Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Durham, NC

"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."

"The staff at Croasdaile Village was very friendly and very nice. The food was excellent. The rooms were homey and clean. They had swimming and exercise facilities. It wasn't a gated community. "

"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."

"My parents lived at Carolina Meadows for many years. It was the best retirement decision that they could have made. They lived in a large Villa for years, and then transitioned to the Fairways and finally, to the Pines. The environment was perfect for them. The other residents were similar to my parents: successful in business, worldly and very social. The atmosphere was very friendly; not stuffy at all. The food was outstanding. For years, I would meet my parents every Thursday there for lunch, and it was a real treat. The food was that good. Many family holiday meals were enjoyed at the dining room. Their Villa was perfect for them. Spacious, it was a high-quality build, and maintenance was always friendly and very responsive whenever something needed attention or fixing. I think that the best and most impressive part of Carolina Meadows is the staff. As they aged and depended on the staff more at each transition, my parents received amazing care. My sister and I became more involved as time went by. We made many unannounced visits, and at no time did we ever observe anything but excellent care for Mom and Dad. If you are on the fence about committing to this place, just do it! Like my parents, I think that you will discover that it will be the best retirement decision that you can make. "

"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. "

"We had money down at Searstone. It's an assisted living place and a big one. I liked it because it was closer to my daughter than some of the places. That would probably be where I would go on a permanent basis when the time comes. I've been there several times. It's a beautiful community. A couple of my neighbors have gone there and love it. They have a variety of entertainment scheduled, Bible studies, and church services. It's pretty self-contained for just about all the needs. It's expensive, but they all are. The staff is excellent. They've been there for quite a while. The one gal has been there since 2019, so it's nice to have that continuation of the same people you speak to. I figure they're doing a great job or they wouldn't have stayed that long. My friends that are there now are very pleased with the food quality. The building is very high-end. The units are larger than most. They offer a nice variety of sizes. They have plenty of walk-around space there, but it's more out in the open. They are within walking distance to stores and restaurants, so that is a plus for that community, but it's not close to a wooded area or anything where you can take walks."