Kadima Rehabilitation & Nursing At Luzerne in Drums, PA

Pros

• Kadima treats residents with respect and dignity.
• The staff are amazing, very professional, and genuinely care for their patients.
• Kadima's team goes above and beyond to ensure residents feel at home.
• The environment is cozy and friendly, with devoted and caring staff.
• Interactions with residents are joyful and pleasant, improving daily life.
• Alicia, Kadima's social worker, goes above and beyond with empathy and care.
• The administration and coworkers are amazing, contributing to a positive atmosphere.

Cons

• The facility was filthy and outdated, with crooked beds and curtains that wouldn't open.
• The bathroom was filthy, paint was peeling, and the TV wasn't hooked up for days.
• The nursing staff seemed miserable and uninterested in helping; aides frowned when assisting with basic tasks.
• The reviewer called it the worst nursing home ever seen and said it should be shut down.
• There were no snacks for diabetics and no special menus for cardiac or diabetes residents.
• Management turnover was constant (four DONs in six months), signaling serious red flags.
• The place was consistently dirty despite attempts to clean.
• Residents were kept bed-bound and not encouraged to participate in activities.
• Visiting spaces were tiny, with bars on windows and limited amenities like a single TV.
• Staff treated residents as numbers, focusing on Medicare/Medicaid metrics rather than care.
• There was a reported lack of humanity and empathy; care often reduced to giving pills.
• The reviewer would not recommend the facility to anyone.

Review

Kadima Rehabilitation & Nursing at Luzerne in Drums, PA is best suited for families seeking a rehab-forward stay where physical and occupational therapy are the central goal and where frontline staff are trusted to deliver compassionate, day-to-day care. The strongest argument in its favor is the rehab outcome: several residents have walked again or regained function with the help of skilled therapists, and visitors consistently note that the staff feels like a caring extension of family. When mobility and daily functioning are the priority, Kadima’s therapy team and the caregiving personnel can make a tangible difference, creating a practical path back to independence for many residents.

There are clear reasons to consider alternatives, however. The reviews converge on warnings about cleanliness, maintenance, and a sense that upper management can be unstable. Stories of outdated facilities, dirty rooms, and nonfunctional amenities punctuate the more positive anecdotes, and concerns about inconsistent leadership, turnover among directors of nursing and shifting priorities at the top, raise red flags for families seeking steady governance and accountability. Nutrition and activity programming also appear uneven, with some residents lacking tailored menus for diabetes or cardiac needs and activities that don’t consistently engage all levels of ability.

The strongest positives hinge on the people delivering care. Therapists and nursing staff who treat residents with dignity and respect are repeatedly highlighted, with particular emphasis on how staff treat families as partners and how a warm, collaborative approach helps residents feel seen and supported. A standout social worker and the general atmosphere described by long-tenured team members reinforce a sense of continuity and commitment that can ease the stress of transition. When a resident’s progress depends on daily encouragement, consistent staff engagement, and a sense of being valued, Kadima’s favorable human dynamic becomes a meaningful offset to operational rough edges.

Yet the cons cannot be ignored. The facility’s environmental and administrative shortcomings can erode peace of mind for families, especially when questions go unanswered or essential amenities fail to function. Inconsistent housekeeping, limited access to privacy, and rooms that feel cramped or dated may undermine comfort for residents and visiting family alike. The perception that management is more focused on Medicare/Medicaid metrics than on individual resident well-being was echoed by multiple reviewers, and this tension between numbers and nurturing care can complicate decision-making for families weighing long-term quality of life versus episodic rehabilitation gains.

For families evaluating Kadima, it pays to verify the latest conditions on the ground before committing. A visit to observe a therapy session, talk with the current DON or charge nurse, and speak with the social worker about individualized care plans for diabetes, cardiac needs, and therapy goals will reveal whether the current culture aligns with expectations. Ask about consistency in staff assignments, the availability of private rooms, and the facility’s approach to nutrition and meaningful activities. Inquire about the turnover trajectory at leadership levels and what steps are in place to ensure timely communication with families, especially around changes in care plans or discharge timing.

In the end, Kadima can be a strong, practical choice for families prioritizing rehabilitation outcomes and genuine staff warmth. When mobility improvement and daily encouragement from a consistent care team are the deciding factors, this community can deliver meaningful gains and a home-like atmosphere that makes recovery more tolerable. However, for those whose bottom-line concerns center on pristine cleanliness, unwavering administrative stability, fully tailored nutrition programs, and a richly varied activity calendar, it may be wise to explore other options. The decision hinges on balancing the clear therapeutic potential and heartening staff interactions against the more persistent environmental and governance concerns.

Restaurants

• Wendy's (0.4 miles)
• Beech Mountain Lakes Association (2 miles)
• The Meating House (2.1 miles)
• Garden Chen (3.9 miles)
• Burger King (4.8 miles)
• Breakfast World Family Restaurant (4.9 miles)
• Subway (5 miles)

Pharmacies

• Private Rx (0.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.9 miles)
• Rite Aid (5.4 miles)
• Johnson's Pharmacy (6 miles)
• Johnson's Pharmacy (6.2 miles)
• Hazle Drugs (6.7 miles)
• Hazle Compounding (6.7 miles)

Physicians

• Kathleen S Veglia (4.7 miles)
• Coordinated Health (5.2 miles)
• Ent Surgical Associates (5.2 miles)
• Internal Medicine Associates of Hazleton (5.2 miles)
• Eye Care Specialists (5.3 miles)
• Shaina A. Grego, PA-C (5.3 miles)
• Dr Barna Professional Building (5.3 miles)

Hospitals

• Occupational Health (5.3 miles)
• Hazleton General Hospital (6 miles)
• Center City Medical Group (6.6 miles)
• Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Corporation (6.9 miles)
• Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hazleton (7 miles)
• Hazleton General Hospital (7 miles)
• Geisinger Health System (8.6 miles)

Transportation

• East Coast Institute Taxidermy (5.4 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (5.7 miles)
• Cusat's Cafe (5.9 miles)
• Starbucks (6.1 miles)
• The Poppy Press Coffee Company (6.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Transfiguration Church (6.6 miles)
• Holy Rosary Church (7.2 miles)
• Jehovah's Witnesses (7.9 miles)
• SS Peter & Paul's Byzantine Catholic Church (8.5 miles)
• Shepherding the Heart Ministries (8.5 miles)
• Saint John's UCC (9.2 miles)
• Mount Zion Church (10.5 miles)

Parks

• Alfred Mitcho Memorial Park (8.6 miles)
• PPL Susquehanna Riverlands (10 miles)
• Eurana Park (10.3 miles)