St. John's Retirement Village

My mother is in St. John’s Retirement Village. There are only 16 people in the unit. All of the bedrooms were around a big square area. She has her own bedroom where she has a nice view out onto a yard. It was large and had gardens. They bring in food from the central place where they cook and serve it to each person. People sit at tables of three to four depending on the personality and functionality of the person. Usually during the week, there are three to four activities a day. They have different kinds of music, church, and bingo. There was a program where the residents could participate in gardening projects. They have mental games like filling in the rest of the title of an old movie or an old song.

St. John was a fabulous place. The people I dealt with were very personable, professional, and very nice. They appeared to love their job and were very helpful and friendly. The rooms were beautiful, nothing fancy but perfect. Everything was spotless and shiny. Everybody was clean and dressed. There was absolutely no smell. It’s very wonderful. I saw that there were a bunch of ladies around a table making flower bouquets and some gentlemen were watching TV and visiting. They were a couple of gentlemen sitting at the nursing stations visiting. It was very nice and pleasurable. I told the ladies that this is where I want to live.

In some ways, St John's Retirement Village was a little depressing. They had four levels of care: independent, assisted living, skilled nursing, and two little units for Alzheimer's. There was a lot going on there. They coordinated with a primary school that was nearby to work with little kids. The living quarters were good. They had certain hours you had to be in the dining room, so it wasn't open all day and needed a lot of upgrading. The staff was very friendly. The cottages were really nice and the grounds were 14 acres, so it was very spread out.

I visited my mother at St. John's Retirement Village. The facility seem fine since I haven't observed any problems. I walked through the lobby area and met with my mother at her unit. She seems satisfied and perfectly happy, and I think she wants to stay there, but she did mention a few times that she thought maybe there should be more staff there. She didn’t complain about food, though, so I assume that the food is fine for her. The community looks clean. Some of the elderly people seem OK. In my mother’s room, I noticed they have some devices where she could pull some cords if she was in an emergency situation. They have two of those in her rooms. The community looks OK; I haven't observed anything out of the ordinary or bad.

St. John's Retirement Village is a very caring community. My husband died here a few months ago, and now I am in independent living. It is secular and takes people of all nationalities and religious beliefs. It does have on the top of the main building a plain wooden cross. They have very nice dedicated staff. The cottages are beautiful, and they come in different sizes; mine is very sunlit and carpeted. The wonderful thing is Woodland is rural, and it's not a university town. It's right on the 14-acre campus, and there are penned-up chickens and a community of cats there, and people are allowed dogs in their cottages. There's the most wonderful courtyard with lovely koi fish. People are kind to one another. There is bingo, dominoes, and trips everywhere. They love to go to the casino, and tomorrow we're going to Sacramento to eat on the Delta Queens. There are activities every day. I also have a piano in my cottage. I like the simplicity of many of the people there. If you are vegetarian, which I am, they will accommodate you. It's country eating there, like mashed potatoes and meatloaf. It's a very unique place, and it's beautifully landscaped.

The set up is really great. There are apartments for seniors who are still capable of living alone, there are rooms with assisted living and then there are areas for seniors with more severe illnesses that need intensive care. The amenities are great. There is a church, cafeteria, gardens and seniors with their own apartments have private parking. I am really grateful that my grandmother was able to live her last year her. Great and attentive staff!

I did not like the floor plan of the one bedroom units. Food was wholesome, but bland and overcooked. Most important, residents didn't look cheerful and full of life. Literally no one showed any interest in me as a stranger in their mist or bothered to introduce his or herself. The management really tried to "sell" the place, but my impression of the psychology of the residents was negative enough for me not to follow up with that place.