Liberty Commons-Jacksonville

Pros

• The staff at Kempton are caring, patient, and professional.
• Kempton is a safe, clean, warm environment with lots of love.
• The staff treat residents like family and provide attentive, dignified care.
• Traci is described as a blessing to families needing help for their loved ones.
• Silvana Henderson is a joy to residents and families, coordinating engaging activities.
• The facility offers many activities and welcomes volunteers to ensure normalcy for residents.
• The nursing and CNA staff provide excellent, compassionate care with dignity and respect.
• Updates about residents' health are communicated in a respectful and sympathetic manner.
• Gentiva and Kempton work together seamlessly to care for loved ones.
• Many reviewers say their loved ones feel loved, safe, and well cared for at Kempton.

Cons

• They refused to allow her entrance on the day of admittance, even though her room had already been prepared.
• One of the head nurses, Diana, told the family that she had cancer and a tumor blocking an organ, which was untrue.
• The reviewers described the overall treatment as truly horrific.

Review

Kempton of Jacksonville has earned a wide chorus of praise from families who have entrusted their loved ones to its care, especially in the memory care unit. Across several heartwarming stories, the facility is described as a place where compassion, dignity, and a genuine love for aging adults are not just aspirations but everyday realities. Families repeatedly emphasize that the staff's dedication goes beyond routine tasks; it extends into creating a safe, clean, and warm home-like environment that feels more like a family than a facility. The overall impression is that Kempton residents are treated with extraordinary kindness, patience, and professionalism, even during the most difficult moments of aging and illness.

A central thread in the testimonials is the staff's willingness to go the extra mile. The reviewers repeatedly note how the team shows ongoing care and attentiveness, particularly in memory care where residents may have dementia or Alzheimer's. Names like Heather and Lay stand out as especially caring figures who spent meaningful time with their loved ones, offering assurance through regular updates and careful, compassionate monitoring. Families describe feeling heard and respected as partners in care, with staff consistently communicating about changes in condition and needs. The atmosphere is described as safe, clean, and inviting - a place where residents are watched over with thoughtfulness and treated with the dignity afforded to family members.

In many accounts, Kempton feels less like a clinical setting and more like a community or home away from home. The memory care unit is praised for making life feel ordinary and enjoyable, with a robust slate of activities and a steady stream of volunteers who help ensure residents experience normalcy despite their changing circumstances. Silvana Henderson, the activity director, is highlighted repeatedly for her warmth, creativity, and the energy she brings to organizing events and get-togethers that foster social connections among residents and their families. Families describe Silvana as a joyful, professional presence who genuinely cares for the residents and helps them look forward to each day. The facility's front desk staff, including Krystal, are also noted for their kindness and helpfulness, contributing to a welcoming, well-organized environment.

The role of activity programming and community engagement is further illustrated by stories of volunteers and partnerships that enrich residents' lives. One reviewer who volunteered through school hours stayed on because she found Silvana's leadership and the resident-centered approach so compelling. She observed that activities were thoughtfully designed to engage residents and to promote a sense of normalcy and belonging. The partnership with Visiting Angels home care is mentioned with pride, illustrating a collaborative approach to care that extends Kempton's reach and strengthens the support network around each resident. The consistent emphasis on clean facilities, attentive CNAs, and staff who treat residents with respect and warmth underscores a culture where every detail is oriented toward comfort and well-being.

Several reviewers share particularly emotional gratitude for Kempton's impact on individual families. One longtime observer, Phil Tideman, recounts his mother Sonja's admission in January to Kempton of Jacksonville, her battle with stage 4 heart failure, and her remarkable six-month journey there. He describes her progress as a living miracle, noting that she regained mobility and improved heart function to about 50 percent, walking daily at 94 years old. Phil attributes much of this healing to the care team, from Traci at the top down through Julie, Kristin, April, Tammy, and Sarah, all of whom became like an extended family in the eyes of his mother and their relatives. He emphasizes that the staff's kindness and competence provided his family with peace of mind, especially given his distance from home. For him, the people at Kempton are not just employees but cherished partners in a challenging and deeply personal journey.

Other families echo these sentiments with similar warmth. The Kempton staff are repeatedly described as compassionate and patient caretakers who maintain ongoing communication about health and daily routines in a respectful, empathetic manner. Reviewers speak of a sense of love and safety, noting how staff members - nurses, aides, and therapists alike - treat residents as if they were their own family. The tone across these accounts is one of gratitude and reverence for the work done in memory care, with many residents described as feeling loved, secure, and valued each day. The kindness of the team is depicted as unwavering, a steady beacon for families navigating difficult health challenges.

It is important to acknowledge that one review presents a markedly different experience. A family recounts a troubling incident in which Kempton allegedly refused entrance to a patient arriving by ambulance, despite prior arrangements and room preparations. The report also describes a distressing communication from a head nurse, stating that the patient had cancer and a tumor blocking an organ - claims that the family says were untrue and later denied by hospital staff. The reviewer characterizes the incident as horrific and urges others to seek care elsewhere. This account stands in sharp contrast to the overwhelmingly positive feedback and serves as a reminder that even well-regarded facilities can encounter moments of severe misalignment between expectations and procedures. It emphasizes the importance of clear, compassionate communication and patient-centered decision-making at every step of the admission process.

In a final note of reflection, several families close with gratitude for the overall leadership and teamwork at Kempton. Statements highlight the sense that the facility, by design, centers on family, faith, and the thoughtful, respectful care of aging parents and loved ones. The repeated expressions of appreciation for the memory care team - Heather, Lay, Traci, Julie, Silvana, and many others - paint a picture of a place where residents are cherished, activities are meaningful, and caregivers bring heart and professionalism to their work every day. For most families, Kempton is more than a care provider; it is a community where residents live with dignity, where families can find reassurance, and where staff members embody the belief that the people they care for are truly part of the Kempton family.