The Best Independent Living Communities in Chatham County, GA

"I have my parents in River's Edge and it went well. I like it that it is independent living. It is very close to the hospital and doctor's office. I also liked the size of it. They have different sizes of rooms and we have exactly what we wanted. I have dinner there a couple times with my parents and the food is good. The staff is amazing, very caring and they check on my parents. They make them feel very at home. I can call them anytime and they will run down and checkon them. If I have a question, they go and answer them. From the kitchen help to the house cleaners, I don't have anything to complain about and my dad feels the same way. They have activities. They exercise daily and a lot of things to stimulate their bodies and minds. "

"We had a great tour of both facilities today. Both have positive attributes and either would be a good choice for my parents. The appealing items about each: Savannah Square- wooded location with private balconies in the independent living area. Beautiful building with meals in the dining area. The breakfast is continental and lunch and dinner are full meals. No medical help in this building as it is independent living. The downside is that their long term care policies would not pay there. They would have to go to the assisted living building which we did not like nearly as well. The transportation options appear to be a little limited. They do have many activities and trips, but with my parents limited mobility, they would not be able to do much of this. As my parents health declined and they needed more care we would have to move them yet again. Also, the fact that they would not be reimbursed with their long term care policies is a big problem. "

"My mother moved into Harmony at Savannah. It's been a great facility, it's been very good. The staff has been very accommodating, and very good to work with. Her apartment is beautiful, brand new, and has every amenity that she needs. She said the food has all been very good, and she's a picky eater."

"The Thrive at Skidaway was nice. I got to do the tour of the community and they gave me their brochure. They had independent living, assisted living and memory care and I did a quick tour of all of them. It's very nice because it's new too. I don't have any complaints about it."

"We visited Summer Breeze Senior Living. My friend liked the location. The church that she belongs to is just a few blocks away from it. She likes the fact that it's down here on Wilmington Island, so that's her main thing. We've had several people that have stayed there, and they really liked it there. My friend said that seemed to be the place for her. The group that I belong to does Bible studies there once a week. We go to each one of the different rooms and visit with all the different residents there. We really liked it. We were very impressed with it. We had some of our members who stayed there, and my friend was acquainted with all of them. It's been real, real good for her. It's where she really wants to move to. It's a wonderful place, bright, and airy. All of the employees are very friendly and accommodating to their residents. They have all kind of social things they do that are just wonderful for the residents. They have groups come to sing with them outside when the weather permits. They put on little concerts for the people to come see. They play bingo. They have arts and crafts. They have a hairdresser, and you can get your hair done. They take you wherever you need to go. They take them to the mall and different places. The food is wonderful. I've had several meals over there with members of our church that had been staying there. All of our members liked it. It's just a well-rounded good place. You get a good feeling when you walk in there like your own. I never heard anybody complain about it other than price wise, but then everybody complains about prices. I can't fault that. My only problem is you have to bring your own furniture. They don't have furnished rooms unless you're in the hospital side of it or the full care side. They were very accommodating. Any time we went there, they would go help us gather people up and bring them down to the social room for our Bible studies and sing-alongs. It's just a very, very nice, pleasant place. The amenities far outweigh what little extra you pay. The community is great. You're close to a lot of the churches here. Most of these women like to attend their churches or church services. Just down here on the island itself, which is where Summer Breeze is, we've got about 8 or 10 different denominational churches. They'll go pick them up and take them to church, and then bring them back. It's a great place in a great neighborhood. We don't have to worry. They keep the doors locked at night, but there's always someone right out there in front at a desk to see who's coming in and who's going out. They make sure they sign them out and that kind of thing. It's a very safe place. I feel great about my friend being there, if she's able to get in there. The staff is all over the place taking care of their residents. If the residents in their rooms need something, they can call; one of the workers will be right there. You don't have to wait. They are very accommodating. I had lunch with one of the church members there one day, and it was very well seasoned and very good. They've got their main facility, which is where my friend would be (which is assisted living). There's also a memory care and an area where they have to have round-the-clock nurses. They've got cottages all around. If you're able, you can live in one of the cottages there. Those are people who can take care of themselves pretty much or just getting up in age. They're really good."

"We toured Magnolia Manor on the Coast. The apartment itself was nice. They do have screen-in balconies. They have both assisted and independent all in the same area. They do little social events like Turkey trot and a Halloween thing where kids and stuff will come through and do trick or treating. So they're still connected with the community."