The Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Polk County, FL

"I really like American House where both my parents are staying. It's very clean, and I didn't notice any smell when I was there. It is very nicely decorated. When I first walked in the door, I was greeted by three different people who were very friendly, inviting, and totally engaged in conversation. They answered my questions and showed me the whole building. The staff is very accommodating. The food was good. The only thing is that they tend to be short-staffed. The girls have really gone above and beyond with my parents for the most part. They have bingo, cards, Happy Hour, and entertainers who come in to sing. They also take them on outings. I think they have sufficient activities. For the amount of care my dad receives, it's reasonable. It may be a little bit on the higher side, but it's not outrageous."

"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 toured Florida Presbyterian Homes and I would recommend somebody to go visit it. I thought it was very nice. They would require a big buy-in, but the monthly payment would be less and the apartment was much nicer. Everybody seemed very attentive, caring, and friendly. The place was also very clean."

"My mom is a resident of The Estates at Carpenters. They have a lot of activities, so you can stay as busy as you'd like to be. She is a big card player. They have Wii bowling, a pool, aerobics in the pool, and they have aerobics in the morning for those that want to participate. The staff is excellent. They keep the place up well. It's North Lakeland and it is off of 98, so there's a lot of traffic up there. She has two bedrooms, 2 baths, and a small kitchen. It's nice, and it meets her needs. You can choose whether you get one meal a day or two meals a day. So many a month, they have different programs. I have a problem with the food. Once in a while, they'll throw in something different. I think they've changed cooks a lot. I'm usually not happy with the food, but lately, things have been improving a little bit. At least if you cook it yourself, you can change the taste or change what you do with the stuff. I don't feel that their food is up to par. I think they give them pretty good opportunities for activities. They have bingo and probably all the other stuff that people have at retirement homes. When she went in twenty years ago, well even now, you have to buy your apartment. And when you leave, it doesn't transfer over to your family or anything, you're just done with it. If she's in independent living and she goes to the nursing home part, she doesn't have to pay anymore. Of course, she's paid for as she went along. She would just go over there and if she got better from over there, then she would just go back to her apartment. They don't kick you out of your apartment fast. I think they're expensive, but I think it's worth it. With Covid, they did an excellent job keeping it at bay. I have friends down there with mother, and it wasn't until Covid had settled down that you could visit with the others."

"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."

"I went and saw Good Samaritan Society. It was a gated and secured community and it was very nice. What I really liked about them was that the building was done in Tuscany style. They had a lot of amenities. It had a golf course and they had seven villages. They had manufactured homes and duplex houses. They also had a three story apartments, which I looked at. They had a beautiful little lake with pavilion where you could have picnic; they had two pools, an indoor heated pool and an outdoor pool; they had a big library; they had a big and beautiful fitness room; they had a dining room and a cafe in it. The apartment was very comfortable. It had a huge bathroom and a full size kitchen with stove and refrigerator. It also had washers and driers. It also had a small patio, which I liked. They seemed to have more than the others and the price was comfortable. They had people that would come clean your room once a week. They had a shuttle that could bring you shopping or doctor's appointment. You could purchase a golf cart and drove around. They also had a medical facility in the property. "