GIANNA HOMES SURSUM CORDA

My family’s experience at Ginna Homes has been wonderful (as of this review, mom is still there and loving it). Prior to my mom moving into Ginna Homes, we did extensive research on locations, which was further aided by a law firm that specializes in elder care. We originally decided on a different location due to its proximity to us; however, after spending 2 years there and 6 months and counting at Gianna Homes, I can truly say we made the right decision to move my mom. It is such a unique experience to have a house that has been converted into a memory care facility. The homey feel makes the transition from current home to new home feel comfortable, not sterile like it is when you move into a facility. The layout makes it very easy for the caregivers to attend to all residents. On the caregiver front, the energy they have and the compassion they show while working with your family member is so refreshing. You feel like they actually know you and your family member. The experience feels very personalized. It may sound trivial, but just recently my mom’s condition changed and she needed new shoes. Gianna Homes worked with me, including providing links and recommendations for good options. The weekly updates further their connection with you. It’s not a form letter or stock communication. It is unique to that week and your family member. They even include pictures if any were taken that week. In addition to the weekly communication, they are very good at keeping you informed of care needs, care changes, and any coordination that needs to happen with outside vendors/companies. It definitely eases the burden of caring for your loved one. The meals are real food cooked in a real kitchen (in the house) and trust me, having seen food at some other places, this is a big deal. At mealtime, it feels like a family sitting down together. It’s very refreshing after having seen what mealtime can look like at other places. From an activity standpoint, there are things happening all day long to engage the residents – music, exercise, bingo, puzzles and more. The number of staff members relative to residents is great which means that your family member gets lots of interaction. Having toured many other places where residents seemed to be off on their own, this engagement seems to keep everyone much happier. At the end of the day, we were looking for a partner, an extension of our family who would care for our mom the same way we would if she was at home and we had the ability to do so. We found that with Gianna Homes. I can tell you that after many restless nights prior to Gianna Homes, we are sleeping much more soundly now. They make this as easy as it can be, given your family member’s condition. I feel like they know my family, they know my mom, and they care for her like she is their family.

Any move to memory care is difficult. Difficult is an understatement. We toured several facilities in the area we are so grateful that we found Gianna Homes. They did a fantastic job with the transition and continue to provide amazing service. Their communication has been consistent and direct. The most value has come from the amazing staff and the community feel they have created. Residents spend their day mostly in the common area and the staff are always engaging with them. They are all patient and kind. I give the team and facility my highest recommendation.

Although I have not had a family member reside at Gianna Homes, I have been connected to their organization in a professional capacity for many years. What consistently stands out is their deep commitment to creating truly homelike environments and delivering person-centered care that honors the dignity and individuality of each resident. Their team is highly skilled in dementia care and applies best practices with both compassion and consistency. It’s the attention to the small details that makes a big difference—whether it's tailoring daily routines to each resident’s preferences or fostering meaningful connections with families and staff. Gianna Homes not only excels in caring for their residents, but they also prioritize the well-being and growth of their team. It’s clear that pride, purpose, and heart are woven into every aspect of what they do. Heidi LaMeyer

The main “Gianna Homes” business profile on google cannot be found. It had 3 year old reviews and negative reviews posted recently that cannot be located. This happened shortly after negative reviews were posted. My dad lived at Gianna for only 28 days: from the first day when he walked in on his own 2 feet (able to ambulate, eat, and interact) to the day he passed away. We moved to Gianna because we were promised low staff to resident ratio, more individualized care, a “medication last” approach, experienced staff and a warm environment that treated residents like family. While the ratio was as promised, I felt the care, staff competency and medication approaches were not. We had multiple instances of their staff not following hospice medication orders. We witnessed staff administer anxiety medication labeled for as-needed use when my dad was already so sedated that he was unresponsive. I was able to intervene while present, but who knows how much extra, unneeded medication was given when I wasn’t. It was also administered incorrectly. Instead of administering sublingually (as stated on the medical order), they were dissolving the meds and shooting them down his throat with a syringe. This is incorrect and can be very dangerous especially if the person cannot swallow as medication can be forced into the lungs. I believe this was occurring as my dad would often cough after being given medicine this way. There was an instance where the doctor ordered a stop to a medication, yet staff continued to administer it for four days! For four days my dad was given discontinued medication IN ADDITION to the medication that replaced it. The head RN at Gianna locked the medication in a cabinet in her office to prevent staff from continuing to administer it. Apparently, she was not confident enough in her staff to be able to verbally tell them not to give this medication. When my dad was bedridden at end-of-life stages and NEEDED this medication, it couldn’t be accessed. This caused a 2.5-hour delay while we waited for the medication to arrive. If that wasn’t bad enough, once the medicine arrived, staff administered the medicine incorrectly. My dad began vomiting and choking after a few doses. We immediately alerted staff. There was no urgency by them to help which is VERY alarming in this type of situation. I would hate to see what would have happened if he was alone during this episode. After alerting the hospice nurse of what occurred, she had to call Gianna’s staff to educate them on how to give medication sublingually as written in the medication orders. After the medication was given correctly, relief was seen almost immediately. I believe that none of the prior doses were effective due to incorrect administration. All this to say there was so much prolonged and unnecessary suffering that took place because of mistakes that should never have happened at a facility of this caliber. Sublingual medication at end-of-life stages is extremely common. It was shocking to me that their “experienced” staff were not familiar with how to give medication this way. These events support my experience of lack of competence and compassion within the staff and lack of proper RN oversight/direction. Medication mistakes are unacceptable and can be life threatening. This was far from the end-of-life experience I wanted for my dad and family. It certainly was not the experience I expected given what was advertised to me and the price that came along with it. While I should have been focused on enjoying what little time I had left with my dad, I felt forced to monitor staff to ensure they were performing care properly, giving the right medications, and administering medications correctly. I feel robbed of this time. The only silver lining is that my dad and family didn’t have to suffer through the poor care and experience of this facility for long. Although our stay was brief, the damage caused by this facility was large. If you care for your loved one and the end-of-life experience you have with them, I recommend you steer clear of this facility.

As a nurse care manager, I have had several clients live at Gianna Homes and have had exceptional experiences.