River Ridge at Avon

I had an in-person tour of River Ridge at Avon. The staff was very kind and answered all my questions. She asked me more questions about my mom to guide what I needed, so she seemed a little more experienced in that job. She took me around to look at the facility. I saw the dining hall area, and they had a little snack or bar area, depending on the time of day. I felt that the person I toured with seemed to know the seniors, especially in dealing with dementia patients. It seemed like she was more informed about memory care and spoke to me about what our future might hold. I saw a one-bedroom. I came at dinner time, so most people were eating dinner in the dining hall. It is an older building. The staff talked a lot about the layout of the walkway areas and how they had certain things along the wall to make it easier for people who might be a little bit visually impaired. So it seems that their facility focused a lot on the patients' everyday needs.

My mother and I looked at some wonderful facilities over the course of a year in preparation for her move to an assisted living facility with the option of memory care sometime in the future . Assessing the physical plant, that is the condition of the building , layout of the apartments, age of the appliances , etc was the easy part. The more difficult job was to get a feel for what the employees and residents were like who would be seeing and taking care of my mother everyday. Difficult, that is, until we visited River Ridge at Avon. From the moment we walked into the beautiful foyer and met our hostess we could tell things were different here. People were , well, happy! Employees and caregivers made a point of introducing themselves to my mother and took a genuine interest in HER . And that has not changed since day one. My mother, who had always been somewhat of an introvert, has developed friendships with employees and residents alike. If I were to ‘pop in’ pre-COVID, more often than not I would see my mom with a big smile on her face engaged in a conversation with someone . The kindness and compassion displayed by caregivers abounds and I don’t believe that’s something you can teach . You’ve either got those qualities or you don’t. My hat’s off to River Ridge because apparently they’ve figured out a way to identify really wonderful people. Yes of course there are activities and field trips (pre COVID) and all the rest but clearly the most important asset River Ridge has and recognizes is there people . I strongly recommend this facility without reservation .

My loved one is in a studio which is adequate for her needs and her care. In addition, the one bedroom apartment is a very generous space if your loved one would like to spread out a bit more. The River Ridge staff is excellent at communicating and has gone above and beyond to assist to my loved one's needs. Happy Hour at the Bistro is so nice for them to get out and socialize and something my loved one looks forward to each day. Concerts and other activities such as magicians, comedians have been great! All the "themed" parties are very festive and fun. Even during this difficult time with the pandemic, they have tried to "get creative" with activities to keep residents engaged. The hair salon is a wonderful amenity that my loved one takes advantage of. Overall, a very caring and clean environment!

River Ridge at Avon has exceeded our expectations for my Dad. The welcome begins as you drive into the driveway and see the beautiful building and grounds. Everyone at River Ridge is kind, caring and thoughtful. The nursing staff responds quickly to phone calls and e-mails and has excellent follow-through. A Care Plan is developed specific to each resident’s needs. They take care of my Dad like he is their own father. They have varied activities to keep the residents busy and engaged. Even during Covid19, Michelle and her staff developed out-of-the-box activities! Dad likes the food and says that there is always a good selection. All management is available to talk with at any time and their communication with family members through Covid19 has been invaluable. Jaime, the Executive Director, holds monthly zoom meetings for the families of residents to keep us up to date on all that is happening in the community and answer any questions. Most important is the care, kindness and respect that every person on staff shows to the residents; they are truly amazing. Just one example: On Thanksgiving during Covid19 the residents were not able to be with their families, every management staff member, including those who were not scheduled went to the Thanksgiving celebrations so that the residents wouldn’t feel alone. We visited and interviewed many communities and found that River Ridge’s attention to the health and safety of its residents was at the forefront of their care while keeping them active and engaged. If you are considering a community, my family strongly recommends that you visit River Ridge, meet with the staff, walk through, talk to people and see for yourself the caring environment that it is.

Our mother has been living at River Ridge for a year and a half and we have been very pleased with her experience. She had only been there 9 months before covid restrictions were put into place. River Ridge has done an amazing job putting safety measures in place for the residents and staff. As frustrating it is not to be able to see mom when they are in lockdown, the knowledge that they are keeping her safe outweighs the frustration. The staff is very attentive which is so appreciated. Moms medications have been brought to her with no issues. The staff works diligently to try to make things interesting for the residents in this strange time. Mom says the food is good and varied. The building is very well kept. The rooms are very nice and the weekly cleaning is a very nice plus!(as well as laundry!!) It’s easier to reflect on pre-covid as there were many more activities available for the residents, trips to restaurants or museums, the Bistro in the lobby, daily ice cream socials and happy hour, movies etc. Hopefully this will be back sooner rather than later but in the meantime they are doing a great job and working their hardest to make River Ridge a great place to live! They are succeeding!

My mother is a current resident of River Ridge. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am extremely hard to please but I can genuinely say that I am extremely pleased with our experiences thus far at River Ridge. The staff is amazing, thoughtful and caring. My mother is gluten-free and on her move in day she was greeted with a Welcome Basket full of gluten-free treats that I know the Executive Director went out and bought herself. My mother moved in to River Ridge during Covid so it is hard to say what the activities will be like once Covid is a thing of the past, but I've got to tell you that the daily ice cream delivery to my mom's apartment is an amazing treat! I strongly recommend River Ridge....trust me if it's good enough for my mom (and my high standards) it will be great for your loved one!!!