Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Durham, NC

"My dad is happy in a ground-level apartment in Whispering Pines. He loves it. The food is excellent. The people and staff are great. They have managers who live there. It offers good activities and a caring environment. Wendy, Chris and Jed, the manager, have been super helpful in terms of helping him get acclimated to the surroundings. It is very nice. "

"My friend was a resident of the Forest at Duke. It was much more expensive than we thought. They had a pool and games. They had a large dining room. They have paintings. They had a lot of things for the people who lived there. The staff was friendly but close-chested and didn't want to give too much information. They would say, go to our website, or things like that. The staff seemed very professional and knew what they were doing. I looked at the menu and the dining area. It looked like the people ate well."

"Croasdaile Retirement Center is a wonderful facility. One of the things that sets it apart, are it's upscale buildings and beautiful scenery. It has a nice rural feel with sidewalks winding through trees and around ponds. It is surrounded by beautiful homes and there is a golf course near by. The Croasdaile Farms area, where Croasdaile Retirement is located, has well kept sidewalks as well as walking trails. The grounds are well manicured and you feel as if you are at an upscale apartment complex rather than a retirement community. They have wonderful, restaurant grade food and regularly invite the community for gatherings where they offer meals. Definitely not a cafeteria feeling when dining here. They also offer many community sponsored events where the public is invited to the grounds. One example of this is an antique car show that was just held. Things like this give residents the opportunity to feel that they are participating with the community if they otherwise would not be able to. The staff is helpful and courteous, offering me directions when I visit. The location is perfect because there are museums, golf courses, bowling, and shopping all nearby for those able to participate and the center offers transportation. Another reason this is such a great place, and possibly the most important of all, is it's location when it comes to available doctors and medical facilities. Duke and Durham Regional Hospitals are right down the road, as well as Independence Medical Park and Duke Urgent Care and Triangle Orthopaedics. All in all, a wonderful place. The only drawback that I can think of is the cost. I don't know exact figures, but my understanding is that the place is quite expensive. I guess when you consider the amenities, it is understandable, but still, most people would not be able to afford this place. "

"Carol Woods is beautiful, nice, and so laid back. It's by far my favorite and the one I would choose if I had to sign up now. It's owned by the people who live there and adjacent to a lot of townhouses, where people can live as they wait to become part of the Carol Woods community. It has lots of woods where people can walk around. It's very comfortable and not close to anything. It's not too expensive, but it has a long waiting list; a one- or two-bedroom has an eight- to 10-year waiting list."

"Carolina Meadows is an elegant and well-developed community with lots of facilities. They have four excellent restaurants, a club bar, a tennis court, and a golf course. It is the best one I have seen. It is as though it is a small country club resort. Everything about it is first class. The staff members are very cordial, very nice, and well-trained. I had eaten dinner there twice and the food was excellent. It was good as any restaurant."

"Preston Pointe is nice and impressive, and there is nothing wrong with it, but those people were old, and I am not that old. They were in walkers and wheelchairs. "