Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Richmond Heights, OH

"We toured Richmond Heights Place. It's beautiful and nice. It was quiet, which was kind of striking to me. I didn't see a lot of people sitting around even though we went around 6:00 in the evening. So I was kind of surprised I didn't see seniors sitting out, eating, or anything like that, but the place was clean and well-lit. The people we saw seemed very friendly. The staff who assisted me was delightful. The dining area was clean. It seemed like there were a lot of activities like day trips. You're among other people so you know you're not isolated. You can commune, so to speak, as much as you want or as little as you want. That's the impression I got. Also, the fact that they offer three meals a day was good. They had a place where if you chose to cook your own food, you could do that, too. What was also impressive was they had a residents' meeting where they got input from the residents. The person that gave us the tour mentioned residents saying that they wanted X, Y, or Z to eat, and they wanted it prepared a certain way. He talked about how they made changes based on what the residents said. We thought that was good."

"The employees are wonderful, very helpful & always pleasant when you’re interacting with them. The residents are also very nice. I’m very happy here. "

"My mother will be moving into McGregor. I was happy. We felt very welcomed. There were a lot of amenities there. McGregor PACE provides some other services for my mother, so this will put her closer to those services and also align her as she gets a little older with assisted living and those things. She will be in an independent living apartment at McGregor and because it's independent living, she will be able to cook her own meals and things of that nature. She won't have food service. They have field trips, they have a laundry room onsite and there's no charge for that, and there is a weekly hair appointment. There's a person that comes to do their hails and nails, and she can sign up for those things. The independent living building that she will be in is in the same complex as assisted and nursing, so the good thing about that again is if she gets to that point where she needs additional help, she doesn't have to change her community. They're right on that same campus and transition as needed. The staff is very helpful. The facility is clean. The room has just been remodeled, so everything is nice, new, clean, and fresh."

"The nursing home area is clean. Internet and cable TV are included. They are frequently understaffed and while most of the staff are caring and want to do a good job call buttons often don't get answered in a timely manner due to the understaffing. The temp staff hired to help cover the staffing gaps often don't care and many don't appear to make much of an effort to read about the needs of the resident beyond minimal requirements. Mom was first was in independent living (not evaluating that here as that may have changed since she lived there) then assisted living and then their nursing home unit. The regular staff are good, the "rent a staff" they use from an agency not so much so. They are chronically understaffed (I gather that is a national problem). When my mother was actively dying (which they knew that day she was) they didn't answer the call button nor the area desk phone for over 45 minutes. They only checked in twice with us in a 4-5 hour period, As they walked past the room they could have done a quick check. They didn't. We, the family, had to decide she had actually died and then go looking for someone (we didn't want to leave while she was dying in case she died while one of us were not there). Hopefully that was an anomaly. After she died what went on was appropriate. Two of the staff had come to see her the evening before she died (she died the next day) knowing she didn't have much time left. One, who wasn't assigned to her the day she died - and actually she worked the 3pm shift, my parent died shortly before that shift - , actually volunteered to clean up her body and dress her in what we wanted her dressed in. We appreciated that as we knew she cared about her. Sometimes clothing, even with their name on it (they provide iron on name tags if you want them - you need them), goes missing (or you get someone else's) after they do the laundry. When you say something sometimes the items are found and sometimes not. Other items can sometimes go missing as well. Food ranges from reasonably good to not very good (dried out, tough...). Many things are too salty, high cholesterol, pretty spicy, etc.. While they offer special diets for people with diet needs, the menu (both the regular menu and the diet needs ones) has little variety. If food is cold they can heat it up if asked. Special requests can be made (for example in season fruit daily with a meal). Physical therapy, some social activities happen in the building. There is a bus that can take them to the pool and gym (but in the nursing home and assisted living facility that is not likely going to be used by them since they need help and that won't be provided on the bus or once they get there unless they are having physical therapy in, for example, the pool). There are also outside activities (like off campus things - symphony, tours, theater, etc., but again, those are more likely to be used in the independent living areas of the complex. That all levels of care (or lack there of) is offered in one place is helpful. The complex is large with many buildings, half houses, luxury apartments, more basic apartments, etc. paths, a pond... They do have some senior hud apartments that residents who run out of money can be put on the waiting list for (and they have priority over outsiders). Those apartments are scattered in the independent living apartments so no one will know they live in subsidized apartments. Those living in senior hud are still required to buy the evening meals which may stress their budget. There is a senior hud just around the corner that doesn't have the meal requirements if your family member needs senior hud but can't afford the meals (all senior hud has waiting lists though - often more than a year). The visiting hours for families are pretty much all day every day which is helpful. Family, if they notify the kitchen in advance (and there is a cost), can eat meals with their family member (or buy a microwave dinner at the grocery store near by, heat it up in the microwave and eat it with your family member). In the nursing home area staff do feed some of the residents and some have family members come to help them eat. In independent living out of town family members can spend the night with their family member in their apartment. If your family member is in assisted living, the nursing home, memory care... that is not possible. Generally speaking the entire complex is family visiting friendly and does have areas where families can visit that are outside of their room if they so desire. Overall I'd say their facilities are reasonably good and well kept up. The days they are fully staffed care is good (if not or if they have contract temps it is far less so). Everything is kept clean, food could use some improvement, there are far more limited activities for those in assisted living and the nursing home than in the rest of the complex. I noticed what activities they did offer presumed cognitive impairment which my parent did not really have until the last months of life. What is offered in independent living is far better, although sometimes expensive (she lived there prior to moving to assisted living). The grounds are well kept up, many gardens, paths, geese and ducks in the pond, benches to sit on on the paths, etc. Overall I'd say that it is likely this is one of the better places to have a family member live, although there are some short comings that you will need to serve as a back up for/be aware of."

"The other place on our top two is Judson Park. We are very familiar with Judson Park because my mom was there, and we have friends who are there and if we decided to stay in Cleveland, that's where we would go. They're flexible in terms of allowing you to combine apartments if you want to. They have outings to the symphonies, they have music on site, they have a little art studio, they have a little fitness center, and they are one of the ones where you pay an entrance fee. They have a continuing care facility. I've eaten there, and their food is good. We have friends who live there, and so we go and have dinner with them periodically in their independent living. We get to see their apartments and talk to them about how they like it. They're all very happy there. The staff members have been very good and very patient with us as we looked at different things."

"I went to Heritage at Seven Hills. It was a great neighborhood. It was more of a group home. Everybody was under one roof. It was kind of like having roommates, which was a good thing. I met a couple of the staff and their activities director, and I could see where everybody kind of came together all at once, so that was nice. It's a good environment. I like their common areas where everybody can come and congregate. You can see that they socialize more. The socialization was intimate. I think that will be good in memory care. Because it was like a house, it was beautiful. You can tell that they really take the time to make it a homey atmosphere for the residents, so I liked that part. They made it so you can decorate your room differently, which was nice."