The Best Assisted Living Communities in Poquoson City County, VA

"My dad is at Harmony at Harbour View. The community is great. They seem to be doing well with him and they get him to breakfast downstairs. They've been really good about responding to his beeps when he needs some help in his room because he has a band on. So that all seems to be good. The only negative is they are understaffed and they cannot support non-ambulatory people. He can't get around. So they don't have the staff to help with that and that's something to be aware of. They have an activity director. My dad doesn't like to participate because he doesn't like to communicate very much, but they try to include him. I know that they come by and ask him every day if he wants to get involved and sometimes he'll do it. He'll go down and play bingo because he doesn't have to talk to anybody, but if it's something to do with talking, he won't do it. I have not tried the food myself, but I sit with my dad at breakfast every Wednesday morning so I see what they give and what they have. They'll tell him what's on the menu and he gets to order what he wants. Usually, he has eggs and sausage or bacon and oatmeal or coffee. You name it, they bring it and the cool part is they get to know their residents there. Like the lady would bring him his grapefruit juice before he even asked for it. So, they get to know the people there and when they come up to my dad, they go "Good morning. Here's your grapefruit juice. What do you want from the menu today?" It's pretty good. They have a little bistro area and my family and I gather in the bistro area every Saturday so we had dinner with my dad. We bring food there with him and that's nice. It's like a little place where you can eat food and all that kind of stuff and they have coffee always set up there. I know they have the main dining room where my dad is. They also have a gym with actual workout equipment and stuff like that in there. They have the beauty shop on the third floor where my dad is, and on the fourth floor, they have the rehab. They have full staff there. They have physical therapy and most of the people there do physical therapy 2 to 3 times a week. So it's nice to have that all-inclusive in there. The only thing I'm not happy with is the staffing. If you look at it on the website, it says they can have non-ambulatory people. That's why we placed them there because we thought that if he gets worse, he could stay there, but it all just comes down to staffing. They are great. They're very caring. We have some people in there that are still amazing. There's one older guy who is really good with my dad. He'll be like, "Come on, Major, you can do it. You can get up." He's encouraging to help him try and get up when he falls. They have a lot of people that care about what they're doing. It's not just a job to them. The common areas are 100% clean every day. They do housekeeping twice a week on the assisted living sites. So if my dad messes stuff up or whatever, they'll come in and wipe it up, but they will wait until the cleaning staff comes in to freshen up the carpet if you spill something on it or it's stained or something. Honestly, that to me is great, because they do it twice a week and that's their standard. The only time that it's not like that is when it comes to the individual rooms. It depends on the actual person in the room, like how they are. The value for the money is pretty good because my dad came from another facility where he was in a studio apartment at $7,745 a month. My dad's in a one-bedroom now at $5,551. That's with level three care in both facilities. It's excellent for what the cost is considering their comparison. I don't know if that is normal, but that's my comparison."

"Our tour at Spring Arbor of Williamsburg was terrific. I like the place very much. I like the rooms, and I really like the dining room. It is bright, cheerful and pretty. Everybody seems very friendly and happy there. In fact, we are taking my mom and stepdad back to see it for themselves. Everybody is very efficient in doing what they needed to do. The one who did the tour was excellent. You could tell she enjoys working there."

"Commonwealth Senior Living at Williamsburg is pretty good and things are going pretty well for my sister. It's really clean and we like the size of my sister's unit. It has a larger kitchen than most, a different entryway, and has just been re-carpeted and repainted. We liked the idea of having out meals provided. Most of the people are older than my sister, but she's pretty happy there. They have Bible study, Bingo, Happy Hour, and cakewalks. My sister also works out in wheelchair aerobics. They have a vehicle that can take them to doctors' appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I like the dining area because the independent people eat in a different place from the assisted living residents. The food is good and my sister likes it. They don't serve lunch, but they take them out for lunch every once in a while, and they take them to the grocery stores where they can buy food for their noontime meal. They eat dinner between 4:30 and 6:00. The independent living area is immaculate and very clean."

"My mother-in-law has been in Gloucester House for about a month now. We like the room very much. It is assisted living, and they also have a memory care unit. The staff is very accommodating, and any time we have a problem, they're always available to help. She was playing bingo just the other day, and of course they have church a couple of days. They have social times, and she has had little manicures. They had a root beer float in their very nice dining room. I tried the food there, and it is good. "

"I am a resident of The Gardens of Virginia Beach. They are very friendly, and they want to help people. My room is fairly large, not small. The food is excellent. They're also extremely helpful. The staff and people here succeed in whatever their ventures are. They're very concerned about modernizing and making things better. Every time somebody moves out there, they are rebuilding and modernizing. I mean, I just have one of the brand-new freezers. They're putting new cabinets in all the rooms as people move out. They're in the process of modernizing and updating the activities. We have everything from church on Sundays, and the Catholics have a service. Then we have visiting pastors come in and hold church with them. Others bring just certain members of their church. We have mental things to do to keep our minds busy and active."

"My wife will be moving into Edgeworth Park at New Town. This place just blew me away. It was very uptown and the people seemed very, very nice. The place was clean, and they had nice rooms and nice layouts. There was a refrigerator and freezer in the rooms. The staff who assisted me was wonderful and very knowledgeable."

Cambridge Crossing, located at 251 Patriot Lane in Williamsburg, Virginia, is a dedicated memory care community offering compassionate support for individuals living with Alzheimer's, dementia, and other cognitive conditions. Situated in a tranquil residential neighborhood, the community provides a secure and comfortable environment designed to promote dignity and independence for its residents. With a focus on personalized care, Cambridge Crossing ensures that each resident receives attention tailored to their unique needs. The community features thoughtfully designed accommodations that prioritize safety and comfort. Amenities include beautifully landscaped gardens and patios, providing residents with serene outdoor spaces to enjoy. Housekeeping and laundry services are provided to maintain a clean and comfortable living environment. Residents can engage in a variety of activities such as music sessions, games, book clubs, gardening, and arts and crafts, all aimed at stimulating cognitive function and fostering social connections. Nutritious meals are served in a communal dining room, encouraging social interaction during mealtimes. Cambridge Crossing is committed to the well-being of its residents, offering comprehensive services including assistance with activities of daily living, medication management, continence care, and mobility support. The community also provides quarterly wellness visits by a licensed physician group and on-site visits from healthcare professionals to monitor and address residents' health needs. Pets are welcome upon approval, recognizing the therapeutic benefits they bring. Located near historic Williamsburg, residents have access to nearby attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, providing opportunities for cultural enrichment and leisurely outings. To learn more about this provider's license and review other available state reports, please visit: Virginia Department of Social Services Facility Search

"My uncle is now in Commonwealth Senior Living at Leigh Hall. It's been great. When you get in the facility, everybody's just really friendly, which I appreciate, because nowadays it's so hard to have somebody say "hi" or "hello" or even smile at you for that matter. Everybody is just smiling, and they all acknowledge the guests when they come in. My uncle is on the second floor, so I actually hang out by the rail and look around, and I do see that they all just wave at you. If somebody comes in, they all wave at the person. They know each patient by name, which is highly appreciated. I like that fact that they know their patients. They take time to talk to them. It's clean. I have not really seen anything that I would say that they do not keep their facility clean. It's clean. It's not far from the hospital. It's been great, and my uncle feels safe there. The staff members are really great. They call the patients by their first name. They're really kind. They take time to talk to the patients, and they make sure they're comfortable, too. If they're outside and somebody starts yelling help, they'll just barge in and help that person, which is good. I think the food is good, but my uncle who is not easily pleased with what he eats, so he tends to pick on it sometimes. I guess my uncle is just too picky when it comes to food. He has always been like that, so it doesn't really make us wonder why he started saying things like, "I don't like the food here," because we already know that he is just the pickiest person in the world. But I've tasted some of the food, and I feel like it's good. My uncle did not sign up for any activities; he is unable to do so. But I saw some of the residents, they have this church choir that goes in there, and then they listen to them perform. They have game days wherein they go down and then they play dominoes. It's fun to see them like they're dogging each other out. I saw a group of them were listening to Audible. They have a book club, and they listen to Audible. They have that monthly thing where they go in there and they just vent out what they want or what they want to change. It's not an open forum, but it's sort of like something to make the facility better. So those were the ones I've seen so far. The program director there makes it a point to where he can have everybody participate. He would make my uncle participate if he could, but he just can't."

"The service at Indian River Residential Care Community is wonderful because this is a facility that all the people there are all in auxiliary grant, which mean that they are not a rich facility and I don't know if they have patients with private pay. There are a lot of things that they do not have. But for people like my son who cannot go even for one month on a private pay and can no longer live on his own, I thank God there is a facility like this. There is no choice menu, but that's alright. These people are happy that somebody is cooking for them. If they don't like what the dinner is, they can always have a sandwich. They don't have a lot of activities and that's very disappointing because I think old people need activities. But for activities, you need money. These are not well read people, so I think a library will be wasted. However, if a van can take them to a dollar store or Walmart once every other week, that will be wonderful. They will have something to look forward to, but they don't have that. There are some downfalls and yet for people who have nowhere else to go, thank God the place is there. I will rate the manager of that facility absolutely the highest mark plus double it. She is a wonder on this earth and all the people in that facilityand these are her words are her children. She is a wonderful human being. She is very good. She does what she has to do. She has taken a person out of there because he is a danger to others. She gives him a number of chances but it comes to a point that she can't keep him there any longer. Nothing is perfect and I am not saying that this place is perfect. Not all people are as nice or understanding or as kind as she. But ultimately she is in charge and she listen when you talk to her. She asks how we are doing and is everything is okay. She speaks with us and gives us a beautiful greeting when we come in. She runs the place beautifully. It is the love of her life and it shows. The people who are there are on auxiliary grant and these are the people who are not well-off at all. They haven't any abundance of anything in life and some of them like my son are mentally ill and other problems. So, they can't go out and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars a year so they can go to a private pay. This is a special place for special people. If somebody doesn't have enough money and can get an auxiliary, there is not that many places around to choose from. "

"We moved my sister from a large franchised facility. Her care improved exponentially in every aspect. Clara is so knowledgeable about all things dealing with elder care and nursing care in general. It’s HOME with the care and services needed for elderly, those with dementia, and those with medical needs. It’s like having family take care of family!"

"This is a wonderful, caring, clean facility that takes care of Mom four times a week. I can't say enough about the care givers, they are very professional, kind and caring. Their hours are 7:30 - 5:00 and have just begun an abbreviated Saturday schedule every other Saturday. They are given lunch and snacks, taken out for walks and other activities to keep them engaged. Mom loves to go, on the weekends she keeps asking if we don't need to go. I wish we had found this gem earlier, she has been a regular for two years. "

"We liked Chesapeake Place Senior Living, because of the proximity to my house and also the price. It's very, very nice and clean. Everybody was friendly. They have activities for their community and there were some nice places outside for the people to go. There were little rooms where they could sit and gather with one another. It was conducive for a friendly community of peers. They have a salon, a very nice dining area, a meeting room where you could have parties, and an area for physical and speech therapy. Part of what's included in what you pay will be laundry every week and housekeeping that comes in."

"First Colonial Inn is a place where everyone is open and friendly. I have been here for five years. Partly because I am a former pastor’s wife but also because I am curious and like to investigate, I have visited a number of other retirement homes nearby and have been impressed by some of their new features. However, I noticed people weren’t interacting there as they do here. I do feel that with pristine surroundings a certain air of formality may be present. This is not what you should look for in your home. There are more activities at FCI than at any other place that I observed. Further, the Residents are always being asked where they want to go, so the destinations vary as to interests, location and level of exertion required. Transportation here is a real plus. I go out in my car on near daily errands, but I also use the bus and think why should I park, especially in bad weather, when I can otherwise be taken to the door? I also enjoy the companionship of others like myself on bus rides as well as the activity to which we are travelling. Anyone, man or woman, contemplating moving into a retirement home should also consider its beauty salon. I have seen many different ones, good and bad, but none with the services and happy atmosphere ours has. It’s so much more than just a place. When you pass by the door, you always look in to see and hear the happy buzz. It is a pleasure to walk into the First Colonial Inn Dining Room where every server knows what I drink (and that I only drink decaf!) and suddenly it appears, perhaps while I am in the process of sitting down. One server said to me, “It’s my job to make you happy.” Sometimes people think they prefer to stay in their own homes. I have been closely involved with three, one of whom has a caregiver. I cannot help but be aware that while some aspects of their lives may be good, these are very lonely people. In my five years at FCI I have seen many very different types of people come to live here and experience happy lives. I appreciate the effort the staff makes to keep us all happy. I enjoy the activities. Eating each day with my friends is a pleasure. I hope the reason why I am writing this is obvious. I like living at First Colonial Inn "

"My mom moved into Bickford of Chesapeake in November. The facility is beautiful and brand new. It just opened in May, but it feels like home when you're inside. It doesn't feel institutional at all. They have big fireplaces and sofas in the seating areas. The staff is amazing and very knowledgeable. My mom has a large studio room that's nice and bright. It doesn't have a kitchenette. It's just a full bathroom with a walk-in shower. She has a dresser, a nightstand, a sofa with a small coffee table, and a bed, and there's still plenty of room. Three meals a day are included, and they have regular doctor visits. They have a hair salon inside. They do different fun activities all the time, like movies, popcorn, and games. What I was impressed with is that they have different stations set up throughout the facility to trigger memories. So, one is set up to look like an office, another is set up to look like a laundry area with an ironing board. They're very nicely done. I've been there to visit her when she's having her meals and everything looks good. It's farm-to-table as much as possible. They use fresh ingredients, they don't use processed foods."