Independent Living Communities in Deland, FL

"I toured Bahama Bay Club Luxury Senior Living. It's too expensive, and they can't accommodate my diet. However, it's a very attractive and nice place. It looks like you're in a resort. The facility was very clean, and the outdoors was kept nicely. The staff was very nice and friendly, and you felt welcomed."

"The Gallery at Port Orange was brand new. I went there on their first day of opening, so the tour guide was busy and we only interacted with her. I didn't see any other employees, but the facility was beautiful. The rooms were perfect. They had a pool, an exercise room, a courtyard, and lots of great sitting areas though."

"The girl in charge of Seagrass Village of Port Orange was very pleasant and gave a lot of good ideas. I know sometimes this sounds a little snobbish, but everyone was dining in the same room. Assisted living and independent living were all dining in the same room. Also, the whole facility was located in a very high-traffic community. It was right by Lowe's and all the traffic on the roadway and everything. It was in a high traffic area, so that was not appealing to me, but the facilities themselves were very nice, very neat, clean, and well decorated, and the staff was very friendly. Just the high traffic area was a big thing to me because we live in a gated community, so we don't have a lot of traffic on our roads. They showed us everything. They showed us all around the whole community."

"We are beyond impressed with CountrySide Lakes. The thing that got our attention first is that when you walk into the building, it always feels like there's a bit of a celebration happening. There are always people milling around, sitting in the chairs, and walking around. It feels like a very active community. They've always got music playing in the lobby. There's always somebody at the desk. There are two people, Peter and Janet, whom we've had the most amazing experience with. They've helped us for hours. They helped us get all signed up. My grandfather was very hard of hearing and it was difficult to explain things to him, and they met with him several times and went above and beyond. Then when my nana and my grandfather moved in, they had a very nice care package and people stopped by to see if we needed anything on the first day. My nana is in assisted care and she had to push her button to help get them to dinner and get them back and they are the most responsive. They come immediately. She doesn't have to wait. Their dining service is fast. The food is fantastic and they've got so many options. It's like a five-star hotel. They never make you or any of us ever feel like we are asking too much or we are a burden. We just cannot be more impressed with this facility. The meals are wonderful. The staff is fantastic. I think that they care. They are never a number to them. They know exactly who they are. They know every person that they pass. They'll call them by name and say hi, good morning, how are you doing? They know everybody's life story. They are just unbelievable. They are treating them like family. We have all their cell phone numbers and we can just text them and say "Hey, can you come here? We need this for help." So, they're always there. They have a pool and walking trails around their lake so your views are just gorgeous, but you're still in the heart of the city. You're near to everything, which is so unique. They have mini golf, a pool table in the lounge, and a happy hour bar. They also have the lobby and the atrium with tall, beautiful windows so you can sit inside, but still see all the landscape. They have a library, an arts and crafts room, an exercise room, and a salon. Even on their second day there, the salon woman was there and fit them into the day. So, they both got their hair cut and styled the first day they were there. It's not just for show. They use their things. They don't just have them."

"I was able to visit because it was very close to me and it's a new facility. I love it, but it was too big. It would be overwhelming for my parents. It was just a huge facility and my parents would have been too spread out and separated from each other because they would not be together."

"We chose Ormond of the Pines for my mom because of the amenities that it offers although she hasn’t moved in yet as we are waiting for an available apartment. They offer three meals a day and several activities all day long. The people that were there were friendly as well as the employees. The place is very clean and very nice. The room is spacious for one person. "

"I took a tour looking for my mom and all I can say is the Riviera is definetly a class act. I ate lunch and it was delicious from soup to nuts. Everyone was very accommadating I could not ask for more. I will be moving my mother in after the first of the year and I am sure she will feel like she is on the best cruise ship ever. "

"Lexington Place was clean and very professional. They had a lot of amenities. They have a bus to bring their residents on trips. They also have a lot of activities. There wasn't anything I didn't like about it. They have a salon, a library, an ice cream shop, a craft room, a TV room, and a dining area. It smells very clean there."

"My Aunt stayed here and when she first toured it, she called it “homey”. I live in PA and my Aunt’s DPOA, so being able to contact a live person was important for me if I was unable to reach my Aunt or if something was off. From Taylor at the front desk, the PT girls, the cafeteria staff, the aides to Stefany in charge of nursing…all of them were available for my call and if I had to leave a message they always called back. They offer an array of services and my Aunt loved the food! They were definitely an affordable place, but the staff was kind, caring and helpful. Great place!"

"My loved one is in Brookdale Island Lake (formerly Chambrel at Island Lake). The amenities and staff are very good. However, when we signed the contract, there were a few things they said were going to happen, like that a welcoming committee would call her, that didn't happen. That disappointed me because to me, that was the way to get her acquainted with other people in there. The apartments were very nice. I've seen the menu and there is a variety of things to choose from, so the food looks good. There's a bus that frequently takes them on trips and a pool for exercising as well as an offering of a lot of different activities and other exercise classes. She has a full kitchen in her room. "

"I arrived at The Savoy Gracious Retirement Living a couple of minutes early. I went into the office, and a man there, who appeared to be a manager of some type, said he will let the tour person know. I didn't have any place to really sit, so I sat at the edge of the dining area. It was getting toward eating time, so people were starting to gather. The funny thing is, when I walked in, two of the women were sitting in a little conversation area, and they were talking about, "I wish we were at the other place." The reason for that was that The Savoy is surrounded by concrete. There are parking lots and busy streets, but that's all. There is more parking at The Savory than there was at the other place, so that was nice, but it was a building next to other buildings, and it was not quite as nice to be outside. I waited for whoever it was who was going to tour, and it took about 10 minutes. I thought, "OK. They're not really excited about touring." One of the residents then asked me, "Are you waiting for someone?" And I said, "Yes. I'm waiting for a tour. So she went into the office, and this lady, the one that I saw go in, came out and said, "I was just going to call you to see where you were." I said, "A gentleman said that he was letting you know." "Oh, I don't check my texts when I'm out." So it didn't start very well. I expected to be welcomed. The tour itself was very nice. I got to see a couple of rooms, and they were probably nicer than the other place. It's definitely newer. I asked a resident who was eating, "How's the food?" He gave two thumbs up, so apparently the food is very good there. They provide a full-size refrigerator in the apartment. They have an area that they call a bistro that you can reserve, which has a full-sized oven and a stove. It is set up like a little cafe that you could actually use. They said people reserve it if they want to bake a cake or something, and they use that. I thought that was a nice touch. They serve three meals a day, so you never have to cook."

"We're going to move into the Lakeside at Waterman Village. The staff is wonderful, it comes highly recommended by people that we've known who'd move in there. They're creating a new section, and we're gonna be in a duplex rather than in an apartment style of living, which gives us a lot more feeling of independence in our lives. It's a two-bedroom, two-bath, it has a den, open space living, dining, kitchen, it has a garage with it, and a place for a golf cart as well in the garage. They have a meal program in the main building that you can take advantage of. It has restaurants, it has a lot of activities, and amenities. It's pretty much like any graduated, continuing-care living facility because they have their own onsite health program, and they actually have an onsite CVS pharmacy. It's pretty comprehensive, you get cleaning once a week, your meal program that comes with your monthly fee, and you stay in your home as you start to need assisted living care and medical attention. They're just starting the infrastructure in the space right now, which means they're putting in the sewerage, the electric, the roads, and they'll probably in the spring start the housing, which would include the garden homes and two apartment buildings."

"The Oaks at Waterman Village is the one that I like the best. I was very impressed with it. It's huge. I like the units because they have a full kitchen and washers and dryers. Most of the ones I looked at do not have washers and dryers in their rooms. I have dogs, and at The Oaks at Waterman Village, you're in your own little home and all kinds of grass and woods are behind you. So it's much simpler with dogs if you just have to walk out your back door for them. They have two pools, a fitness center, and a chapel where they have nondenominational service. There's a bridge that goes from one side of the road to the other side, which is amazing to me because it doesn't matter where you live, you can use both sides. They have one dining room that is very exclusive if you want something very special that day. They have quite a big library, and they have rooms where you can do crafting and play cards. They have card rooms and pool tables. They have just about everything. And on the outside of Waterman Village, there are all kinds of doctor's offices. They don't belong to the village, but they're right there if you need something. Also, if you need to go to a doctor's appointment and you don't feel like you could drive yourself, they have shuttles that they take you. They also have shuttles that go to different places like Publix or maybe Walmart. Another thing I like about The Oaks at Waterman Village is that they have covered carports for every unit. You just have to pull up right in front of your door and get out. It just was nice."

"I toured Brookdale Lake Orienta. I liked everything about it. It's right across the street practically from the hospital. So they're near the mall when they take their trips because they do the same thing as far as taking them to and from doctor's offices, visits, and shopping. They also had a beauty salon. They had a nice dining room with a nice menu. The people were very friendly and the residents seemed very happy. You could have a pet if you wanted. The rooms were nice. The price was definitely right for my friend."