Avalon House on Gerard Court

I'm coming back to review Avalon House after my father completed his third year here. He has dementia and had started to wander in his previous assisted living that didn't have a secure unit. Avalon's setup was perfect as it felt like a home, it still had common space for him to walk through, but they monitored the door so he couldn't leave without being noticed. The staff is the best in the business. They have multiple houses in the area, so they can relieve and support each other when needed. They know the residents really well. In fact, the head caretaker noticed that my father didn't finish his dinner and immediately took his temperature because it is so out of the ordinary for him. She caught that he was sick before anyone normally would have. I feel like I have a great set of partners taking care of my dad and I'm not doing anything alone, and that is worth it's weight in gold.

When my wife's cognitive issues reached a point where I could no longer deal with them, we put her in adult daycare for a time, but just getting her dressed and out the door each day on time was almost as stressful as just dealing with her at home. Next we looked into in-home care, but the minimum cost was higher than the finest full-time care facilities in our area. After visiting as many as a dozen of these high-end facilities in our search for a suitable environment for her, we found that she didn't want or need the spa, pool, beauty shop, theater, gym, game room, or clubs these fancy campuses offered. Worse, the cost was so high that we would have used up our funding too soon. When we checked with A Place for Mom, we found a listing for Avalon Homes, a network of nearly a dozen private houses turned into care facilities for a small number of residents. Cost was still high, but far less than the others. We have excellent care with competent and loving caregivers and our solution.

If I think of it objectively, considering only Avalon House, I would rate the experience as a 5. (If I describe the overall experience, I would have to include the personal pain and unhappiness that each of us has experienced. It has helped in many ways to have the facility and staff to help each of us to cope.) I have found the staff to be warm and friendly, respectful and supportive. Their considerable experience is reflected in their kind and gentle approach to residents. At one point, my husband told me that he considers one person as a "brother." He has also talked about other residents in a friendly and positive manner. The room is small but adequate. My husband has not complained about his room or the home. The things he talks about mostly are his wish to be at home.

My brother heard from a neighbor about Avalon, for my Mom was getting to be to much for me to care for. So after having a Great tour with [Name Removed], my siblings and I decided we would put into Avalon where she could get the care she needed. I have to say that [Names Removed] did a great job with not just mom, but the others tenants there to be looked after. It was very nice when I went to see Mom that everything was well taken care of. I really enjoyed the soccer talks with[Name Removed] for Mom was from Liverpool, England. We also enjoyed the photos that[Name Removed] would take when playing Bingo and send to us. I would very much like to thank Avalon for the care that they gave mom up until her passing. I would highly recommend Avalon for anyone looking for a place for a love one needing assisted living.

My husband is currently a resident at Avalon House on Laburnum Street. He moved there after a very difficult experience at a larger memory care place. Avalon House's smaller group home has provided everything we were looking for - professional care, a welcoming environment, and very caring staff. At Avalon House, the feeling is more like being part of a family, rather than living in an institutional setting. The communication with the entire staff is outstanding, and I feel that my husband has found a place where he is comfortable and well cared for.

Avalon homes are always clean and the staff is so friendly and caring with my mother. It was a blessing that I found Avalon! Great communication and both by phone and email. I toured 6 facilities before Avalon and after a short visit, I immediately knew it was the best place for my mom.

Avalon House will always hold a special place in our hearts. My 99-year-old mom lived there for the final four months of her life, and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional care she received. The staff treated her with dignity, kindness, and genuine compassion every single day. [name removed]and [name removed] were especially wonderful. Their attentiveness, warmth, and professionalism brought our family tremendous comfort. They took the time to understand her needs and kept us informed, always showing patience and care. In her final days, knowing she was in such loving and capable hands gave us peace. The home is clean, calm, and welcoming — never institutional, always caring. We are so thankful her last months were spent at Avalon House, surrounded by people who truly cared.

The care she received was amazing - especially from [name removed], who treated all of us like members of his family. Communication was awesome and care was top rate!!

My mother-in-law has been an Avalon House resident for almost two years now and we couldn't be happier with the care she has received there. She consistently tells us she feels safe and comfortable and enjoys the homemade meals. The home is always clean, and the professional caregivers (all the same people these past two years - it seems there is very little turnover, which says a lot) engage kindly and thoughtfully with the residents. From a family member perspective, everything feels seamless - the move-in was handled so well; health issues are quickly addressed - on site - by a nurse who provides excellent care to residents; prescriptions are delivered, as needed, by a nearby pharmacy; there are never any issues or surprises with billing. We love receiving photos and kind updates. Avalon House has given us so much peace of mind.

The staff is what truly what makes the place different from the rest. Both [name removed] and the other young lady have truly gone above and beyond, not to provide just care but genuine kindness and respect. They treat the residents like family and are always making sure their needs are met. The experience has truly given me great comfort and reassurance.

We have been very happy here. I would recommend if someone is looking for a smaller more affordable option. It is a homey atmosphere.

My friend has been at Avalon for over 18 months. In that time she has received phenomenal care and consideration from the staff. We’ve had the same three caregivers from the beginning ( [name removed] , [name removed] and [name removed] ). These women are amazing and have become family to my friend. I have never worried about her level of care. We should all be so fortunate as to spend our last days at a place like Avalon.

I could not have been more pleased with the care my mom received at Avalon. She was always clean, and well groomed. My mom used to love to take long showers at home & they bathed her daily unlike many other facilities. Despite her dementia diagnosis, she seemed to make friends with the other residents and really connected with the caregivers who took such great care of her. They did a great job to make my mom feel special. From time to time, I would get sent photos of my mom playing Bingo which she loved.

I really appreciate you guys helping me find a home in such short timing and with great care. They have very kind and welcoming like home, with an amazing staff.

They are wonderful, caring, kind , attentive and always very friendly. Room sizes like a normal medium size bedroom in a home. My mom has her win bath but others share a large bathroom. Max of 8 residents

We love Avalon House. The caregivers are sweet, compassionate, professional, gentle, and kind with my uncle. They seem to know his needs before they arise. My uncle enjoys sweet treats which the home is sure to put on the grocery list. This is one example of how they personalize care for their clients. When I have visited during mealtimes, the food looks really good. My uncle is on a special diet, and they accommodate that. The house is very clean, and it never smells of any bad odors. I do not know how they manage that. We are very happy we found Avalon House.

A quality that stands out about Avalon House on Dominion Crest is that the staff is very attentive and caring to Mom.

5 for all at Dominion Crest. We could not have asked for anything better. We started off in a different home that did not work out after only 2 weeks. My mom had to be moved but the move worked out well to Dominion Crest. The home was beautiful, very clean and organized. The care givers were very kind and thoughtful and took great care of my mother. I liked how gentle they were with her.

We cannot express our complete joy and hippieness that our mother received at the Avalon House at Cawdor Court. Mom was there for over 5 years and the total care and attention including the staff's friendship for life was outstanding! Opal and Noel were with her all five years, and they kept our family at peace with their care and love for her. Keith, Rieta, Mark and Marianna.

I would give a 5 in all categories except for meals and activities. I would give both of those a 3 or 4. I just think the resident, my mother in law, just didn't really enjoy those offerings. But that could have been more on her than the staff.