Senior Living in Duval County, FL

"Brookdale Avondale was very, very clean. When I walked in, I didn't smell anything. The staff showed us the entire place, and it was very nice. I love the way it was set up because it felt like an apartment setting as opposed to a nursing home. All the doors were closed. They had addresses or names or some type of identity on every door. And I was just impressed. It was sparkling. The staff who gave the tour was wonderful. She was so patient and so caring. She was great. The dining room was clean. They had a library. Everything was clean, nice, and comfortable looking."

"We're planning to move Mom into Brookdale Crown Point. What I liked is that it is solely focused on memory care. It doesn't have any assisted living residents. We liked the director. We loved the fact that she knows everything about all the residents there and seems to be so involved and caring in their care. We love the grounds, the way the rooms are, the way they have these beautiful walkways and butterfly gardens and nice patio courtyard. Everything looked very clean and well taken care of. It's a very homelike community. It feels like a big family home instead of a nursing home. I loved their menu. They showed us what they have for food for the residents. I liked the fact that the residents seemed truly happy and well taken care of. The maintenance was perfect. The rooms seemed very orderly and clean. The staff seemed amazing. They seemed like they truly cared about the residents, and they took good care of them. They also know everything about them. The residents were gathered in the main room watching a show and doing karaoke. The food looked like food that would be served in a high-end restaurant. We liked the way that the facility was situated. It had nice, wide hallways, common rooms and the actual bedrooms. They all seemed clean and taken care of. The outside area was beautiful, where the residents can go and sit and enjoy the weather. It stood out from the other ones that we visited."

"I am a resident of Augustine Landing. The meals are outstanding. We have housekeepers who come in once a week. They have different activities throughout the week, and it's fun here. It's very pretty outside. It's a stucco building, and it's just really nice. Everybody has a balcony or a porch. We have a dining room where we go to, and get three meals a day. They have trivia and bingo, as well as community activities. The value of the money is excellent."

"My father moved to Wyndham Lakes in Jacksonville. He is there for independent living, and we like that he has his own room. The cleanliness is pretty good, and the staff has great communication. I haven't eaten there, but he said the food is okay. They have a gathering room, a little store, a piano room, and a game room. It also has a covered walking area. There are a lot of things my dad could do to get out."

"We went to Brookdale Mandarin for an event, and the visit was very eye-opening. They have a wonderful place. The manager gave us a tour of the facility, and some of the independent living apartments that people are living in. The place was well-run and well-managed. The event we went to didn't have the Beatles or a named rock group, but they had a nice group of people there for dinner and an easy, relaxed event. I'd say I was very impressed with it. It's not our cup of tea, but it really opened my eyes as I'm sitting here in the house I have right now. I have an acre of land that has to be mowed every week. I have trees that need trimming. I have things that need some attention on the house and all that stuff. If I were in Brookdale, I wouldn't have that problem. It would just be taken care of, and I'll be in a lovely building with a nice view here and there. It had a swimming pool outside and a lot of that stuff. It's pretty nice. We just kind of wanted to look at what options there are. Obviously, home ownership is one thing, but it's a whole other job or two. My wife is kind of infirm too, so I've got a job with her, a job with the house, paying bills, and walking the dog. It's plenty, and this place would be a nice option. I wish we had known about it earlier. The person who helped us gave us a tour and took us around a little bit. She knows what she's doing."

"Sodalis Jacksonville is very nice and clean. The people there are amazing. My friend seems to like it well. He's happy there. As long as he's happy there, I'm happy. They treat him well. The staff is very good. He has just a one-room apartment, and it has a bathroom on the side. It has a mini kitchen with a little refrigerator and a microwave, and then I bought him a coffee pot and a toaster. It's like a little studio, but it doesn't have a stove or anything; it's just a microwave. They seem to have quite a few activities. They take them to appointments a couple of days a week. They have a movie theater, you can go sit and watch a movie, and they have a place where you can work out. They play bingo and stuff like that. He said the food is pretty good. I think he's getting a good deal for his money for what he's getting."

"I went to Brookdale Mandarin Central. They were very nice, very good, and thorough with their touring. We appreciate it. It's very clean and very nice. Everything is in good repair. The residents seemed happy, nice, and clean. We've been to some other nursing homes before and this is pretty nice, so we liked it."

"Grand Living at Tamaya is very pretty but very expensive. It had the exact same layout as the other Grand Living place, using the same cabinetry and everything. The common areas and the library looked exactly the same. They had the same piano, too. It was very nice. The people who assisted us were very nice, very friendly, and very helpful. They answered all of our questions. If we asked somebody a question and they didn't know it, they knew who to ask so that we would get an answer right away. They had appetizers for us on the day that we went, and they were really, really good. They have a swimming pool, a game room, and a bar. They had a beautiful place where they did painting, and there was somebody who was teaching people how to paint. They did some theater stuff there, too. They know what they're doing. They keep everything clean, modern, and updated as much as possible. Their staff is very well trained."

"We went to Camellia at Deerwood for my ward. We liked everything about it, the staff, the availability of activities, and the socialization. The staff was very professional and engaging. They talked to the ward to see what her likes and dislikes were. They have a dining room where they come and take your order. They have waiters and you get to order from a menu, three meals a day. The rooms are nice and everything is airy. Everything is nicely carpeted, cleaned, and painted. My ward, who I took, has been adamant about not moving at all. And before we left, she said, "I like this place.""

"I will move into HarborChase of Mandarin. The main reason I chose it was that it's close to home. Everybody was professional and answered all my questions. It was all very good. The food was very nourishing. It wasn't the same food everybody gets out of things. I had lobster, my brother-in-law had filet mignon, so I don't think it's probably something they give to everybody."

"I looked at Cypress Village. That was nice. I like it but it costs a fortune to get in there. The grounds are beautiful, the apartments are nice, the services are good but too expensive. The person who accommodated me during the tour, she's very good."

"I toured Brookdale Orange Park. It was a very nice facility, clean, and looked very safe. Everybody there was very, very friendly and helpful. I was very impressed with everything I saw. It's a small community, which is nice. The staff who gave the tour, we hit it off very, very well. They will get back to me as soon as they have any openings. I checked their dining area and met some of the residents. Everybody seemed very happy. It's an older building, but it has kept up very nicely."

"Palagio Senior Living is a brand-new building. Everything is in order. It's perfect, and it looks like it's going to be a great success. It's beautiful. The staff members were very cooperative. They answer all your questions and they have the right answers to every question. They have it all together. They have everything there. The only complaint I have is that they don't have enough handicapped parking, but the lady said that is not under their control. It is designated by the highway department. They had about 6 or 8 handicapped parking spots and they were all full. Other than the few handicapped parking spots, they have a very nice facility, and everything is just beautiful."

"My mom will stay where she is at, which is here. We just worked some other financial things out to make it more affordable. It's a wonderful place, and we don't want her to leave. The food is good, it is not 100% like home, but they do a nice job. The staff members are the best ever. Everyone is just amazing. This place is the best we have been at. They have lots of activities. They have the regular arts and crafts, exercise, music, and speakers. They do a wonderful job, they don't ever slack on anything, and they really provide great care. Most everything is inside, but they have a garden type place that they can go out, and there's a gazebo and a courtyard, too."