Sonida Senior Living

The set-up at Waterford is quite different. I think it is pretty homelike for the residents. Staff and personnel are engaged, friendly and very caring of the residents. Everywhere was clean and well-organized. If [name removed] was more aware and independent, he would do well here among other military men.

Then I visited Waterford and spoke with [name removed]. She was also extremely nice and knowledgeable as well. Not as nice as [name removed] and also only had a kitchenette and no cooktop or oven. Not totally certain if this will be an issue or not. Need to clarify with mom. The set up there being in one building would probably fit her needs better versus being in a cottage and having to be picked up and brought up to the main building at [name removed].

My mom has been living at the Waterford on Cooper for 5 months. She loves the food and the staff. They are very friendly and take care of all her needs. They address any issues I have immediately.

[Name removed] was great. Nice place but they do have a waiting list. So not sure if we would go there as we were looking to move soon.

Nice clean place. Didn't have desired floor plan available but staff was willing to work with us in providing alternate space at the desired floor plan price. Major downside is that the actual location of the facility is further away than initially hoped for, and no swimming pool on site.

I was unsure about this facility at the start because I'd read up on it and learned that it was much older than others I planned to tour. That wasn't necessarily a problem, but being older, it did offer far more reviews than did the others in which I was interested. By reading the reviews, which I'll add were overall favorable, I learned that the name had changed twice in a relatively short time period. When my sister and I met with the Director of Marketing and Sales, I asked him about this. He noted I'd done my homework and explained that the building had originally been a traditional nursing home. It was acquired by another group and the name changed twice after the purchase, once because it was so similar to a sister property that it caused confusion. Fair enough! We were given a tour and my first impression was, yes, it was obvious that this had been a former nursing home. I'm sure they did a lot to update the interior, but barring gutting the entire structure, they wouldn't have been able to remove the more clinical and traditional look of the long halls and small rooms of a nursing home. We were looking for a one-bedroom apartment for our mom but all they had were studio apartments (yes, they had three one-bedroom apartments, but two were filled by longtime residents who had no intention of leaving under their own will, and one who had just moved in!). The studios were nicely arranged, with a huge bathroom and some even had a few options so that a bed wasn't the first thing one saw upon entering the room. Regardless, they were studios! The rest of the facility was nice. Their dining room was large and bright, they had good space for activities, exercise and such. We learned that they had won several awards for their food and were invited to come dine with them. The dining room doubled as a community room for events that they frequently put on for residents and the community. Their activities sounded fun and it appeared that everyone we saw enjoyed being there. When we talked cost, I'll admit this facility was lower than the others in cost. Several factors probably played into that, understandably. One fact we learned that was hard to deny being a selling point was that this facity, unlike the others we've considered, not only accepts Medicaid waivers, but doesn't allow only a small percentage of them--it appeared that if one qualified, one could live there! Perhaps that's why the place is full (no vacancies at this facility!) and the residents seem to enjoy all it has to offer! While The Wellington will not be our first choice because of its location on US 31, its more clinical feel, and lack of one-bedroom apartments, we can see moving our mom here down the road if our funds do not hold out at whatever location we select. And we feel comfortable that she would be content and well cared for at The Wellington.

Too pricey! Seems like a wonderful place. But I still need to keep within budget.

Cathy Porter - [removed], cell [removed]. [removed] 1 bedroom 480sf $2415/month, smoke outside, yes pets, free washer & dryer or $4/load or mid studio 345sf $1750/month.

Vista Springs in Macedonia was built 2 years prior to my visit and it still maintains that new, clean, look and smell. The agent I met with was very professional and engaging. The entire facility, which includes independent, assisted living, and memory care units, is housed in one 3-story building. Their services are all inclusive for all residents, aka members, including 3 meals a day, housekeeping, laundry, and all utilities. The approach is very service oriented and especially proactive in nature. For example, nurses and other employees beside the restaurant servers, gather in the dining room during meals, sharing tasks, and engaging in small talk with the residents, in part in an effort to be discreetly available to members in the event of a medical emergency or need. Medical doctors rotate in to provide care. Vista Springs is proud of their staffing model which waxes and wanes, dependent on the acuity of their members at any given time. All of the staff I encountered were friendly and accommodating. Employees are expected to provide personalized care, from the housekeepers, who get to know their residents cleaning preferences, to the assigned ambassador who matches members with similar interests and engages the new member with activities upon move-in. Like most modern senior living facilities, Vista Springs provides many stimulating, cultural, creative, and social events for its residents. The building is shaped like an H with two, relatively small patios, in between the vertical lines of the H. Beyond that there is little usable outdoor space and the units do not have patios or balconies, a design which I find to be a drawback. However, on the positive side, the H design offers more interesting spaces and aesthetically pleasing hallways, versus one long institutional corridor. The residences I saw were relatively small, with ill-defined kitchen areas housing the basics, including a mini refrigerator like you might find in a hotel room. This may or may not be a drawback for some, as the all inconclusive services include meals for all. While there are clearly many positive attributes to Vista Springs, I find it would lack appeal for my parents because of its lack of more robust outdoor spaces and isolating single structure. Quite frankly, it "felt" more like a traditional nursing home despite its modern amenities. Full disclosure though, there were no events, crafts, or activities going on while I was there.

I toured this facility and was happy with the location. It’s close to my mom’s doctors and the hospital. The interior is nice and bright with lots of windows and I saw many residents using the space. (I had visited another facility and didn’t see a single person using the common areas). They have a lovely garden area, offer 3 meals with the price and have lots of activities. They require the residents to wear a button pager, there are intercoms in the rooms and emergency pull cords. They also have 24hr staffing and contract to a home care company if my mom needs extra help. The rooms were a comfortable size. I saw their largest studio and two 1 bedrooms and I felt they were all comfortable choices for 1 person. The price was reasonable for all they include. My mom hasn’t moved in yet so I can’t say what her personal experience is. The residents I saw and spoke to all seemed happy and friendly.

Very impressed with the community, it seems to meet all our needs. It's close to home and has a lot to keep mom busy.

The facility had a home type atmosphere, a downside is there is no onsite skilled nursing care. other amenities are comparable to other locations in the area.

I really liked the facilty. Staff seemed friendly. Very clean and inviting.

Independence Village is a lovely facility for independent living. The price is reasonable considering you're getting 3 meals a day. The residents I met were friendly and had a great attitude. The apartments I visited had walk-in showers which are wonderful for mobility impaired. The first-floor apartments allowed bird feeders bit the upper floor apartments did not have balconies which were a disappointment.

This location and site is very convenient. Its clean and the systems for checking in on my loved one are comforting. My only concern was that Mom may need more than independent living and selecting this location means that we need to ensure the in home care is enough for my mother's needs at this time.

Lovely place, but studio apartments are tiny. They might be fine for someone else however.

Very nice, the location was to south to meet our needs

Visited by my sister-in-law for my mom. Small facility but nice.. Staff is pleasant. Definitely one we will consider.

This community is nice and clean. Dad has them come come into his apartment and clean once a week. They have a driver to take them to a Dr appointment. The food is good and have d=good service. They have lots of daily activities they we enjoy. I would recommend this community.

This is a good independent living option. There are affordable options for low-level 'assisted' care, should that be required. Facility is clean. There are lots of common areas for activities and socializing. Residents seem pleased with their living there. There are transportation options for outings at no additional cost. While there are amenities, in my research I'm finding there are some other facilities with other amenities. However, there are a number of residents here that are here for the amenities, and the simpler life that is offered here. Staff were warm and responsive to residents. In my research there were several comments, last year, about the low level quality of the food. However, in my visit there, residents seemed more pleased with the food that what was reported a year ago.