Lakeland Health Care Ctr

Pros

• The nurse Tish is so knowledgeable and friendly.
• All staff are very nice and have a passion for these residents.
• They were baking cookies and all the patients were having a great time.
• There is always a staff member around watching over everyone.
• So far everything has been excellent.
• The staff & nurses are five-star.
• Nursing staff is very supportive and caring.
• The staff is very attentive and helpful.

Cons

• There was no one at the front desk to answer the door, leaving visitors standing outside for ten minutes.
• This is unacceptable, as families were kept from seeing their loved ones without explanation or communication.
• Nurses are never around when you need them and the call bell is rarely answered in a timely fashion.
• They discharged a patient with no medication and there was no timely or thorough communication about the discharge.
• The nursing staff were alleged to pick and choose which residents to help, giving minimal treatment to those they disliked.
• The facility is not organized and patients are discharged without medications.
• They never answer the phone and it takes forever to reach loved ones.
• The equipment in physical therapy is old and outdated, and CNAs generally need more training.
• A patient received all medications for the day at once, which knocked them out, and there was pressure to take pain meds.
• The facility caused dangerous health issues, including dangerously low blood pressure and hospitalization, due to care issues.

Review

The experiences shared by families and visitors to Lakeland Nursing & Rehab paint a complex portrait of a place where care can feel both deeply compassionate and severely problematic, sometimes in the same week or even the same wing. On one hand, several reviewers speak with warmth about the people who work there and the moments that feel humane and attentive. On the other hand, a substantial number of accounts describe systemic gaps - gaps in communication, consistency, staffing, and oversight - that leave families anxious and, in some cases, alarmed about the level of medical and logistical coordination their loved ones receive. Taken together, these reviews reveal a facility that can be a haven in some units and a source of real distress in others.

There is notable praise for the memory care unit, where visitors consistently describe frontline staff as kind, knowledgeable, and engaged. One reviewer writes of "Love Love Love The staff in the memory care unit," noting recent positive changes and highlighting a nurse named Tish as especially knowledgeable and friendly. The accounts emphasize a palpable sense of caring: "All staff are very nice and have a passion for these residents," with moments like baking cookies together and the scent of home-cooked treats brightening the environment. In these narratives, there is always a staff member nearby, a reassuring presence during the day or evening, and a perception that the memory care team genuinely attends to the residents' emotional and social needs, not just their medical ones.

Yet these positive notes sit alongside repeated, serious criticisms that cut across multiple departments. Several reviewers recount experiences of doors left unmanned at the front desk, with delayed or failed attempts to gain entry despite assurances that someone would let visitors in. One visitor recalls standing outside for ten minutes with no follow-through, and others describe "never around when you need them" and call bells that go unanswered in a timely manner. For families, these accessibility and responsiveness issues are more than an inconvenience; they are fundamental to the sense that a loved one is safe, monitored, and in the loop about what is happening with their care and discharge planning.

Discharge and medication issues emerge as another highly troubling thread. Reviewers describe inappropriate or disorganized communication around medication changes, and several recount discharge experiences that feel rushed or inadequately coordinated with outside facilities. In one stark account, a patient was discharged to an assisted living facility without timely or thorough paperwork, with floor staff allegedly shocked by the release and questions about medications left unresolved. In another, a patient describes being given all medications at once in the morning after an amputation, which led to dangerous effects, including dangerously low blood sugar and confusion about pain management. These stories culminate in strong, unequivocal warnings to stay away, with one reviewer even calling the facility a place they would not wish on their worst enemy.

Other reviews focus on the day-to-day reality of staffing and care delivery. Several accounts allege that nurses and aides are overextended, with a perception that the nursing staff "pick and choose" which residents to help. Complaints about the pace and quality of help - especially when residents are in distress or when call bells are ignored - paint a picture of a unit where urgency and consistency can be inconsistent. By contrast, other visitors describe the staff as attentive, supportive, and capable, acknowledging the heavy workloads while still feeling that care is delivered with professionalism and kindness. This juxtaposition underscores a broader truth in the reviews: the experience often seems to depend on which shift a family encounters, which unit their loved one is in, and how well the staff turnover and management align on that day.

Beyond clinical care, several reviews touch on the physical condition of the facility and the reliability of amenities that affect daily life. Some comments note that the building feels aged or dated, with criticisms about outdated equipment in therapy and a general sense that the facility could benefit from more upkeep. Accessibility issues - such as a lack of reliable Wi-Fi, TV provisions requiring residents to supply their own, or weak cell service - also recur, shaping a daily experience that can feel frustrating for families trying to stay connected or keep their loved ones entertained and informed. Still, other reviewers insist the place is clean, well-kept in parts, and that the environment feels safe and orderly, with personal interactions lifting the overall impression despite these infrastructure concerns.

Interwoven with the critical notes are a number of heartfelt testimonials that emphasize gratitude and trust. Some families praise the staff for being "top notch," for maintaining cleanliness, and for being genuinely supportive in difficult situations. Others describe moments of genuine relief - visits that reassure them their loved one is in capable hands, or staff who go "out of their way to make my dad comfortable" and even secure a needed piece of equipment like an oxygen machine. For these reviewers, the human side of care - the kindness of individual nurses or CNAs, the comfort of living arrangements, and the peace of mind from regular positive interactions - creates a lasting, favorable impression that can coexist with criticisms about logistics or systemic issues.

In sum, Lakeland Nursing & Rehab emerges as a place of strong contrasts. The same facility cited for warmth and professional care in memory care is simultaneously criticized for disorganization, communication breakdowns, and safety concerns on other days or in other wings. The stories range from deeply reassuring - staff who listen, care for both body and spirit, and maintain a clean, hopeful environment - to cautionary, even harrowing, accounts of medication errors, discharge missteps, and front-line access problems that leave families frightened and frustrated. This broad spectrum suggests that improvements in front-desk procedure and call-bell responsiveness, medication reconciliation and discharge communication, and ongoing staff training and retention could transform a strong core of caring personnel into a consistently reliable experience for every resident and family member.

Restaurants

• Lucky's (0.1 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (0.2 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (0.2 miles)
• Chili's Grill & Bar (0.3 miles)
• Taco Bell (0.3 miles)
• Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill (0.4 miles)
• Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux - Lakeland Restaurant (0.4 miles)

Physicians

• Sears Hearing Aid Center by Miracle-Ear (0.2 miles)
• Optical Outlets (0.4 miles)
• Clark And Daughtrey Walk-in (0.9 miles)
• Fischer Schemmer & Silbiger (1.3 miles)
• Central Florida Eye Associates (1.3 miles)
• Bedi B S MD (1.7 miles)
• Florida Department of Health, Polk County Health Department, Lakeland Clinic (1.8 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (0.4 miles)
• Starbucks (0.5 miles)
• Starbucks (1.7 miles)
• Black & Brew Coffee House & Bistro (3.9 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark USA (0.4 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (0.5 miles)
• Epic Pharmacies (0.7 miles)
• Providence Pharmacy (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Walmart Pharmacy (1.6 miles)
• FamilyCare Discount Pharmacy (1.7 miles)

Hospitals

• Central Florida Surgi-Center (1.3 miles)
• Lakeland Regional Medical Center (1.6 miles)
• Endoscopy Unit (2.8 miles)
• Lakeland Regional Medical Center (2.9 miles)
• Radiology Department (2.9 miles)
• Lakeland Regional Heal (2.9 miles)
• Lakeland Regional Health (3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Christ Lutheran Church (2 miles)
• South Florida Baptist Association (6.4 miles)

Parks

• Lake Parker Park (2.1 miles)
• Hunt Fountain Park (2.8 miles)
• Adair PARK (3 miles)

Transportation

• Railroad Tracks (5.4 miles)