Independent Living Communities in Carbondale, IL

"Overall, Liberty Village of Carbondale was pretty good. It's nice and kept up pretty clean. Considering a facility like that, the food was pretty standard. My wife's grandfather lived there, and I would feel comfortable having a family member there. They had games, little day trips to different places, grocery runs or shopping trips to the malls or other places like that, they had little parties, they would have crafts time, and a lot of the folks would play cards in the evening. While we were there caring for her grandfather, it would be common to see the library area full of people talking and playing games and cards. They really seemed to connect well with the residents."

"The Landings at Reed Station Crossing seemed like they had their act together. I was impressed that it was clean and they seemed to have good personnel and a fair amount of service for the amount of money. They had games set up somewhere and it looked like they had several decent activities. The apartment they showed me was the right size. It wasn't really cramped. It wasn't also a tremendous amount of room, but it was just adequate, enough to be comfortable. It wouldn't be like a studio apartment where you got everything on top of each other. It was like a separate bedroom. The people I met there seemed to know what they were doing. I wasn't there long enough to get a whole lot of evaluation, but it was enough for me to see that they were better than some of the other places I looked at."

"My mom has moved into The Voyage Senior Living Marion North, and she's absolutely thrilled. The staff are awesome and very helpful. The first few days she was there, they came and checked on her every two hours. They're still reminding her every day of what time meals are because she's got dementia and she forgets. They're really great. I've been really pleased with their service. They're really responsive when I call and talk to them. My mom doesn't need memory care yet. She's in a one-bedroom apartment. It has a kitchenette, a nice bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a big window in her living room, and a big window in her bedroom. All their rooms are in a circular fashion, so there's a big courtyard in the middle, so her room looks into the courtyard. The common dining area is great. It's right next to the front entry. Not only do they have a big dining area, but they have a seating area right there with a TV, a fireplace, and the kitchen is right next to it. The atmosphere is very welcoming. Everybody seems to really like each other. The facility is not huge, there's only about 27 residents, but they all seem to enjoy getting together. They have a lot of activities for them. They play bingo and they have crafts once a week. My mom goes up and eats meals with them, but she has not yet participated in activities. She hasn't been there quite long enough. She likes the food. They have a daily special. If they are not happy with the daily special, they have other options. It's kind of served restaurant style. They fill out their menu by the day so they know what they are, and they can pick what they want to eat that day. Actually, they pick for the whole week what they want to eat. They'll take my mom to the store. They have somebody who comes in once a week and does a church service. They have an activities director. They have somebody come in periodically, like once a month or twice a month, and just put on like a mini concert where somebody comes in and sings for the residents. They just do quite a lot for the residents."

Marshall Browning Estates is no longer in business. Marshall Browning Estates is a 22-unit retirement community serving the needs of individuals who are totally independent as well as those who enjoy a little pampering along the way. Monthly rent includes water, trash, cable, electricity, breakfast items and lunch, local transportation, scheduled outings and activities, nightly security checks, and so much more. We also offer a respite apartment. The need for a respite stay could be due to injury, illness, damage to your home, or maybe your family will be going on vacation or a business trip. During your stay, you will enjoy a completely furnished apartment including linens, dishes, daily trash service and weekly housekeeping. Our goal is to provide comfort, security, and overall peace of mind when you need it the most. The apartment can be used for short term or long term stays at the Estates.

"Mason Woods is a new facility with cheery staff who haven't had time for any burnout yet. Each resident has their own apartment-like unit, yet there are common areas with a wide range of social functions and activities. It almost seemed like being back in a college dorm again. There is a waiting list, but I'd definitely encourage investigating an assisted living facility like this before more traditional nursing homes. "