Oaks Residential & Rehab in Gainesville, FL

Pros

• Park Meadows is described as a nice facility with friendly and helpful staff.
• The rehab and physical therapy teams are superb and highly dedicated.
• The staff are friendly, courteous, and promptly attentive to residents.
• The Activity Director is engaging and the residents are well cared for.
• Park Meadows has a family-like atmosphere and a welcoming environment.
• The administration is praised as great and supportive of residents and families.
• The new administration team is seen as a much-needed improvement.
• The therapy team is amazing and helps residents regain mobility.
• The care and concern shown for loved ones is repeatedly praised.
• Park Meadows is noted for cleanliness and a positive, welcoming environment.
• Open communication and collaboration with management are frequently highlighted.
• Overall, Park Meadows is regarded as a great place with wonderful staff and residents.

Cons

• One reviewer says Park Meadows is one of the worst places to leave a loved one, citing extreme neglect and a patient left sitting in feces all night.
• The facility is described as dirty and infested with roaches, with poor housekeeping and residents not being cleaned.
• Call lights are often ignored and residents go long times without assistance or feeding.
• Staff are described as rude, unprofessional, frequently on their phones, and lacking compassion.
• Understaffing is blamed for delays in care, missed medications, and a lack of communication with families.
• The food is described as terrible and meals served cold or inedible.
• Administration and leadership are criticized for poor oversight, frequent turnover, and unresponsiveness.
• Some reviewers would not recommend Park Meadows and warn others to avoid placing loved ones there.

Review

This Gainesville community is best suited for seniors who need aggressive rehabilitation and appreciate a warm, family-like atmosphere, even when care routines may be uneven day to day. The compiled feedback from Park Meadows in the same market demonstrates that a strong physical therapy program can deliver meaningful mobility gains and a sense of companionship for residents who want to regain function. When therapy teams are engaged and the environment feels like a close-knit community, residents often describe real progress and meaningful connections with staff and other residents. That combination - hands-on rehab plus a supportive, homey vibe - defines where Oaks Residential & Rehab can excel.

However, those considering Oaks should explicitly weigh the realities that consistently emerge in the reviews: staffing instability, variable nursing attention, and occasional lapses in basic daily care. Families frequently report long call-light response times, inconsistent medication administration, and instances of housekeeping and sanitation concerns. The combination of an aging facility and episodic administrative responsiveness can translate into daily frustrations for residents and their families, especially when a loved one requires steady oversight or has mobility and safety risks. In short, the care experience can swing sharply from commendable therapy moments to troubling gaps in routine nursing and upkeep.

The strongest upside rests with the therapy and the people who deliver it. Across multiple accounts, the physical therapy team is highlighted as competent, motivated, and capable of helping residents regain or improve independence. Names like Mike, Patrick, Shalaka, and Von surface repeatedly as clinicians who push patients toward real gains. The therapy staff's energy and expertise can produce tangible improvements - standing, walking with assistive devices, or achieving more independence in daily tasks - making Oaks a compelling option for rehab-focused stays. When this level of clinical engagement is sustained, it often frames the resident experience as hopeful and progress-oriented, even if other facets of care are imperfect.

Yet the cons are not trivial, and they cannot be discounted. Reports of pest activity, odors, outdated facilities, and inconsistent housekeeping are not isolated, and several reviews describe rooms that feel neglected or rundown. Critically, a pattern of delayed or missed call-bell responses, gaps in daily hygiene, and occasional medication or supply shortfalls paint a picture of a facility operating under stress. For families with loved ones who are frail, cognitively impaired, or in need of constant monitoring, these inconsistencies pose real safety and quality-of-life concerns. The best case for Oaks hinges on ensuring that the rehab wins are supported by reliable nursing care and a consistently clean, well-maintained environment.

From a practical decision-making perspective, it is essential to verify several on-the-ground realities before choosing Oaks. Prospective residents should request a current staffing snapshot, including nurse-to-resident and aide-to-resident ratios, and ask to speak with the director of nursing and the activities/therapy supervisors. A live tour is crucial, with attention to hygiene, room cleanliness, and the responsiveness of call systems. Observe therapy sessions, meet the lead therapists, and gauge whether the pace and intensity of rehabilitation align with the resident's goals. Inquire about cleaning schedules, pest-control protocols, and meal service quality, as food and nutrition quality can heavily influence daily satisfaction. Finally, examine the intake and discharge planning processes, and seek evidence of clear communication channels with family members.

Financial and regulatory considerations merit careful scrutiny as well. Several reviewers note administrative friction around insurance and billing, including instances where supplemental coverage was altered or mismanaged, and there are warnings about inconsistent follow-through on family inquiries. The overall impression suggests the need for transparent, proactive management and tightly written care plans. Before committing, families should obtain a detailed cost breakdown, confirm what is covered by insurance, request recent state survey results, and identify a single point of contact for ongoing questions. This diligence helps isolate whether Oaks can deliver consistent care within the expected financial framework.

In the end, Oaks Residential & Rehab can be a solid choice for residents who prize effective rehab and a welcoming, close-knit atmosphere, provided the facility can demonstrate sustained improvements in staffing stability, daily care reliability, and environmental cleanliness. For those whose top priorities are uninterrupted nursing oversight, pristine conditions, and consistently prompt communication, alternatives may offer greater peace of mind. The verdict hinges on a careful, site-specific assessment: visit, ask hard questions about staffing and safety, observe the rehab program in action, and compare with other Gainesville options. A well-initialized plan, clear expectations, and ongoing family involvement will determine whether Oaks becomes a bridge to greater independence or a mismatch for long-term care needs.

Restaurants

• Swamp Head Brewery (0.4 miles)
• Five Guys Burgers & Fries (0.6 miles)
• Blaze Pizza (0.6 miles)
• Wendy's (0.6 miles)
• BurgerFi (0.7 miles)
• Carrabba's Italian Grill (0.7 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (0.7 miles)

Cafes

• Peach Valley Cafe (0.6 miles)
• Panera Bread (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (0.6 miles)
• Metro Diner (1.1 miles)
• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Opus Cafe (2.3 miles)
• Concord Coffee (3.1 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.8 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (2.9 miles)
• Epic Pharmacies (3.2 miles)
• Walgreens (3.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Shands Florida Surgical Center (0.8 miles)
• Select Specialty Hospital (1.1 miles)
• Shands Hospital (1.5 miles)
• Malcom Randall Va Medical Center (2.1 miles)
• Shands Hospital (2.3 miles)
• OR Radiology Shands South Tower (2.3 miles)
• Shands PICU (2.3 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Butler Town Center (0.9 miles)
• Regal Celebration Pointe & RPX (1.6 miles)

Physicians

• MyEyeDr (0.9 miles)
• Eyeglass Express (0.9 miles)
• UF Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute (1.5 miles)
• Shands Rehab Center (1.5 miles)
• Bryan R Prine MD (1.6 miles)
• Uf Health Pediatrics After Hours (2.2 miles)
• VA dermatology clinic (2.5 miles)

Parks

• Albert “Ray” Massey Park (3.1 miles)
• Depot Park (3.5 miles)

Transportation

• Rosa Parks Downtown Station (3.5 miles)