Assisted Living Communities in Hoover, AL

"I thought Maplewood Lane Assisted Living was a very homey place. The staff that I met there were all very cordial. There's one lady that's been working there for 27 years and she was just as great as she could be. We had a very honest conversation about what would be required to get my friend in. It's an assisted living so the rules were a little different. It's able to handle folks in a wheelchair, push them for their showers, and even out the front door to sit in the sunshine on the porch. They have physical therapy 2 or 3 times a week, and a Bible study twice a week. It was just a very homey place and I had known somebody that had been there before and was happy there. It's small and homey and they said they work very hard to make it that way. The lady friend that I was trying to look for, still has issues in terms of her mobility like when going to the bathroom and that kind of stuff. The small room is really small, a little smaller than other folks' studio rooms, but the assistance they were saying they gave folks, in terms of bathing and showering, seemed right up to par with everybody else. The one who toured me around was the man that owns the place. He didn't have to show me around a lot because I've been there, in the room of the friend that used to be there. He didn't do a whole lot of showing around. He just showed me where the room was and showed me the difference between the smallest room and the next one. I had been in the larger one with my friend before, and of course, the price goes up with every increase in size. There were folks in the big kitchen, working on supper. There's a piano there and while I was talking to him, somebody came and played it, and that kind of brought all the other folks out. I think they only had two rooms empty, and they both were small. It would take a little getting used to, but it's all that my friend needs. The person who toured me also said that if one goes into a small room and a larger one becomes available, they automatically will switch that person up. It was clean and the layout is great because they have straight halls. The halls are also wooden so that even if you're in a wheelchair, you could navigate them easily. One side of the windows looks over a little lake so it's a nice surrounding. There's also a government building or something across the street, and they've got a nice front to it where folks could sit. They said they were going to be adding something on the back, a covered porch, or something like that."

"My sister and I saw Longleaf Liberty Park's assisted living, although we did not realize at the time that it was assisted living. It was a lovely place in every way, but it just didn't fit our needs because we were not quite at the assisted living stage yet with my sister. The rooms were very nice, and the decor was lovely. You wouldn't feel like you were in a retirement facility. It looked more like a home rather than an institution. It was very colorful and I liked that. The rooms were fine, but then we realized it was assisted living, which kind of upset us a little bit. I didn't think there were as many available activities, and I understand why. If it's assisted living, of course, you might have some of the residents in wheelchairs so they couldn't go on a lot of excursions, perhaps. They had a beauty shop, and I think they even had a little small workout room with maybe some little weights in there if someone wanted to come and do chair aerobics. They certainly had things available for the residents who live there."

"I moved my 92 year old uncle from his home of 60 years to Covenant Place last year. They took incredible care of him the year he was in their care. They provided his meals, cleaning, laundry, continence care, medications, etc. They even helped get him to his appointments when I was unable to leave work. So much of the caregiver burden was eased for me while he was in their care. The staff really goes above and beyond with care and compassion. The communication was always top notch as well. Not once did I ever feel left out of the loop. Their activities director, Jillian, is an absolute gem! I largely credit his happiness there to her and her efforts to encourage and include him. I cannot say enough positive things about our overall experience!"

"Legacy Ridge Trussville was very quiet when I first stepped inside. The apartment that I saw was small and kind of bare-bones; it was minimal. The person who gave me the tour was as nice as she could be. The dining room was very nice, but I did not test the food. There wasn't much going on. I didn't see anybody out of their rooms."

"We already placed Mom in Country Cottages. They provide good care and good meals. They have excellent staff to resident ratios, and a very caring and friendly environment. The residents seemed to enjoy each other's company and they group together a lot, watch TV, and do activities. Mom's room is personalized for her. The reason we chose them is because they don't have so many residents that the staff loses track of the who the people are, which we found in some other places. This was a small facility where the staff members actually know the residents, their names, characteristics, and personalities, so they get to be a much better one-on-one clean case with everybody. There are times though that we have to call and tell them to pay particular attention to something because they're not observing that themselves."

"I like that Truewood by Merrill, Riverchase is fairly small. My father gives good feedback about the food and the care that he gets there. He has a nurse practitioner that helps him there. I have no complaints. The facility is very clean. It is in a great location."

"I toured The Bungalows at Riverchase. It was beautifully kept. It was well-lit. It was clean and very spacious. I only had a tour with the director, but she was wonderful and was able to sit down and answer any questions. She'd been in the business for many many years, so she knew her stuff very well. She wanted me to bring my mom by, and she was going to have lunch there and whatever, but she showed me the cafeteria and the menu. There were residents eating while I was there. They had several libraries. There was a salon. There was a little makeshift movie theater. There was a puzzle room, there was laundry throughout. It's a big square, so you can't get lost or go down the wrong hallway. It was very well put together."

"I visited Chateau Vestavia, and it was good. It was lively, and they have lots of activities going on. It has a more casual atmosphere. I saw some people playing board games. The staff was very friendly and seemed a little bit more casual. They were really extremely professional, as well. They showed me a couple of rooms, and they did a good job in showing me a lot of options. "

"I visited Regency and a few other independent living facilities in the area. The food looked delicious and the rooms are larger then most. So far this is the best location and cost for our families needs."

"My aunt was in Mount Royal Towers for rehab. The surroundings were excellent. It was very clean and very well appointed. There was nothing wrong with the food. The only complaint we have was that they only gave her three days’ notice to leave, and they could have been more forthcoming and prepared as we were expecting to be there a long period of time and didn’t realize her Medicare days were up. My aunt did like the facility. "

"I like the environment and the energy of The Ridge at Grandview's assisted living facility. One thing that I look at is if people will make me wait when I have an appointment, or if they are ready to see me. I think that's important, and the person who gave the tour here came in and was ready to see me. Another thing that I also really liked about it is that they did not have just studios, but they also have a few two-bedroom type assisted living apartments. A lot of the places I've seen only have studios. The thing I like best is that it has a whole home team medical group for geriatrics. They have a doctor who comes in, and they also have a PA who is there multiple days of the week. The doctor is there every other day, so there's a doctor or a PA on staff half the week, plus the nurses. They are the most geriatrically geared facility I toured. They also have open visitation. You have to let them know, but you can come in and eat with the resident when you can come visit. There are a few places out there that will let you come visit, but you can't eat with the residents, or you have to go to a special room with them, so you're not with the other people, which I didn't like, as I would like to see my mom interacting with other people. The atmosphere was very homey. It does not smell like antiseptic or a senior facility. They have a real den, not a hospital-type group room. They had big armchairs, TVs, and puzzles everywhere, and people doing things. It's winter, so they can't go outside, but they were still active, which was really big. In some places, everything is just dead and quiet. I saw their dining facility, and it was not mealtime at that time, but the way they do their food is more like a restaurant. You can go in, and even though you all get the same meals, you can choose to have a hamburger or a sandwich if you don't like the meal they're serving. In several places, you have to tell them ahead of time, but here, you can actually just come in and say what you want; that's why it feels more like a restaurant."

"I was very impressed with Oaks on Parkwood. They had six or seven buildings that housed so many apartments. They had little individual dining rooms for each building where they can do things that just involve their building, and then they had the big overall dining room. They had a special breakfast on Wednesdays for everybody in the complex and Bible study afterwards. They had an exercise room, an activity room, a fitness center, and an indoor swimming pool."

"I visited Sommerby at St. Vincent's One Nineteen. It had individual apartments. I liked the closeness of the wellness center right there across the street, but it was still institutional. Other than that, it was a nice place, and I liked that. It had everything that my parents needed. They had activities that the seniors could go to. They arranged rides for them. "

"Alzheimer's is a wicked enemy. A vibrant successful woman stripped of memory now no longer able to speak. An active hiker in her prime her 92 year old body continues. My mother goes daily to the Adult Day Care where dear loving workers and patients stroke her hands to make her feel supported. Art, music, and physical activities are provided as well as a good lunch. Without it what would I do? "