First, let me say that I would not be writing this review if I wasn't so disappointed with the care my Sister has been receiving (Or not receiving). She was admitted due to the close proximity to the radiation facility for which she is scheduled each day. We were told that this facility would take care of insuring that she made each appointment. Well, they have yet to get her to any of her appointments and the only reason my Sister has made it to any of them is because of me and my wife. There is also a concern with administering her medications. She needs to receive her medications at least three times per day. She was only getting them once each day so steps were taken to solve this problem. When I last inquired about it, nobody knew if or when she had received any medications. Please read the reviews about this facility and please find a different location to help take care of your loved ones.

I complained via email to whom I thought was the Executive Director that the facility seemed terribly understaffed because every time I called the facility to get an update on my mother's condition, rarely would the telephone be answered and if it was I could be on hold for quite sometime before reaching the nurse's station or getting any information. This former Executive Director quickly replied putting other members of the staff on copy as he was no longer located at this Center. The Nursing Supervisor answered and this is a direct quote: This daughter is not the power of attorney. Her brother is and they are estranged. I have spoken with the daughter prior to her mothers admission and she does have my cell phone number. Here I clearly received the message if you don't have power of attorney you are not worth listening to. Money talks. How they ever got a decent rating by US News & World Report I will never know.

La Jolla nursing and rehab is rated five stars on the Medicare compare website. They are also on the U.S. News and World report list of best nursing facilities in the country for the last two years. On my last two visits I eat in the dining room. The dining experience is vastly superior to other nursing centers I have visited. They have a cook on the dining room making custom omelets. Whatever issues they may have had in the past seem to have been fixed.

The facility itself is nice at first glance, in fact it is much better than where my grandfather previously stayed at in Paradise Hills. I think the only aspect that made me give the facility a two star is the staff or lack there of. I've witnessed many patients not being attended to even after an hour of calling for help. All the nurses were on break at the same time which was very disappointing. Luckily my family was there when my grandfather needed assistance. Another disappointment is the fact that when we ask the staff a question like, where are the restrooms? They have no clue where it is. In addition, as a visitor my family and I tend to stay rather long hours to accompany my grandfather, so it is rather disappointing that this facility does not have a cafeteria where visitors can eat or at least purchase a snack. The vending machines they did have did not even function.

My review is based on several volunteer visits from college. While La Jolla Nursing and Rehab seems to be a great center with so many services provided and a great location in a ritzy neighborhood near the beach, I found that the seniors and patients staying here seemed to be unhappy. First of all, the food here was horrible and almost every single time I sat down to eat with a patient, the patient would practically spit out the food and complain about how horrible it was. I understand dietary restrictions but there are ways to not salt a dish without it looking like slop and tasting like slop. There were a few staff members I worked with who were great, super sweet and very attentive to their patients. Yet at the same time, the rest of the nurses were on the extreme in which they would just throw down food in front of the patient, get impatient, and were just incredibly rude. Often times, I saw them chatting with other nurses and not really interacting with a patient. Many seniors require social interaction and most of them are just sitting there and being ignored. The college students I volunteered with were pretty shocked with this type of treatment. One time a nurse said to me, "I can't deal with her - you feed her" and walked off. The facilities themselves need to be updated. The main recreation room is very dark and the "activities" provided such as board games and the piano are all outdated. There is a nice outdoor area where most of the patients get wheelchaired around but that's it. My visit was a few years ago so I hope things have changed but based on another review I read, it doesn't seem like much has which is disappointing. Would I send a loved one here? Definitely not.