Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Lancaster, PA

"Woodcrest Villa is top of the line. It's probably the second nicest in the county that my mother lives in. They have Bingo, a pool, a gym, they get them into little groups at night and play dominos or Skip-Bo. They have a raised garden and they let people grow vegetables or whatever they want to grow. They have a dog park. There are different sizes and kinds of rooms. Her room is not huge, but it's not a studio, it's a 1-bedroom with a bath and a full kitchen. She really likes the staff. However, she told me that sometimes the food is cold and sometimes it's not seasoned very well. The dining area is big and you have all you can eat in the one dining room and you can go back as many times as you want. They also have another dining room that you can be served in and a cafe, which is only open at lunchtime. There's a small store there where you can buy food and other items. They have a bank on location, a hairdresser, and a pharmacy. If you need blood work, you can get that done there, too. They have a doctor that comes in and you can make an appointment to get your nails cut there. One of the best things about it is if you run out of money, they don't kick you out. You always have a place to stay."

"My parents were about the first to move into the manor. Throughout Mom’s 34 year residence in 4 of the communities from independent to assisted to skilled, we were very pleased with the care and support given. Great opportunities for activities, making friends, and having input into the running of the “empire”! Since mom passed I am still on communication with staff members. Renovations to apartments and common areas are an ongoing thing keeping the buildings fresh and new. Mom was on several committees for feedback on several aspects of running WV. She was even asked to lead an art project in her 90’s. When my parents moved in people were allowed to bring existing pets but not get new ones. This is a facility run by people with open minds and they soon realized that pets are the world to seniors. Now the even have a dog park. Imagine what else the have."

"My mother moved in already in Brethren Village. We chose it because of the location and the facilities. The staff is excellent. They answer all of our questions, were very attentive, very responsive to any concerns that we had, and very concerned about making sure that she was happy. She's in rehab right now. She's in about a 12x12 room and there are two rooms that share one bath. She will be in personal care there next week. There's a difference between personal care and assisted living, but it's just a step up. They get a little more help than in assisted living. The dining area is excellent. They have physical therapy there. It's like a four-hotel hotel, and it's very expensive. It costs as much as a cruise ship, but obviously, you're not on a cruise. Judging by other people that we talked to who had relatives in a similar situation, the price is right in line with every place else. It's just surprising that it costs as much as a cruise ship. We're very happy with the way everything has gone so far."

"We saw a couple of different model apartments at Willow Valley Communities. It is a large community. There are 2200 people there. There are a lot of facilities like swimming pools, gyms, bike paths, dog parks and all of that. We sampled the food and they did a pretty nice job. The upkeep was tremendous. I've been to that community a couple of times and each time it amazes me how well it's kept. The meals we had were very complete. You get a monthly meal allowance and the price of the food is fairly reasonable. The staff was very friendly, very nice, and very helpful in answering questions. The people who live there were very helpful in answering questions, too. It was by far the nicest community that I've seen."

"I toured Landis Homes. I like the place. What I didn't like about it was you had to go through a lot of hallways to get to the pool and some of the activities. They have a beautiful gym. What I liked about it was they manned their gym and their pool all the time that it's open. Now, some of these other communities don't. Landis Homes did, and they have a beautiful gym and pool, and they have railroads, trains. I sampled food there. They have three restaurants, too. It's very good. The staff is pleasant."

"We are going to be moving into Luther Acres. Everything is neat and clean. It is not too big and not too small. We like the layout of the apartments. We also like the fact that, as a non-profit, if you should run out of money, they can't kick you out. The rooms look great. All their different facilities look wonderful. They have a good exercise room and a nice pool. My sister and I are very adamant about having a decent pool with exercise classes and so on. Everything at Luther Acres was very nice. We really like it. Everybody we met was very nice. Even the girl who helped us out where we had our lunch was very pleasant and very helpful. They had great food, too."

"Moravian Manor was a wonderful facility. My mother was surrounded by loving staff, they were always improving the facility, and it’s just a beautiful location up Lichester Country. We were very pleased with the care that she got there for a long time. They would have bingo and different discussion groups. Once a month or so they would take them outings, and residents would do bowling from their wheelchairs so they would take them on different outings, and the grounds were beautiful. The meals were good, and they had a nice café in the building where you could purchase different items. "

"I went to St. Anne's Retirement Community. It's a beautiful residence and lots of real personality. One of the staff had done beautiful murals throughout the building. They care about making it feel like home. There were folks sitting outside when I came who lived there. They looked happy, and there was just a nice vibe when you walked in. They had less amenities than I expected, to be honest. They had social rooms, a beautiful chapel, and a nice cafe where you could go and you could dine with your family member as a guest; however, it looked like it was a cash restaurant (so it wasn't included in the meal plan). They had an activity room, and when I came they were about to start an activity. It looks like they've gotten people out of their rooms, and that was good to see. They have a policy where you have to eat two of the three meals in person each day. You can't just sit in your room; you really have to be part of the life of that place (at least that's how it seemed). I was disappointed in the rooms. It kind of almost looks like a nice studio setup where you have a little fridge and some even have sinks in the rooms, but then I realized that they did not have any staged rooms. They were just showing an empty room with a hospital bed in it. Each room had its own flat screen TV, and the landline was all ready to go. All you had to do was plug in the phone, so you didn't have to worry about TV and phone. I saw some of the actual residence rooms as I walked by, and they looked so cute. They looked like apartments, and I thought they were a different layout. It was because they live there and they were personalized, so I think that they need to pick a room and stage it. Otherwise it looks a little dismal, but they really can be adorable. They have a beautiful facility, and yet there wasn't a lot of worth from the admission staff. I think the staff who work there are probably fantastic. It was the admissions staff. I just wish they had been more enthusiastic about selling the place. It might be they don't need to because it's so popular, but that was concerning that they're not showing off how great it is. They had beautiful grounds; but for residents with higher needs, they don't have places to walk around outside. They had limited guest hours so that would be challenging."

"United Zion Retirement Community is very clean and well-kept. Their food is very good. They could use a little more staff. They're very nice, but each person has plenty to do. It doesn't have a swimming pool or some of the health things that other places have. I think the cost is a little less because of that. It's very well established. It's been here a long time. They have local people doing the cooking. I know they have invited some of the people who are in independent living to come into the kitchen and help them prepare food. They allow some of that, such as green beans, that they just need to have the ends snipped off and broken into pieces, things like that, not necessarily things that they would need to use a knife. I don't think they do a lot of trips and things like that. It's a very good value because it's a very safe place and very low key and I think that makes it very safe. There's nothing here I would improve. It's very secure. I chose it because of availability and reasonable rates plus their reputation here in town is excellent. They will be opening a new building and have 36 new apartments."

"I'm very pleased with St. John's Herr Estate. I am with people around my age so we have a lot in common. I got an apartment with a dining room, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and a full kitchen. So it's nice. They give me a $125 a month credit for my meals and I can go up and eat in their restaurant. I normally have breakfast every day and make my other meals myself. The menu is varied and it's always well-prepared, well-done, and never overcooked. It's great. We get all kinds of activities going on here. They have bus trips going down to the bank and shopping centers. Then they have bingo here, Wii bowling, shuffleboard, and all kinds of stuff going on. They even have a small farm at the end of the property where you can do some gardening if you want to. The staff is very friendly and cooperative. They'd do anything you ask them to do. The facility is almost brand new. It is clean and well-maintained. For what I paid to get in, it was more than reasonable. It's a one-time fee and then I pay a monthly fee for my apartment. It's a good price."

"Pleasant View Communities was very lovely, but it's more expensive than what we wanted to pay. They have a lot of good programs. There were bus trips that you could take, like to the grocery store. They have a dining room, a pool, and equipment that you can exercise. They have a lot of good things going on there. It's a very big home and they are now building more homes. The lady that took us around was very good, but we didn't meet any other staff. We ate in the restaurant that they have there, and that was very good."

"My brother is in Fairmount Homes for rehab. It's been wonderful, absolutely wonderful. It's beautiful, well run, well taken care of, and the nurses are all so nice. It's a great place to be. They're open and honest. They talk so you can understand what they're saying. So many of them use professional words that Mr. and Mrs. don't understand, but these guys are really good. They have a cafe, and it's OK. It's right on the very top of a ridge. You could see five miles in either direction."

"I have two sisters who live in Quarryville Presbyterian. Their food is excellent. My younger sister, who is in better condition, is very sociable, so she likes the activities there and tries to stay fit. The other one is getting older and has a little memory problem, but she loves to do puzzles, coloring, and loves to be with people when they sing (she loves to sing). So, she's involved, too. Their studio is very nice. It has two big windows and deep window sills, which I like, because I like plants. They are happy with what they have to offer."

"We went to visit Cornwall Manor because it didn't seem like it was a retirement community. They have single-family homes that retirees can get or apartments, and those are spaced out throughout the property. They're not all crammed into one place, and they have different kinds of apartments you can buy into, depending on what your needs are. There are a lot of amenities and we like what they have to offer, and they have an indoor swimming pool. The overall tour was very good and the staff that gave the tour was excellent. She was very knowledgeable, wasn't pushy, she says we take time to make our decision and she's willing to work with us. The facility was very clean and well kept."