimizing safety incidents. In-home options or other local facilities with stronger reputations for reliability may better protect peace of mind and long-term well-being, especially for residents with complex medical needs or those requiring steady, vigilant supervision.

This part of Birmingham, Alabama offers a convenient location with easy access to pharmacies, restaurants, transportation options, physicians' offices, cafes, places of worship, parks, and hospitals. With multiple pharmacies nearby such as Winn-Dixie and CVS Pharmacy and various dining options like Chick-Fil-A and Jack's within a short distance, residents have everything they need close by. The area also boasts several healthcare facilities including Baptist Health System and UAB Hospital for quality medical care. Additionally, there are numerous parks for outdoor recreation and places of worship for spiritual fulfillment. Overall, this neighborhood provides a well-rounded community ideal for senior living with its amenities and services readily available.

Pharmacies

• Winn-Dixie (1.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Health Mart Pharmacy (2.1 miles)
• Save Pharmacy 40 (4.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.5 miles)
• Walgreens (4.5 miles)
• Mills Discount Pharmacy (4.7 miles)

Restaurants

• Whataburger (1.8 miles)
• Jack's (1.8 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (2.2 miles)
• Burger King (4.3 miles)
• Subway (4.3 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (4.5 miles)
• McDonald's (4.9 miles)

Transportation

• Runway (3.3 miles)
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) (3.5 miles)
• Concourse C (3.7 miles)

Physicians

• Healthykids of Gardendale (3.7 miles)
• Day Eye Care (4.4 miles)
• Pediatrics East (5.3 miles)
• Painsouth (5.8 miles)
• Miles & Schmitt MD PC (6 miles)
• Baptist Health System (6.7 miles)
• Ginsburg Dermatology Center-Montclair (6.7 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (4.1 miles)
• Green Acres Cafe Centerpoint (5.6 miles)
• Starbucks (6.6 miles)
• The Red Cat (6.7 miles)
• Revelator Coffee Company (7.1 miles)
• The Essential (7.1 miles)
• Starbucks (7.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• East Lake United Methodist Church (4.3 miles)
• South Roebuck Baptist Church (4.9 miles)
• Hilldale Baptist Church (4.9 miles)
• Birmingham Alabama Temple (5.2 miles)
• Galilee Baptist Church (6.1 miles)
• McElwain Baptist Church (7 miles)
• Levite Jewish Community Center (7 miles)

Parks

• East Lake (4.4 miles)
• Avondale Park (6.3 miles)
• Pinson Bicentennial Park (6.9 miles)
• Beacon Park (7.2 miles)
• Rotary Trail (7.2 miles)
• Railroad Park (7.5 miles)

Hospitals

• Ascension St Vincent's East Endocrinology (6 miles)
• Saint Vincents East Saint Vincents Health System (6 miles)
• Ascension St Vincent’s Birmingham (7.3 miles)
• UAB Spain-Wallace Building (7.6 miles)
• UAB Hospital (7.6 miles)
• Women & Infants Center (7.6 miles)
• Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children (7.7 miles)