Copper Heights

This is a good-sized facility. They have three floors. They have semi-private two-bedroom apartments and they have private studios. They have sixty residents in their assisted living area.

This place is gorgeous. It has a fountain in the front. It’s big, but it’s not so big that it’s cold.

The staff is really, really nice. I really liked the staff.

They have a dining room for the residents who can go there and eat their meals. In the memory unit, a lot of the residents eat in. They have a really good alternative menu, and the memory care patients eat separately from the assisted living patients if they do go to the dining room. They have a buffet in the dining room, so if the residents don’t like one dish, they can get another dish. Their food looks good.

They have cable in all the rooms. The apartments have kitchenettes with a little refrigerator and a sink.

The caregivers are all licensed, and they all carry walkie-talkies. They have an RN and LPN five days a week on call. They have a hair salon, they have an activities director, and they have a bus to take all of the residents out. They go to the ball games, or to shows, or to dinner theater.

They celebrate all the residents’ birthdays. They have shopping day where they take the residents to stores. They also play games and exercise and all that.

The staff does all the housekeeping and laundry for the residents.

It’s a really good atmosphere, I thought. It’s not too big and not too small.

The outside of the house is great. They have an area to have barbecues and parties. The grounds are really pretty. They have benches and a nice walkway.

The doors do stay locked in the memory care unit. They also have a fence outside, but the memory care units don’t go outside without staff members.

There are patios and balconies outside each of the residents’ rooms.

Definitely reminds you of an apartment complex rather than an assisted living facility. Nicely landscaped with giant queen palms, grass, paved walk ways (with grab rails) and a pretty walkway leading up to the main, covered entrance.

They offer both private and shared rooms. My mother, who is seventy and has suffered from some medical issues, is still basically a very independent person but wants to feel secure in an environment where both her freedom is available as is any assistance she might need.

We visited Copper Heights together and she talked out loud about the entrance way, the grounds, etc. She said to me more than once, this is nice. Oh, I like that (motioning to a bevy of palms and flowers).

We didn't set an appointment. We just tried one of those walk in arrangements, which I kind of prefer. I think it gives a more honest impression because nobody is prepared for your arrival.

On entering we noticed right away a resident in a wheelchair. She wasn't alone, a staff member was with her and something the staff member was saying caused the woman to laugh. She even gripped her stomach and we overheard her say: stop it! In the best possible way.

That is a great thing to see as soon as you walk in the door to a place that is unfamiliar.

We weren't immediately greeted by staff so my mom suggested we just ""go with the flow"" and walk around, which we did.

Everywhere we went we noticed activity. In one outdoor area we spotted park benches. I'm not sure if I'm labeling them correctly, but they're benches with a table in between. At several of them were groups of people, mostly men, working on something. We didn't get close enough to see what it was they were up to but my mom thought it was funny. ""Oh,"" she said, ""Perhaps its a man's world after all!"" Add in a New York accent and you'll know how she said it.

After walking about for awhile we were approached by a staff person who asked if we needed any assistance and if there was something she could do. I believe she began by saying: Hi. I'm Anne, are you lost?

We told her we were checking out different places in the area and she instantly began giving us a grander tour. She was cool with the fact we'd already pretty much walked through the place, just asked if we'd sign a guest card and gave us a couple of brochures.

My mother and I both liked the idea that ALL utilities are included, even cable. Normally that's a personal preference, and though my mom doesn't watch a lot of television, having the option in her own room was pretty nice.

The Library was nice! Tons of books and my mother really appreciated the Chapel. I won't spout her religious preference here, but it was a nice area suited to fit many beliefs.

A nice game room, an obvious agenda of events, which was nice too and 24 hour transportation. The gist of the place, I personally got, was that it is a simple home that easily accustoms to each individual. Very social from what we saw on a spur of the moment visit.