Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Asheville, NC

"My friend has been very comfortably placed at Brooks Howell. As far as I know, it has all the different levels so if you go in at one level and you need stepped up care, you can stay there and you'd be given more care. She needed to be in the nursing home. She couldn't cook her own meals. She can dress herself and she is allowed to be taken out. I wanted to take her out to church in some days and they were very careful to make sure they got her sister's permission. They had good methods. Then when I was allowed to take her out, they're happy to see me and they're pleased she's getting out. I have to sign her and then sign her out so I like the way the home is run. When we've taken her to church, it's been over lunch time. As soon as we've got back, they brought her dinner, too. They asked her before she left what she wanted. As soon as she got back, they brought it to her room for her as they've already eaten. I know some people who have Alzheimer's or some level of dementia. They look after them as well. I have actually volunteered there some years ago that's how I was familiar with this. It's lovely, clean and very friendly. She has her own bedroom and her own bathroom with very cozy fire. It's been nice and warm but not too warm, I think very comfortable. I have another friend who has someone in there and she's been very pleased as well. I think they have activities and they're quite varied. Sometimes they're making things. Sometimes, it's entertainment and they have a very nice dining room so Helen is able to get up and go to her meals. I think she can have them brought, too, if she's not feeling well. "

"Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community is a life care center. You go in with independent living and then you can go to assisted living and then to nursing care. So once you're there, you don't have to move again and we like that about it and the five-star rating they have. We are also Episcopalian so many of our priests are on the board. Our bishop is on the board so I know they've never tossed anybody out when they run out of money, whereas other places have these long contracts. You're there for the rest of your life and they will take care of you. The apartment has a washer and dryer and a complete kitchen. Before you move in, you can have it painted with the colors that you like. They spend eight weeks personalizing it for you in terms of the colors, the flooring, the countertops, and whatnot. All the appliances come as part of the furnishings. Everybody there seems to be very satisfied. The staff was wonderful, very good, and very helpful. There's a flexible meal plan. You can have the main meal of the day or you can have six meals a week if you want to eat out and spill or you can have five meals. If you decide to go out of town for a week, you can suspend the meals. The food is excellent. They have guestrooms, so you can stay overnight for two or three nights or however long you want to during the week. We've eaten the meals there and enjoyed the amenities. During the weekends, they reserve both guest rooms for the relatives of residents."

"Givens Estates was quite beautiful. It was high-end, but also expensive. It was like going to a resort. It was interesting to us that it puts itself forward as a not-for-profit, yet it was glamorous. The people seemed happy. We saw a lot of residents. It had everything I could think of and more. They had a room where you could have live entertainment with a spacious stage and just a lot more options. The apartments were lovely. We saw a two-bedroom and there wasn't anything about it that was negative. They were fairly new, so they had lots of light, tall ceilings, and stuff that appeals if you can pay for it. The facilities were all lovely. They had a workout room, a pottery room, and woodworking."

"I am the POA for a resident and I have been impressed with the staff and they have worked with me on several issues and have gone above and beyond. The home is clean and has good ratings!! I would highly recommend Pisgah Manor!!"

"I've chosen Ardenwoods Retirement Community for its overall ambiance, for the benefits they offer, and the activities they offer. They have many activities, and many amenities. They will be doing all my packing and unpacking. They just have a lot to offer. They have an indoor heated swimming pool, and the grounds are lovely."

"Carolina Village had wonderful amenities. Their stuff was new. It was very very well done. The overall construction feel of the project felt very, very good. We've eaten there several times and the food was very good. The cleanliness was excellent. We thought it was a very well-kept facility. We looked at the villas mainly that were duplex or townhouse type. While small, they were nice. One of them we looked at was quite a bit older. Some of the others got newer as they increased their facility, but overall the floor plans were very nice. The salespeople we talked to were excellent. The facilities are great. They have wonderful maintenance people and if there's a minor problem, they repair it immediately."