The Gallery At Port Orange

One of the hardest things to do in life, is place your elderly parent in a nursing home. Finding the right place isn't easy. When my father in law took ill suddenly and was hospitalized, we found ourselves wondering how we were going to best care for mom. It was difficult, as she has dementia. We spent hours researching and visiting places in our area. Her husband had been taking care of her. He was a saint. While we were figuring things out, we had a wonderful organization called Comfort Keepers, care for her when we were working. There are a lot of really nice senior living communities in the area. But only one went the extra mile for us, from the moment that we walked in the door. They could see that we were exhausted by what we were going through. At the time we were caring for mom, and doing our best to be at the hospital as much as possible. They sat down with us, gave us a meal and asked what they could do to help. They made themselves personally available to us as we walked through this difficult time. They took the time to get to know us. They listened to our needs and concerns and never put us under any pressure to choose them. Any time we would reach out with an update, as our plans were changing constantly, they would say, "How can we help?" The place is beautiful, it doesn't feel at all like an institution or hospital, and their memory care unit is not tucked away down a hall, like an afterthought. It is bright and open and they really engage the residents. Mom needed her hair washed and set, and they arranged it for us. She was delighted. She loved the restaurant there, the food is amazing. But beyond all of that, unlike the other places we visited, the people were vibrant and smiling. We talked to several of the residents, and they love it there. She has been there a little over a week now, and transition is hard. They gently walked us through it. Any needs or concerns were met with a quick and positive response. We pop in all the time, and we are greeted with smiles and kindness, and the staff is always doing a great job managing mom and her needs. We as a family are finally able to exhale, knowing that she is in good hands, when we can't be with her. Its a beautiful place, for sure. But even more beautiful, are the hearts of those who work there. We want to thank everyone there for their continual kindness to our family. God bless you all.

Our mother has been at The Gallery for 18 months now. She keeps busy with all the activities this establishment provides and is happy to. She plays their beautiful piano each week, to keep remembering how to play. The staff, nurses are great!

Where do I begin? My mother has taken a complete 180 degree turn from how she was, before she began a (new) life at the age of 90, at The Gallery! While everything is truly aesthetically pleasing, that barely scratches the surface of what LIVING (not just surviving) at The Gallery truly gives residents and visitors alike. They have a 24/7, VERY responsive Care Team (my mother is in the assisted living area), a beautiful and practical living space for her to make her home in, staff members everywhere with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts, incredible dining experiences, activities in-house as well as group outings, and so many other details that benefit a resident that I'd end up writing a book for this review. Everyone on the Administrative Staff is top notch (Sai Raj K.! Chris S.! Angela A.!) , five star folks (or 6 if you could give it), attentive and professional, always someone there for my mother and her family/friends. The Concierge Service has multiple members, and they are a spectacular team, lead by a long term employee who we, personally, feel is irreplaceable (Freda K.!), and I cannot be remiss in mentioning the amazing Carlene N.!. Maintenance, Housekeeping Services, Dining Servers and Chefs, the Activities Director (Taylor!)...so many people there that make it a wonderful and inviting living/thriving space. I have such a feeling of gratitude for, not only the service this facility provides, but the quality of the individuals that are employed there, because it is the Staff that truly makes it such an amazing place when you get to the bare bones of it. We recommend The Gallery with our whole heart! We looked at 3 other facilities, none even came close to this one. Thank you, The Gallery Team!