Roger Babson Retirement Home

Pros

• The food is great.
• There are great activities for residents.
• The physical therapy and occupational therapy are excellent.
• The facility is absolutely beautiful with great staff and employees.
• The staff are warm, welcoming, and professional in a homelike, beautiful setting.
• Residents have many opportunities to stay active and engaged.
• The memory care units are clean and home-like, with spacious bedrooms and private bathrooms, including handicap-access showers.
• Sonata is dedicated to customer service today, tomorrow, and generations to come.

Cons

• The mother-in-law is left in bed for at least an hour in the morning because an aide does not help her get up and dressed due to understaffing.
• There are times at night or in the morning when residents cannot get help to use the bathroom.
• Residents pay extra for the most assistance, but help is not consistently provided.
• The situation is frustrating and depressing for residents, causing emotional distress such as crying.
• Calls to the facility go unanswered; no one answers the phone.
• The reviewer questioned whether the facility was still operating during Covid, calling the situation awful and unacceptable.
• The director Hays is described as a terrible person, leading to a refusal to recommend the facility.

Review

A mosaic of impressions emerges from notes about Sonata Boca Raton Assisted Living Facility, with residents and families painting a picture that is at once bright and troubling. Across multiple reviews there is a common thread of admiration for the facility's beauty and for the warmth and dedication of many staff members, even as some families struggle with gaps in care and communication. The facility is described as a place of sunshine and comfort, where residents often find themselves in a homelike, inviting environment that makes them feel valued and engaged.

On the bright side, many reviewers highlight the quality of daily life within the community. The food earns frequent praise, with several residents and family members calling it "great." The range of activities is lauded as well, offering meaningful opportunities to stay active and connected. Physical therapy and occupational therapy are singled out as strengths, with families noting noticeable, positive impacts on their loved ones' well-being. The staff is described as compassionate, caring, and professional, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere that many families want for their relatives. In memory care specifically, there are compliments about the design and layout - rooms and common spaces that resemble a private home, with shared living, dining, and kitchen areas that feel upscale. The bedrooms in memory care are often described as larger than in other facilities, with full handicap-accessible bathrooms in each room, which many reviewers see as a meaningful safety and comfort feature.

Several reviews go beyond generic praise to celebrate personal transformations. One family member recounts a remarkable change in their mother's disposition after moving to Sonata, describing her as happier and less stressed, which in turn frees up the family to regain their own lives. Other testimonials speak to the positive atmosphere created by the staff and the sense of security and belonging that residents experience. A few reviewers even note a lasting impression of the community's values, with statements about Sonata aiming to be a forward-thinking provider, committed to excellent service and to supporting residents and families through present and future generations. Taken together, these accounts convey confidence that, for many, Sonata Boca Raton is a place where residents can thrive emotionally and socially, thanks to caring personnel and a conducive living environment.

Yet there is a less rosy contour to the picture that cannot be ignored. For some families, staffing gaps create real and painful consequences. It is reported that once or twice a month, a resident - the mother-in-law of one reviewer - ends up stuck in bed for an hour in the morning because an aide has not assisted with getting up and dressed due to being understaffed. There are also instances at night or in the morning when help is not available for basic needs such as using the bathroom. These situations are described as frustrating and depressing for the resident and emotionally draining for relatives, including moments when the resident cries. The conflict between the facility's strengths and these recurring care delays highlights a tension that many families face when balancing quality programming with the realities of staffing levels.

Compounding the frustration, another reviewer voices a stark communication complaint: attempts to contact the facility by phone are futile, with "no one [answering] EVER." The writer's anxiety about being unable to reach the community leads to a feeling of abandonment and a plan to escalate the issue to corporate. The comment about Covid-era uncertainties - "With Covid I'm not sure if they are still alive" - accentuates a concern for ongoing reliability and transparency. These remarks are especially jarring against the backdrop of the overall positive sentiment, illustrating how critical timely communication and dependable staffing are to family trust.

Despite these concerns, there is a persistent thread of admiration for the team's character and for the facility's mission. One reviewer notes that in recent weeks they have come to know the staff and are impressed by how they operate - describing them as "great people." Another writes that Sonata is striving to be tomorrow's senior living provider today, with the right people, the right product, and an unwavering commitment to customer service - the promise that Sonata is "At Your Service today, tomorrow, and generations to come." In general, supporters emphasize the compassionate, professional approach of the staff and the homelike atmosphere across communities, often concluding with a strong recommendation based on their experiences.

Within this mosaic, there is also a sharply critical note about leadership. One reviewer singles out the director, stating plainly that "the director hays is a terrible person" and that they would not recommend Sonata to any friends or family because of her. That line stands apart from the more broadly positive assessments of the facility's care, suggesting that concerns about leadership quality can color the overall perception of the community for some families. It serves as a reminder that the experience at Sonata Boca Raton is not monolithic and that perceptions of management can significantly influence a family's comfort level and trust in the decision to place a loved one there.

Overall, the body of reviews presents a facility that shines in several core areas - beautiful surroundings, robust activities, strong physical and occupational therapy, and a genuinely caring staff - while also revealing persistent issues around staffing adequacy, timely assistance for daily needs, and communications with families. For families weighing Sonata Boca Raton, the message is nuanced: it can be a place of warmth and quality care, where residents thrive and feel valued, but it is also a setting where logistical challenges can create distress and disappointment. The best path forward is likely a careful, site-specific assessment that weighs the visible strengths against the realities of day-to-day care, with explicit conversations about staffing levels, response times, and channels for timely communication.

This part of Orlando, Florida offers a convenient and bustling urban environment with a variety of amenities nearby. With several pharmacies, restaurants, cafes, and hospitals within close proximity, residents have easy access to essential services and healthcare facilities. Additionally, there are plenty of parks for leisurely walks and outdoor activities. The presence of multiple physicians' offices and medical centers ensures that seniors have access to quality healthcare options in the area. Overall, this neighborhood provides a well-rounded living environment with everything seniors may need for a comfortable and convenient lifestyle.

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.7 miles)
• Winn-Dixie (3.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.7 miles)

Transportation

• Lynx Central Station (4.3 miles)

Restaurants

• Gringos Locos (4.6 miles)
• Florida Hospital Welch Cafeteria (4.8 miles)
• The Thirsty Topher (4.8 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (5.2 miles)
• McDonald's (5.3 miles)
• Hillstone Restaurant (5.5 miles)
• Sixty Vines (5.5 miles)

Parks

• Lake Eola Park (4.7 miles)
• Blue Jacket Park (6.6 miles)

Physicians

• Florida Hospital Medical Plaza (4.7 miles)
• Orlando Health - Cancer Institute (4.8 miles)
• Colon & Rectal Clinic of Orlando (5 miles)
• Orlando Health Heart Institute (5.2 miles)
• Orlando Immunology Center (5.2 miles)
• RDV Sportsplex Pediatrics (5.6 miles)
• Pediatric Associates Of Orlando (6.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Florida Hospital Womens Center (4.8 miles)
• Florida Hospital Ginsburg Tower (4.8 miles)
• Florida Hospital- South Campus (4.9 miles)
• Florida Hospital (4.9 miles)
• FH Engineering Services (4.9 miles)
• Health Central Hospital ER (4.9 miles)
• Orlando Health Medical Pavilon (5 miles)

Cafes

• Lineage Coffee Roasting (5.1 miles)
• Starbucks (5.2 miles)
• The Glass Knife (5.5 miles)
• Starbucks (6 miles)
• Starbucks (6.2 miles)
• Backlot Bistro (6.3 miles)
• Voodoo Doughnut (6.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Oak Level Baptist Church (5.7 miles)
• Orlando Filipino Seventh-Day Adventist Church (6.2 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Winter Park Village & RPX (5.8 miles)