Assisted Living Communities in Framingham, MA

"They have assisted living and a new memory impairment unit. I toured it recently and know some of the staff there. It's fairly isolated--well outside of Boston in what's called Metro West--and it can be tough to get there without a car. The facility is very attractive. It was built out of an old mansion in a woodsy, picturesque area. Most of the rooms are private, but they do have a few large shared rooms. The direct care staff is very high quality--very New England. The dementia unit was just opened a few months ago, and they brought in a skilled program director to run it. The food is similarly excellent, and they cater to individual tastes. Activities are also good--varied and designed to cater to the educated resident population. "

"I toured The Branches of Marlboro, I like the cleanliness and the food. They have very good food, and the dining room was just a typical dining room. I saw every type of food that they had. They had a single bedroom, single with a shared common area, and a full suite. The rooms were spacious and clean. They have a van that takes them shopping or to doctors' appointments on certain days. They have group activities, they have entertainment come in, and they have movie nights."

"I went and visited The Falls at Cordingly Dam. That's the place I like for my parents. Basically what I like about it was if somebody is not totally like needing memory care, they have an assisted living area where they would take people in through the day. It's called The Lighthouse Club. It's for people who don't necessarily need memory care. It's a good program because they keep them busy during the day and then they go back and can be in the assisted living area. I thought that is a unique thing. They also showed me their apartments and they were very nice. The dining room was beautiful too. The staff was kind and friendly. They were just lovely people. They did have activities for their residents like cooking, art work, etc. "

"The staff at Epoch has been phenomenal. They have gone out of their way to be present every day in my mother's life, from physical care to encouraging her to engage in activities making a point of getting her out of her room. My family could not be happier! "

"Maplewood at Weston was incredible. It was like designer everything. The apartment was nice, too. The only reason we didn't go with them is that my husband had an infection this winter and was hospitalized for a long time. He was in a wheelchair when I took him out there. We were trying hard to get him out of that wheelchair. He's having physical therapy and exercising, but they didn't have their own facility there. However, that is the most beautiful assisted living facility I've ever seen. The staff was wonderful, very knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. She still followed up, even after I told her we were going someplace else. She just wanted to see how I was doing because she knew I was going to have surgery. She's very good. I can't say enough good things about the place or for the help. They were great. They've won awards. It's quite a place. The food was better than most restaurants that I've been to. The fresh salmon salad was really good."

"I went to see Anthology of Millis. The atmosphere there was not as good as it could be. I know it was a nice place. It was a new place. The layout was OK. Some of the rooms may have been a bit smaller than the others. I'm not positive about that, but what bothered me most about it was the atmosphere there. The staff was nice. The gal who gave us the tour was nice, but it was just the place that had a different vibe."

"Another place we went to was The Residences at Wingate. It is a new place. It was very good. They have all the amenities. We didn't eat there, but it looked like a very nice place. It was a little bit pricey though. The apartments were of good size, and they're all new. They were all in different shapes. All the apartments we saw were good. The dining area was a big area. I guess you would call it formal dining with tablecloths. They have a pub too. It was a very nice-looking place. "

"Scandinavian Living Center was an absolutely lovely facility. Great staff, beautiful, lots of recreational and educational opportunities, and good food. It had beautiful rooms, small, intimate settings. You name it, they have it: music, dance, games, outside speakers coming in, and community organizations that meet in the building so the seniors can participate. You basically have a little apartment with a little bit of a kitchenette, but they had communal meals too."

"My father recently moved on to the Memory Care unit of Blaire House about 4 months ago. My Step-mother, who had fallen and broken her hip, was living in a skilled nursing setting. The plan was to move her to the nursing care unit at Blaire House so that they could be closer together. From the time my father arrived, he was given warm and supportive care. His goal in life was to spend time with or talk to his wife. The staff did what they could to help him with whatever transportation we could set up, and to keep him engaged in activities as much as possible when he couldn’t be with her. Unfortunately, my Step-mother passed of co-vid before they could be reunited. It was a particularly difficult time for our family because we live in Canada and could not cross the border to be with him. It was at this point that we felt the caring support of the family-owned Blaire House encircle him. Travis, the director, spent time with him, as did other staff. They had the obituary printed and framed for him. The morning of the service, Dad was agitated because he couldn’t find a tie to wear. Travis arrived at his room with a tie for him. Travis took the time to take him to the cemetery for the graveside service, and took some pictures so that Dad would remember that he had been there, and had participated by leaving flowers. Since we are not able to care for him ourselves in our homes, I could not imagine a better place for him to be. Beth, admissions officer, helped us to organize the move and get him settled. Sheilah, the director of nursing, has made us feel like part of a team working together to make Dad’s life as meaningful as possible. Communication is particularly well done at Blaire House. During this co-vid crisis, Travis has been clear in his e-mails to family about the status of residents and staff. This has helped to alert us to the potential dangers but also to reassure us that they were doing everything in their power to keep everyone safe. The staff also have a Facebook page where they regularly (3-4 times a week?) post pictures of residents involved in special activities, or just in regular fun. I always make a point of checking to see if Dad is shown. There are two pictures in particular that I cherish because they show my Dad just being my Dad – smiling, waving, holding up a sign saying what he is thankful for. I should also mention that the physical surroundings are lovely. Dad is very content in his studio apartment. He can’t always remember what he’s had for dinner, but he always knows that he enjoyed it. In summary, I would heartily recommend Blaire House’s Memory Care unit for a family member who needs a safe and structured environment. I thank them for their care and concern for my father and my family. "

"My father lived at Waltham Crossings for several years. Overall our experience with them was very positive. The staff was excellent and really cared about the residents well-being. One thing we noticed about the community which we really liked was that many of the residents kept their apartment doors propped open during the day, so that as other residents walked by they would often stop in the doorway to chat for a few minutes. We felt that this really added to the social aspect of the community, and was something we didn't see at other assisted living facilities. A word of caution - there were some changes going on at the management level during my father's last year there. There were a few occasions, particularly during this last year, when we questioned some of the assistance charges my father was being billed for, and found that he in fact was being overcharged (they did correct things immediately when we inquired, and compensated for the errors). It is a good facility, but family should definitely ask questions throughout the experience. "

"My friend has moved here. It has the perfect size apartment for her. They're wonderful staff. They're supportive and caring. She can get outside and walk on her own. She is near a close friend who can come over frequently when needed. Food is okay. The amenities are very tastefully done, very attractive, and very comfortable. Every time I go, which is pretty frequent, there are always a lot of residents gathered comfortably around. It's just a comfortable, welcoming living environment for everybody. It seems that everybody feels comfortable kind of gathering as friends. The dining room is more personal. It's comfortable looking and comfortable feeling. It doesn't look stark and cold like a restaurant. All in all, It was the perfect answer for us in every way."

"I visited Sunrise of Newton. They've got very personalized service and multiple levels of care. There are just a couple of things that don't fit our particular situation. The person during the tour, Eric, was very good. The rooms were very, very stylish, well appointed, and were easy to navigate. It's a very good facility."

"Atria Draper Place gave me a great tour. They're very personable people. It's nice and clean. There were lots to do, like leaving the facility, painting, playing bingo, and they have a book club. They were talking about a book they've read, and they talked about blueberry picking and walking clubs and stuff like that. They had nice big rooms and comfortable chairs well used by lots of the people who stayed there. It's a much older place though, and they need updating. I think they were working on getting new rugs when I was there. They need a little updating on their decor and stuff like that."

"I went to see Evans Park, and I liked this very much as well. The parking wasn’t quite as easy, but the staff was also very nice. It wasn’t quite as warm -- the people weren’t quite as warm with each other -- but everybody was very respectful, and everyone knew everybody. It’s a good place, and I would live there. It’s very beautifully appointed. They also have antique furniture, and it’s very beautiful. They had various sized rooms and apartments, and they’re willing to work with you. It was very nice that you had choices. You also can have a shared room. They did have a full schedule of activities that looked intellectually stimulating and within the reach of people who had some memory difficulties. They also had a menu that had healthy food on it. I thought it was a good program all around. I would give them a 4 because of the cost, and it’s just the cost; otherwise, it would get a 5. "