Assisted Living Communities in Portsmouth, VA

"I toured Commonwealth Senior Living at Leigh Hall. You could see that there was a really good rapport between the residents and the staff. It was a very small, close-knit staff and they cared about their residents. They had hydroponics, so they grew their own vegetables, which I thought was good. It was an older building and it was one big building, but it did not have a lot of extra facilities. I guess they had a courtyard, but that was about it. They had a little salon, and they had a multimedia room where the people would gather to do everything."

"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."

"We liked Commonwealth Senior Living at Cedar Manor. The upfront person was like a cruise director. He did an excellent job promoting and showing the facility. That was at the top of the list for a while. They had a beauty parlor and physical therapy available. It's a good facility. It's a nice brick front, colonial style, and a very attractive building. Cleanliness was good. Space-wise, all the rooms are about the same size. They're all L-shaped with a bathroom taking up one corner. They had nice programs."

"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."

"Do not look any further for a forever home for your loved one. I am blown away with Harmony at Oakbrooke. The facility is beautiful on the inside and out. The staff goes above and beyond for my Grandmama. They are very clean and they take high precautions concerning COVID. Her room is always clean. The food is great. They have always throw such fun themed parties for their residents that my Grandmama can never stop talking about. (Such as I love Lucy & Mickey Mouse.) She loves watching her favorite movies in the theater room they they offer. Do not wait any longer, go give them a tour! "

"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."

"What I liked about The Waterford at Virginia Beach assisted living was that everything was on the first floor. My daughter said she didn't like it though. She said it didn't look as clean as the other place. I'm blind, I can't see, so I'm going by her word. The ladies who live there were doing their exercise in the hallway and they were very nice. They spoke to me and they seemed happy. I was told that they wash your clothes, cook for you, assist you with bathing if you need that, they give you your medication, and they take you on shopping trips. They had a beauty salon there too. I thought they had a pool when I walked in, but it was a pool next door to them, not theirs. They need to improve on their pricing. If you're old and retired, your money wouldn't go long enough to get in it but you need it."

"My father is going to go to Serenity Care of Virginia for two weeks. Everything was good. The staff was knowledgeable. She came from a big box nursing home-type place and wanted a smaller place to give individual care, which we thought was good. It's just like a regular house. They had about three or four residents and private rooms. One of the things that's also unique there is you eat what you want to eat. You give them a shopping list and they'll make what you want. It's not like everybody used the same thing."

"It was very high class and enormous. It was the most expensive of the places we visited. Everybody was nice. There was not as much hustle and bustle going on. It was quiet. They had a salon and a workout area, which I was not impressed with. I thought with such a good place, they could have had more. They had independent living. The staff did very well. It had a more reserved and more formal feel to it."

"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. "

"First Choice Assisted Living II was a nice place. It's clean. The staff was friendly. I felt comfortable there. The room was nice. They showed me a studio room. They have everything that we were looking for. We're looking for 24-hour care and meal preparations. The staff was very friendly, very knowledgeable and willing to help."

"My dad moved to Commonwealth Senior Living at Hampton. They were very attentive to him. He was difficult because he was confused. They were very patient. They were open to any ideas about getting medication and favorite foods and drinks that we could bring in or something that they could try that worked for him. Even all night when he would be up and my sister would just go in late, they were working with him and trying to get him comfortable and that kind of thing and keeping an eye on what he was eating and the behaviors he was exhibiting. We all felt like they were very thorough in their assessment of him at their house, and then their ongoing assessments of him while he was in their care. There were other people who had retired from the shipyard, and they tried to get him to engage with them. I liked that they had technical things for them to do, to play with locks and things. I would have liked to have seen a little more of that, but they did have a small area of that setup that I thought was nice. It was clean, but like in the courtyard, the gate going to the HVAC system or something looked like it was broken and just kind of wedged."

"I love Bickford of Virginia Beach. That place just really impressed me. It was very nice and the people were great. The only downfall was that it was extremely expensive. If it wasn't so expensive, that's where I wanted mom to be. It was beautiful, very warm, and very homey. The apartments and the facilities were very nice. The lady we met was great. She was very personable, very caring, and also very nice."

"We toured First Colonial Inn, and we like that facility. It was very good. They had the common area and everything else. The people were very professional, and it was a very impressive facility for where it's located. It surprised me. It was enjoyable. It was clean and organized. The staff was personable and very professional. It's nice. The parking was adequate for several drivers. It's accessible as well. They have vehicles that could take you shopping. They also had washing machines. Plus, they have an activity center. The dining facility was very nice."