Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Lakeland, FL

"American House Zephyrhills is the one that we're going to pick. It's the newest of the ones we've visited. It was originally built for independent living, so the rooms feel like you're in an apartment. It doesn't really feel like you're in an assisted living. It's very much laid out so that it feels like you're walking in a hallway of a hotel. It's very nice, and it's up to date such that they have kitchen areas with actual wooden cabinets that are up to date. They actually have full-sized refrigerators and full stoves. The stoves are not hooked up, but if you have someone who is still mentally aware, they will consider hooking the stove up for them. There was no other place that actually even had a stove in the room. The only staff we talked to was the person who gave us the tour, and she was very knowledgeable and very nice. They have a pool table, a little bar area where they have a happy hour, a dining room, a private dining room, and an actual exercise area. The big thing that they have is the rehab facility on the second floor, so you don't have to go out for rehab. Their rehab is connected with the hospital; their staff comes and does rehab on site. They have different levels of care, and they rank them depending on what they need. Level 1 is the minimum, like getting them out of their bed. If they need bathing, that might take it to Level 2. They had a back courtyard, but the rooms that we looked at all had a balcony. The balconies have room for two seats and a small end table, so people can go outside without leaving their room."

"It is a very big community. They have several floors. It is the best one I've visited. It's very clean and very well structured. The staff was very nice and seemed to be concerned about our situation. However, in the end, they couldn't help us because of my brother's criminal record in the past. The dining area was set up like a hotel. The private room was nice and roomy, and it had a bathroom. The residents all seemed happy and engaged in whatever activity they were doing."

"Florida Presbyterian has a large community. They have life care and they are rated 5-star by the State of Florida. They just built a new addition of independent living apartments which are stunning and they're on a lake. You don't have to be Presbyterian but my husband is an ordained Presbyterian minister. His mother has been there for almost 40 years so we're very familiar with the place. My problem is I don't prefer Florida. If we can get around that, that's probably the best place to be but it's not totally what we want to do. I would certainly recommend this place. "

"Estates at Carpenters was very nice and essentially decorated with the help of the residents. The food was very good. I like the environment, the safety, and the concerned people. The rooms and grounds were very nice. They have trees -- so that helps with the shade -- and the view was nice. It was very comfortable and pleasant. They had a pool and a gym with several work out machines, walking path, and bicycles. They have activities every day like games, movies, library, walking groups, and water aerobics type of things. "

"My grandmother lives in Vienna Square which is a 55+ community, and it is wonderful. It's really small and has a hospice right next to the building. Their homes are town homes and affordable. They are very active, with aerobics at the pool, morning yoga, book club, bridge club and a lot of stuff. The amenities are very nice and brand-new. Her house is very nice, and they take very good care of the areas in the community. The value of the property that she lives at far outweighs what we have paid for it. I think that the amenities that they provide and the facilities they have are worth more. The community overall is very fun. My grandmother has lived in a few senior communities and this one is by far the best."

"I liked StrawBerry Ridge because it was quiet and serene. The mobile homes that I saw were the ones that somebody else had lived in, but the layout was very easy to move around in. They also had brand new mobile homes available. The people there were friendly. They have a lot of activities there. The staff was awesome and helped a lot in explaining things. It was a good location for me because you don't get all that noise even though you're close to restaurants and malls. The grounds were very clean and easy to maneuver. There were flower gardens, so they made it nice and cozy."