The Best Independent Living Communities in Polk County, IA

"The Holland Farms Senior Living facility is absolutely beautiful. As far as all the places that I went to, I really felt that the value of that particular place was awesome (compared to many of the other places). It's fresh and clean because it's brand new. It has many great things to offer. It has a beautiful park out back of the facility with walking and bicycle paths. The landscape around it is great, and the inside is very well done. The staff was very friendly and very nice. I've eaten out there twice, and the food was great. There's a fairly large menu to choose from, and the chef comes out and visits with you. It was a great experience."

"One of the most important things is the staff at Independence Village; they are so helpful, friendly and kind with the residents. Communication is also very important, and the staff is always willing to listen and respond to any questions or comments from resident or their family. If there is any kind of an issue or problem they were diligently to get it solved. As a family member of a resident I feel very comfortable and quite welcome when I come into the facility. Also independence village is spotlessly clean. The hallways are bright and cheerful. My brother’s room is filled with natural light and is very spacious. We appreciate the washer and dryer. The facility has many wonderful activities and opportunities for the residents to gather socially in many different ways. They provide so many opportunities for ways to keep residents stimulated and active. I like to say that when I “get old” I’m going to move to Independence Village."

"I had visited several times over the years. The place was always spotless. It had a very clean and neat rooms. Very large hallways, which was great. You would always see some elderly around. Wither it be playing cards, solving puzzles, or watching a group movie there always seemed to be something going on which is fantastic. I imagine it must get terrible boring without activates running all the time. The rooms where my grandparents stayed were huge. The also provided extremely large bathrooms which is always nice. The staff was always friendly. Every time I went they always seemed so happy to help out. (Of course they are paid to do this, but it was nice nonetheless) Overall the place was great. I always enjoyed visiting and when I end up retiring I would love to live in a place like that. "

"My husband and I live at Scottish Rite Park. We have been here for 10 years, so this is home for us. We are in an independent living situation, but adjacent to us in the building, we have health care, memory care, and assisted living. So it's a full continuum of care. The community is well organized. They're sensitive to elderly needs. Good communication, good food. It's an excellent community. We've been very, very thankful to be here. It was where we would have wanted my brother to be initially, but they have only a limited assisted living unit. But it has priority to those who come from their independent living units, so there's quite a waiting list for assisted living, so my brother was not able to come here. The food is excellent. They have a good chef. There's variety and adaptation to people's needs. The building was built in the 1970s, but they are constantly updating. Right now, they're updating our water system so that we have a more balanced water system in regard to the heat and cold and so forth of the water. They're constantly working. It was built by the Masonic Group of Des Moines. You don't have to be a masonic member to live here, but it was established in the 1970s by the Masons and they've done a good job of keeping the facility in beautiful condition."

"The rooms at Sage Independence were nice. The place was neat and the people were friendly. We didn't try any of their food or anything like that, but the facilities were very nice, and the location was very good. Connie, our representative, was very nice. My wife liked the location because it was close to a lot of things that she was interested in. It was a five also for the cleanliness part. Any time you wanted a ride anywhere, say to the grocery store, the doctor's office, or the movie theater, they would provide transportation to and from them. That was one good thing about Sage that some of the others don't offer."

Upside is truly an exclusive opportunity to live independently on your own terms. We offer luxury living options with over 2,500+ apartments in our network across the country alongside a dedicated and experienced personal concierge support system. Upside is a uniquely designed senior living alternative to help you live completely independently. The Upside team helps you find a luxury-style apartment living option and provide you with extra layers of care and assistance, whenever and however you need it. Once you're settled in your new home, we connect you to your personal concierge and expert on all things aging. The Upside concierge is available to help arrange meal and grocery deliveries, transportation services, schedule appointments, assist with technology, and so much more! Anything you need, Upside is just a quick phone call or text away.

"It was one place that we were seriously considering. One of the things we liked was the underground parking. We liked the location and the atmosphere, and the facilities were very nice. The dining area was very attractive; we didn’t see anyone eating while we were there. We did see some people playing cards, but that was about it. It was very attractive. "

"My mother is in Luther Park Apartments. They’ve got transportation, entertainment, food, and activities for the seniors. I like it very well. It is very clean, and the staff is very good. "

"We visited Martina Place. We thought it was very inviting. The residents appeared very happy. Some of them were sitting in the entry way in the large living room. The staff was very friendly and very helpful. The rooms are small, but they're adequate. They have 6 dining rooms, and each one fixes their own meals. All I could smell was a wonderful apple crisp baking. We thought that the residents seemed happy. Some of the ones we visited, they did not, but these did all appear to be. They felt very cared for by the staff. "

"I was at The Cottages at Johnston Commons. They call them little cottages. They are like little homes and I only rented there. Your garage was attached to your home. I really did like living there. I'm wearing something around my neck so if there is a problem and I fall or something, the beep will go off and somebody will come and help me. They've got several places that they have two cottages on one side and two cottages on the other side, but if you rent a two-bedroom place, you get a two-car garage. It's very convenient across the street from the library. A lot of people have lived there for a long time. They're brand new. I was the first person to be in my little apartment. I was there 14 years and I was very happy with it. The cottages are covered with cement bricks on the outside, but you have your garage attached, and it has remote on it. They want you to keep your place nice and neat. I had no problems living there and I never missed a payment for rent. You get a complete kitchen. They have a community room that you can rent and I usually rented it at Christmastime. They have a small exercise area. If you wanted something fixed, you had to actually do it online and tell them what was wrong. They insist on keeping the facility and the yard outside clean and neat because in Johnston, they want to keep their town clean and neat. If you put something on your patio that they don't like, you are forced to take it down. They don't really have any activities. You can go in and have a birthday party or you can go and play your own bingo, but they don't provide it. Once in a while, they will have an ice cream thing or whatever and you're welcome to go there. They're very nicely done on the inside. You get a stove, a microwave and a nice-sized kitchen. I did so much baking in that place. When I started there, I paid $165. When I left there, I paid almost $2000. They raise their rent and it's not low. All in all, it was a very nice place to live. If you want to live someplace where you don't have to go up and down the hallways or whatever, that's a good place because they're all individual doors."

"Walnut Ridge is excellent. We chose this place because of the staff and their professionalism, and because of the people that were happy walking around and saying that it was one of the best places that they had found. My mom has just moved into their independent living, and they also have assisted, skilled, and memory care. It is really fabulous. The staff is so caring, and they would stop and help you no matter what. They also have a minister on staff five days a week. They fix heart healthy food along with others, they have many choices, and they charge you per meal that you eat, and not a flat fee. They have a swimming pool and a fitness room, and they have crafts, games for the employees, yoga, and all sorts of activities going on. The facility is easy to get around, and they have benches and seating rooms for people to rest at in between going to rooms. I would say you're getting what you pay for, and it is very cost effective. There is no large deposit to put down."

"My mom is 72 years old and loves her 1 bedroom. She loves going down to the community room and participating in activities with Sarah. She has made several friends from joining activities. I have dealt with the property manager, Krystal, and she is wonderful and listens to any concerns or questions. The maintenance guy is very polite and courteous. My mom really enjoys the community."

"We toured the Brio of Johnston. We like that one a lot. We have some friends that already live there. They were very, very, very nice. We weren't quite as crazy about the floor plans. We had a couple of meals there. It's very new and very modern and has a lot of amenities for exercise."

"We toured Grand Living at Tower Place. It's very deluxe. They had a lot of the amenities, but we did not spend a lot of time there because we were not interested because of the price. The staff that we met was fine. They were very nice apartments. It looked like a resort hotel, so well-decorated."