Assisted Living Communities in Penn Hills, PA

"The rooms that they showed us at Graceful Care Living just had a bed in them, and that's it. We knew immediately when we got there that that wasn't what we were looking for. The staff mentioned that they have another section for people who are more independent. However, it was still somewhat the same concept. Instead of being in a room, like a small, single room, there were two beds. There was no television in those independent rooms. You have to go out of the room to watch television. It was that type of atmosphere, and my mother doesn't want that. She wants something that's like a small apartment, where she can live in that small space and be able to care for herself. I liked the atmosphere. I liked the staff. They're very nice and very accommodating as we went through the tour. My mom asked questions, although she didn't ask very many because she knew, and I could tell just from how she was withdrawn that she was like, "No, this is not going to work for me." I said it to the guy. I said, she's a lot more independent. She can get around fairly well, but this is not for her. She still needs to be in her own place where she can take care of herself. The only thing that she needed was somebody to help her, like to come in and help her to make sure that she's taking her meds. I didn't smell anything. It was very clean."

"Harmony at Harts Run is a beautiful place. It was clean, and the people were friendly. The staff was fantastic. I have nothing negative to say about the place. I didn't have an opportunity to taste their food, but the dining area looked great. They have a lot of activities. They have a happy hour. They have a bus that takes them out to different places. They have a pool table. My father is a pool shark, so that interests him."

"My mom is there the last couple months and this place is amazing they have a ha dedicated team of personal Aides , the food is amazing and the management keeps the place clean and nice now it with the new management in place things got even batter thanks Toni (she is the administrator) I would recommend this place for anyone that is looking for a place for a close one a place that they could feel at home and bean taking care of Thanks Peter"

"Orion has provided a personalized care plan for my grandma who began suffering from short term memory loss which is unmatched vs. a larger corporate provider. I am comforted knowing she is being taken care of in the same manner that her family would have provided if they could have. We are so lucky to have found Orion!"

"The Haven at North Hills was very lovely. All of the rooms were private and very spacious. It was very clean, very bright, and cheery. The dining room was beautiful. They were having some activities while we were there. There were residents attending the activities who seemed to be having a good time."

"My mom moved into Whitetail Springs Assisted Living and Memory Care. We chose it because their care level was higher than the other places we went to. She's got dementia, and the thing that made our decision for us was that they checked on her more in the evening. They have motion sensors in the room. So if she moves or starts to wander, it triggers, and they scoop her up before anything happens. This place had a higher level of security at night. Her apartment was the biggest one that they had available. It's very large and it's like a nicer hotel room. It's a very nice place. She likes the food. They feed her quite well and are very attentive. They'll make something else for her if she doesn't like something. So they have some flexibility there. They keep them busy and have a lot of activities that are suited to their needs of the people who are there. The cost was very similar to what we would be paying elsewhere, maybe a bit higher, but given the extra layer of care they put on in the evening, it's worth it."

"I went to The Residence at Whitehall in Pittsburgh. The appearance was very nice, it was very clean, the atmosphere was pleasant. There weren't too many residents out but it was a pleasant experience. They showed me a one-bedroom and a studio layout of the apartments. The one-bedroom was a little bigger, and I would like to have a one-bedroom. The studio was a little smaller, but I could see how you could fit everything in there. I wanted to take a desk with a computer with me though, and I don't know if there's room for that in the studio. I spoke with Emily there, she was very nice, she answered all of my questions. I even asked for a copy of the contract, and she's supposed to email that to me so I can review them at my own time. I did not get to sample the food, but the dining area had plenty of room for the residents. They also have a bistro there, like a little café you can go to if you want. The rooms have a kitchenette, so they have a microwave and a sink if you want to heat something for yourself. They don't have stoves but they have a refrigerator. I also saw a pool table in the building. I would consider it, but their studio starts at $2,450, while all the other places start at less than that."

"I have friends who live down at Celebration Villa of South Hills. They are both very happy there. They have a lot of activities. It's very well kept. They both seem to be very well taken care of. Both of them tell me the same thing. They're very content and satisfied with the care they get there. They have a beautiful dining room. They have bingo. They bring a priest into those who are Catholic who want communion. They have a couple of other activities, but I'm not aware of all of them. The people who work there are all very, very nice. Neither one of my friends have ever complained about the food. My one friend told me she's very happy with the care that they give her. Anyone I've talked to there was also very, very helpful. The community is very clean and very well kept. In terms of value for money, for the price they charged, I think their facility is very good."

"I did a tour of Grace Manor at North Park. One of the issues is I live out of state, so my brother is the one who would be close, so it's close for him to visit. It's also close to Passavant Hospital, which is pretty good. I liked it because it's a small facility. It's not as new as some of the other ones, but the prices are pretty reasonable. They have a pretty good memory care unit and it's clean. They're painting the walls and redoing carpets. They're trying to keep it updated. So that's sort of nice. Sharon, she's the assistant executive director, she was the one I talked to. She did a great job on the tour, and she showed me around the whole place. It was early in the morning, 10 o'clock, so we looked around. It was pretty nice. She did a good job explaining everything. I have a spreadsheet of different things that I have questions on, so she answered all my questions. The prices are reasonable, and they explain a few things that I didn't think about. It's good that they tend to want to keep their people out of the rooms and doing activities, which is good for them, especially. It's clean, they got new carpets, and they're painting the wall. In the memory care unit, they try to keep the people active and engaged, so it keeps them alert. So, they get into a lot of activities, which is good. I noticed some of the nurses were trying to make people that were not using their walkers, they make sure they get to use their walkers and stuff, to remind them. So that's good, they're taking care of the people. I have their brochure; I know the cost and I have room layouts. They have a beauty salon, weekly housekeeping, and meals with friends. They assist in hygiene, have physical therapy, and have 24 hour trained support nurses and health physicians on call. They also have trips sometimes for people, without the patients that have memory issues. The people that are not as well as poorly off, may have trips and stuff. "

"My wife’s mother was at Mount Vernon for a short while. The facilities weren’t bad. The dining area was good and clean. "

"The first impression I had of Brookdale Mt. Lebanon was that it was a quietly cheerful place. The staff was cheerful and the residents were cheerful. There are nearly 200 residents there. They have little dogs on leashes. I hear there are cats. The place is furnished in a way that is comfortable and safe for seniors who have physical difficulties, as I do. As things go, the cost is moderate, considering the highs and the lows of this line of business. I only interacted with two people and they were competent. There's just a relaxed, contented quality about the whole place and everybody that I met and they invited us to come back to try their meals. We saw two studio apartments. One was much smaller than the other. I loved the small one, and that's the one we're still talking about. I did not see a list of activities, but I didn't need to. From what we walked around and saw, there is a little bit of everything."

"We moved my parents into an assisted living facility a couple of months ago called Paramount Senior. It is both independent and assisted living. It was a nice fit for them; they are in one unit together, but one is independent and one needs assistance. I think it’s a pretty long run operation; my only concern is the turnover with the staff. "

"My mom is at Overlook Green. The layout is very nice. It's actually a converted elementary school. They have all the common areas and dining room in the center, which makes it nice. They can go from the dining room to the main room where they have television and next to that they have a library and an activity room. They have full-time activity coordinators who do a really nice job and have a lot of religious opportunities with rosary, Bible study, and worship service on-site, which meant a lot to my mother. They take you down to a very nice dining room and have very good food with lots of choices. They have on-site physical therapy and a visiting counselor. They have doctors that roam and if Mom needs an x-ray, they have a mobile x-ray unit that comes to the site and does x-rays. They're really a good bargain. We're so pleased with them and everything they do. "

"The aides are very nice and seem to really care about the patients. So far we're pretty happy with Paramount Assisted Living, but the beds are very uncomfortable according to my father. The place is clean and nice. People there say they like it, and it's a good place with good care. It's one of the better places I've seen. They have people come in and perform on the violin and piano and get a pretty good crowd. It's expensive."