The Best Independent Living Communities in Madison County, IL

"It was new, very nice, and had all the same amenities and everything. The staff member toured us to the assisted living and memory care, and he was very knowledgeable and very informative. He showed me every bit of the facility and everywhere that the residents could go, and they all looked satisfied living there. So, it was a great tour. The staff spoke nicely to me. They came up, talked to me, and asked if they could answer any questions. The dining room was very open and friendly, too, and the rooms were really nice. I liked their setup better than the other place I saw. In the double room, you could put up a curtain for your privacy, as compared to other places where you had to walk through one person's room to get to the other side. It's just the layout was different, and it was nice. They had a recreation area where they played cards and games, a couple of different areas with TVs, and little areas where they had that Touch on Touch thing where there's a baby bed, a baby, and animals as you walk through the floor. There were like two of those areas. They do trips, too, where they take them out once a week. On the memory floor they do more activities, because those people have more of a need in the community."

"My tour at Tower Grove Manor was fine. The staff members were very friendly. The rooms were adequate. It was Valentine's Day when I toured it, so they had a Valentine's Day party going on. They had what they call the community room. They had puzzles in there, they had some books in there, and they had some refreshments in there. It's kind of like a little gathering place for the residents. It's in a great location within the city. They can have a car, and it's on a main bus route. There's a grocery store right next door, so it's kind of convenient."

"The Rockwood is a wonderful place for seniors. The decor with beautiful artwork, fireplaces and bookshelves filled with new editions from the library enhance the living. Staff from The executive director, marketing person and staff are very caring and helpful to the residents. The community of Webster is convenient for walking , to obtain groceries, to visit the bank and many restaurants."

"Garden Place Senior Living Millstadt looked older and so much more like a nursing home than the other places I've been to. They didn't seem to have as many activities as the other places we've seen. What they had was music, some entertainment, bingo, and movies. I also didn't think they had quite enough staff. Other than that, it's a very clean place. The dining room was very pleasant looking. It was a large room and it was open on both ends to the common rooms in the lobby and then the kitchen on another side. It had a lot of windows."

"I toured Garden Place Columbia with my dad. It's much larger. It was absolutely beautiful. The rooms were fabulous. The person who gave me the tour was wonderful. She was great. Their dining area looks ideal. It's perfect. They have rooms for activities and then they have a list posted of what the activities are going to be for the next month. I was very impressed with that. The facility was beautiful. It looks new and well maintained."

"We went to Lake St. Charles Retirement Community. Our tour went very well. I like the layout, and it's got a very good reputation. The staff were very attentive as well. Amenities seem excellent. They showed us the dining rooms, the activity rooms, the exercise rooms, and the barbershop. I was also pleased with the activities."

"Friendship Village Sunset Hills is really nice. It's just too big for what we're looking for. But I felt really good about them. I felt like they had a lot of staff. I was really pleased to see so many people floating around. They seemed to know the clients' names, the people they were taking care of. There were things that they said they had available to the clients that I actually saw that they were available, which I thought was good. The fact that you could go from independent to assisted to skilled nursing there. We just didn't like that you had to go to separate buildings for that. That would be a challenge for my aunt to get there to see my dad if he were to start off in that. Their prices were higher than what we wanted to spend. However, it would have been pretty much all inclusive. It looked like they had everything we needed."

"...My sister worked at Friendship Village for 5 years and I have a niece that currently works at Friendship Village of West County. I toured the facility and it is very nice. I would use the word upscale. They offer long-term and short term care. What I like the most about Friendship Village is that they hired my niece when she was in high school and she has been working there for 5 years now. She loves it! She just recently recieved her CNA certificate. I noticed that the facility has everything the residents need such as a hair salon, bowling alley, etc. It is well kept and maintained. For residents who do not need long term nursing care they can live in their own private condo or apartment which is located next to the nursing facility. The landscape and scenery of the facility is very nice. It is surrounded by many trees and greenery. The facility is easy to access by car and a parking spot is super easy to find. I'd definitely give this facility a 5 star!! "

"My mom was a resident of Stillwater Senior Living. It was very clean and the staff was very pleasant. I enjoyed the outside. It had beautiful landscaping, and it was a nice environment to visit. It was nice to be outside. She didn't like the food. She liked it at first, but then later on she didn't. I don't know what her problem was. The rooms were nice. They were kept clean and they had occupational therapy. They have meeting rooms, libraries, and a chapel. They've had many more activities than what I've witnessed at other places. Everything seems kind of too expensive nowadays. It seems like for what you pay, you should get a whole lot more, but it's worse than lots of other places, so I can't complain."

"I will move to Keystone Place at Magnolia Commons. I chose it because it's only a couple of years old. It also accepts my cats. It has a full kitchen. It is 1000 square feet. I like the size of the apartment. The staff was super friendly and very accommodating. I like a caffeine-free diet Coke, and nobody carries that, except they did, and they put a liter container out for me. We had lunch there, and the food was excellent. The facility was extremely clean and well laid out. The layout was beautiful. It has luxury vinyl flooring, except in the bedroom, which has carpeting. It's like a little book nook, so it's almost like a little sitting area off of the living room, so you can make that two separate areas, which is lovely."

"This place is wonderful and very comforting. There were always assistants there just waiting for a request from one of their patients. If you wanted a hamburger at 3 in the morning then they would do it. Everyone in that section would have dinner at the same time every night together at one big dinner table. There rooms were wonderful also. They had a living room with a couple recliners and a big T.V. To me, this village was so comforting. "

"My aunt is in assisted living at Bethalto Villas and Reflections. Everything is fantastic and topnotch all the way around. The staff is excellent, very caring, and very professional. The dining room is immaculate all the time and the food is very good. They have an activity director that has something going for them all the time like Happy Hour, music on Fridays, and programs where they work with them during the week on memory exercises."

"Villa Rose Senior Living was clean, but they did not offer the services that the others did, and the price was about the same. The rooms were OK. The kitchen was kind of small. "

"My mom moved into this facility. They tried to make my mom as comfortable as they possibly could. It has been a hard adjustment for her, but the people there are friendly. My mom is a very picky eater, but I think the food is good, and she has a good choice. They have a lot of different activities during the daytime for the people. They have bingo and crafts. They go on short little trips. On Sundays, they have someone playing the piano that you could go down and listen to. Every time I'm there, there are always people participating in the activities. They do try to get my mom to participate. The rooms are nice sized. Her room is towards the back of the building, and she has a beautiful view of a pond with ducks and beavers. Every morning, they check on my mom, take her pulse, and see how she's doing. It's in a good location, and it was a good fit for us too."