The Best Assisted Living Communities in Sarasota County, FL

"The rooms are very nice. My mom had a lovely view. The facility is so lovely, it feels more like a nice hotel or cruise ship than an assisted living facility. The food is good. Mom loves the variety of soups. Lots of fun activities; crafts, painting etc. and the happy hour at 4:00 with musical entertainment is so enjoyable. The staff have gone out of their way to make everything nice for my mom. They have addressed my questions and concerns promptly and informatively. We really appreciate their care and personal support for both my mom and we as family in this transition. I’m very grateful my mom has been able to stay here."

"Everything was really nice in the Bahia Oaks Lodge, and the staff was very helpful, but they were more expensive. They had brand new carpets, and the walls were painted nicely. It was very accessible for people who are in wheelchairs or walkers. The dining area looked modern, and it was very clean. I suggest they make it a little bit more affordable. "

"I looked at the independent living of The Goldton at Venice and had a very pleasant conversation with the marketing person. I got a thorough look at the facility, and what they offered. I also learned about the cost. They have smaller rooms. They have 2 meals a day, as part of their package. It's brand new and in the middle of a highly developed area. The person who gave the tour was great. I saw their dining area and I would say it was adequate, it wasn't exceptional. The upkeep and maintenance seemed very good."

"The Fountains of Hope Assisted Living and Memory Care was more institutional than the others. There were a lot of people, a lot of rooms, and a lot of hallways. My dad would have been confused and walking all over the place. They're really sweet, though, and all of the staff was great. They were smiling at us. Just as far as the establishment goes and how they run the business, it was more institutional to me. It was just too large so my dad wouldn't have gotten the personal care that he deserves. We toured their memory care and the person who assisted us gave us the information we needed in a concise fashion so we were appropriately pleased during our visit. The rooms were nice too but there's a thing where you had to bring your own furniture. I think that was another big thing for us. It wouldn't have been a big deal because I have plenty of furniture but there are criteria for the furniture you bring in because they don't want the residents falling or tripping on them. They also have a thing where when you first go in there, everything is treated as though it's infected and everything you bring is going to be cleaned."

"We toured Grand Villa of Sarasota. So far, we like it. I liked that it is close to the good things in Sarasota like the theaters, and it is right next to a nice Chinese place. But it also had like three meals a day and the meals looked decent. I like that their main meal is at lunchtime; I think that is a good idea. I like it a lot, it is just we're not ready yet. It seemed clean and the people seemed nice. They showed us the room and the room was already decorated with furniture in it to show people. It was very organized. They had this booth-type thing on each floor that was locked and had everybody's names on it and everybody's pills, and everything was very organized. The other places weren't as organized. The person who took us around was great. Another thing, you didn't have to move. At the other place, you had to move to another room if you wanted assisted living. At Grand Villa, you stay in the same room, you just have some extra help. I wouldn't want to move out of my room after I'm living there. They give you extra help. Of course, you have to pay more for extra help, but at least you can stay in that room. I thought the cleanliness was good. It didn't smell at all or anything. "

"I toured this beautiful community and was so pleased with what I saw. I had the pleasure of eating there during my visit and the food was fantastic. I was also impressed by the cleanliness of the building and the warmth of the staff. I met several of the residents and they could not say enough wonderful things about their experiences. If you are in the market for a beautiful community inside and out you should defiantly take the time to take a look at Alderman Oaks! I am sure glad I did. "

"It was very nice. It was a very helpful tour. The staff was nice. There were a lot of the usual activities. The food was good. However, it wasn't the right fit for my mom."

"It was our second choice. The place was beautiful. The staff was friendly and very helpful. We had lunch there and the food was good. The units were nice but small. They had a hotel fridge rather than a full fridge, so it didn't have a homey feel and was more like a hotel."

"DeSoto Palms was lovely. It was like a hotel. The rooms and the lobby were beautiful. Their dining area was like eating in a 5-star hotel. I really liked that. However, my brother decided that he needed more care than what they could offer because they had nurses there, but they were like 7 to 7. They would put you in bed, but there's nobody there at night until the morning expect for the resident manager, who was always there, and my brother might need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. So, it was not an appropriate facility for him, even though I liked it. "

"It was a terribly difficult decision to put the care of our elderly neighbor in the hands of Banyan Residence, but now that a few months have passed, it is clear that we made the right choice. It was rough at the beginning, but our neighbor has done so well there. At first it was disconcerting having a webcam in the common area, but it has allowed us to see how well she is getting along. She really seems to enjoy interacting with the other residents, and has even found herself a paramour. As a community, she's far more social and interactive than she could have ever been with just family as the main caregivers. Instead of sitting around all day, we get reports of her going on daily walks around the facilities and holding conversations with the other residents. It has been hard for us all, but in the end, this has been the best place for her. "

"We chose Elan Manatee Assisted Living & Memory Care for my mother. She will be moving there. The room sizes were nice. The kitchenette area was important to us. It seems that everybody that we saw and all of the residents there were very happy and very active in their day. We use that as a barometer for how my mom would feel in that community. The person that assisted us was very professional, very nice, very helpful. They just had a nice array of different activities that the residents could participate in. They were doing some exercises. We like to see that. They had some people reading in the lounge area and some people were playing cards."

"We went to Inspired Living at Lakewood Ranch. It was very nice, but we realized that the 2-bedroom apartment is going to be too small for us. However, I thought the staff was very pleasant and very helpful. We did try the food, and it was nothing spectacular. It reminded me of the food that I had in the nursing home. It was basically nothing I could eat because I can’t eat tomato sauce. When I asked if I could have the lasagna without the tomato sauce, they said that it was already on it. I had something off of the menu that they always have -- which was seasoned too so it wasn’t really anything to compare with. My husband liked what he had though. One really nice thing about their apartment is they have a very nice walk-in bathroom -- e.g., roll-in bathroom -- and it was very nice. However, they don’t have a stove in the kitchen. They have a kitchenette, but if you want to cook, they do have a kitchen at other end of the hallway. "

"We looked in Brookdale Bradenton Gardens. It’s an older building, but they showed me all the updates they were doing. They did outings, and there was a whole calendar of things that they offered. I believe they had 3 meals; I think they usually had drinks and fruits. I was very pleased with it. "

"I moved in Nov 1. The spacious room is terrific. The food is great. I've met some lovely people. I come and go as I please. I feel very safe and secure here. The admin staff are supportive and accommodating. My family is happy for me choosing Woodlands Village."