The Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Essex County, MA

"Both my parents were in Edgewood and my father's passed on now, but my mother is still there. She's in assisted living now. I like the quality of care, the consistency and the continuity of the caregivers, some of the dining options, and what was of interest to her was a swimming pool. The food was very good. There are a lot of independent living facilities there, apartments and maybe townhomes that some people are having gardens. There is a lot of walking available, some trails, in the neighborhood, in the wooded area, and around. They show some movies, they have a little library, a computer room and there are teaching available company videos. There's a lot to stimulate the mind. They have some speakers that come in. She's only been in assisted living for the last four months. I have visited with her briefly just by phone and then Facetime. They interact well with the residents as I would observe. They're very caring. They maintain them well and they have a dedicated maintenance staff and they are responsive to the residents' request for services and deal with issues pretty promptly. I haven't participated in there but a few when I visited, so it's limited but it was very positive when I did. For an institution, they had a variety in food and the quality of what they served was good and there was consistency."

"I went to The Berkeley Retirement Home. The guy was very nice that gave us a tour. He was informative and pretty thorough on what he told us. The reason why I didn't go with it is because it was really small. It's a really old building and the downstairs where they have the dining room is like painted brick walls. It just didn't seem that homey, and it seemed a little cold. My friend's mom is there and she loves it, but I really can't say too much because I haven't really experienced staying there. Some people like that smaller atmosphere where there's only a few people, which is nice, because you can get to know more people and be closer to them than have a bigger place. For the price, they were just shy of the price I'm paying at this other facility, and they seemed a lot more to offer. They're all in one area, and the only thing I didn't go to is the nursing home side of it. It was clean. It was an older building, but it seemed to be in good shape."

"My mother has been in Bayberry at Emerald Court. It's assisted living and memory care, but it's private pay. So the funds I have for her is dwindling, so she needs to be moved. Our overall experience here has been very good. I go three times a week, so they know me, and she's been very happy there. But once your money runs out, then you need to go somewhere else. The staff is very good, and they respond very quickly. I'm there so often. If I have concerns or questions, they're addressed very quickly. My mother's a very fussy eater, so sometimes she'll say, "If I like it, I eat it. And if I don't like it, I don't." The place is immaculate and the layout of the faciilty is very good. There are three floors, there's an elevator to access it, and it's very easy to maneuver around. Every day, from morning till early evening, there are activities, like they bake, they play games, they do exercises, and they keep them busy with bingo. They know the residents by name. I just feel that they're very, very good. "

"We toured The Gables at Winchester. It was large, open, and spacious. It was perhaps not as modern and updated as the others. When it was done, it was very well done. Everything was nice and big. The residents looked happy. There were a lot of them talking to each other, which I liked. I know how it is at that age; there's a lot of snoozing going on. The mood was a little happier in this one. The staff was great. There was a big pool table in the corner of the room when you walk in. My husband spotted that. I wouldn't have even noticed. I probably would have set up lunch there. It wouldn't matter to me, but that made him happy. They had a nice outdoor area where they have parties and serve lunch sometimes, if it's not too hot. It was very spacious. There were rooms upstairs, including a beauty salon. It was a big one. There were people in the salon. I could see the person doing hair, and there was a lot of talking going on there. It felt alive. There was a little extra kitchen area up there for people that wanted a snack any time of the day. The apartment was nice, new, and clean. The bathroom was well set up, and that's important. It had a TV. They provide the linens. They bring in as much care as he needs. They will charge him for it, but it's available. They're not going to say you need a higher level of care somewhere else; they're just going to add the care. That's number one. They also had the physical therapy room with somebody there that can do physical therapy on a daily basis. It was really important to us."

"I am highly impressed with the care my mother receives at the Ross Worthen Memory Care Unit at Carleton Willard skilled nursing facility. The staff are invested in their work and are so caring. They treat my mother with respect and dignity. The rooms & premises are well kept. The staff follow Covid-19 guidelines carefully and do all they can to keep the residents safe. The occupational/recreational team creatively offer a wide range of innovative group activities. The leadership including program manager and nurse manager are very involved, on site and promptly respond to patient needs and family questions. "

"My parents have moved in to Visiting Nurse Association. Their building is fairly new and it's very clean. Their apartment is very small, but it has a walk-in bathroom and kitchenette. We went there for lunch and the food was very good. It's kind of like going to a restaurant. It was probably better than we expected. The staff were very friendly and helpful in answering our questions. "

"I am happy to have had the pleasure of working at this facility. God Bless all of the staff and residents as they go through this time of transition. Best to each and every one during the upcoming move. "

"What I like best about Brookhaven at Lexington is the apartments and the communal activities. My friend is very happy there and is very happy with the staff. I had dinner there and it was excellent. It's really an outstanding facility. They have everything in terms of activities. The reason why my friend chose Brookhaven at Lexington is because of its location. Also, it's highly recommended."

"I was able to eat at The Cambridge Homes and can say that the food is very good. The dining area seemed very nice. The service was very good, too. The staff and management seemed very good. "

"My friends will be moving into the RiverWoods at Exeter. The tour experience was great. They did a nice job. It's a lovely facility, so we're pleased that they're going to be there. Plus, it's only four miles from our house. The staff was very knowledgeable, very professional, and very cordial. It is a very professionally well-run facility. The facility was well set up, clean, and well-maintained. They have a variety of facilities, depending on the level of care. It's a large facility. They have accommodations spread out across the facility. The assisted living facility is kind of centralized. The people said the food was good."

"Concord Park is like a 20-year old facility, so they're remodeling everything. It was under construction and they're expanding. But the rooms they showed us that had been updated were beautiful, you have nice, little, granite countertops, and new carpet, new flooring of the bathrooms, the works. They'll look brand new when they're done, but right now they're in the middle of construction, so it's a little bit of a mess. I did like them. They did have memory care. They try to not use sugar, white sugar, and stuff because they think that's bad for your memory or your brain, which is kind of nice. They testified that they had a healthy brain diet there. So they let us sample the muffin, which is good. I know the lack of sugar, but they were good. The people who showed us around were great. We did want to go there and they did take some sort of financial assistance and stuff, but they pointed us to their sister location. They were kind of helping us find places that were a little bit more reasonable."

Welcome to The Woods! If you're searching for retirement community in New England, RiverWoods CCRC is a great place to consider. Explore the links below to learn more about RiverWoods’ history, our mission, national accreditation, awards and leadership. You will also find information on Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) as well as current career openings on campus. Our original campus, The Woods, received a fresh new look in 2015. The entrance, Front Desk, and Woods Café have been transformed and serve as a bright, welcoming new hub of activity. The art and music rooms, Founder's Parlor, and other areas have also been updated, and the campus is now WiFi enabled. Circled by long-standing groves and bordering the Exeter River, The Woods has several miles of easily accessible walking trails. The plant room is home to active gardeners, and the woodshop always has several works in progress. The two art studios and the music room are active, and often you can see a group creating Nantucket baskets. Like all three of our campuses- people from all walks of life make this place a vibrant community. To learn more about this provider’s license and review other available state reports, please visit: New Hampshire Online Licensing Facility Search

"My Mother was a resident of Lasell Village for 13 years. My husband and I spent many hours at the facility during that time and we were always delighted by the facility. The meals were extremely well cooked with a wonderful menu from which to choose. The apartment was lovely, the rooms were spacious and the windows allowed lots of light and nice views. The staff were always courteous and responsive There was always so much to do, Mother particularly loved working on her garden and taking classes at Lasell University. As a published poet, she enjoyed the poetry classes tremendously! The ample storage was a real asset for all of her writings as well as her wardrobe. The swimming pool delighted her as well as the scenic settings for her daily walks. Many family members often visited her there and were impressed as we were by this wonderful alternative living facility. We highly recommend it."

"We chose Fox Den because it was affordable, the people were very helpful with the tour, and it seemed like a pleasant place. She has a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom, and there's a common dining room with tables and chairs, and a common meeting place. It had pretty grounds and good surroundings. "