Independent Living Communities in Brunswick, ME

"My experience with Holiday Woods at Canco was very good. The person who gave the tour was very friendly and very knowledgeable. I got to see one room, and it looked like a generous amount of living space. And there's a nice sitting room and a bedroom and things like that. The dining area looked great. They have a good room for community activities, too. There was bingo and a book group going on when I was there. There was happy hour with cocktails and games. They have a nice library area, and they offer trips as well for the community. But there were a few places that needed a little bit of work."

"The Landing at Cape Elizabeth was in a lovely location. It was off of Route 77 with views of the marshes. The inside was decorated. One of the things my mother noticed right away was that it just felt comfortable and homey. The staff was great. The person that showed us around was very patient and answered our questions. The dining area was lovely. It had a lot of natural light, and then they also had a private dining room. If your family comes, you could sign up for a private dining room area. We were actually invited to come back for the food. We were just not able to do that. We noticed that there was a group of ladies who had just come back from a trip when we were there. Others were all in a TV/living room area watching golf and having ice cream. When we walked through, some of them stopped and greeted us. They had a snack bar that was open 24 hours with fruits, packaged snacks, and coffee for the residents."

"My friend and I used to live in Sable Lodge Retirement Community. The food there was terrific. We had three meals a day in a buffet-style. You would get down and get in the buffet line, which went very quickly, and the food was ample. There were no restrictions. They had a separate salad and soup bar. That was very good. The soup was controlled by thermostatic pots. There were two pots with two different soups every day, at noon and night. If you want something that they didn't have at the serving bar, like a hamburger, they would make it for you right then and there and serve it to you at your table. If you wanted French fries with it, you would get them, and the French fries would burn your mouth because they were right out of the hot pan. So, their food service was very good. Our apartment was wonderful. We had a two-bedroom apartment. It had a full kitchen, a range, a microwave, a garbage disposal, and a dishwasher. We had two beds, two baths, a walk-in closet in each bedroom, and a personal wall safe in one of the bedrooms. From our window, the grounds looked like a golf course. The landscaping people did a tremendous job with it. It's independent living, but they have medical assistance that will come in, which is paid for by you and employed by you. We would get different managers, and they were very good managers. We had a very busy activity director. I don't think they do enough competitively, like games, but they have the typical poker night, they play Bridge, Mahjong, and those games. It's only once a week, but that's pretty well attended. They also had a happy hour there, and it was very good."

"I loved Gorham House above and beyond, but they didn't have any openings. I liked the place, I liked the people there, and I liked the levels of care that they have. It's a comfortable place to live when you go in and out, and that's where I would have taken my father. The two beds in a two-bedroom had a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom. It was small but adequate. I liked it very much. It had a microwave and a refrigerator. There was a daycare right there on the grounds, which was lovely."

"Thornton Oaks Retirement is a lovely place that's very welcoming. It has cottages and apartments. We felt very comfortable there, everything was very clean and nicely kept up, and we like how they handled COVID. The staff who gave the tour was very welcoming, answered all our questions, and took the time to be with us. The upkeep of the place is very good and it all looked very good."

"I'm in Coastal Landing. I think it's wonderful. Very friendly people. Meals are wonderful. Accommodations are great. The organization of activities is fantastic. They have local transportation. They have bingo, book clubs, crafts, arts, and local shopping trips. They have a library, activity room, chapel, theater, multiple living rooms, meetings, family gatherings, group gatherings, and a very fine dining room."

"It’s not hyperbole to say that it’s impossible to describe the high quality of the atmosphere and care at Sunnybrook. From our very first interaction with Statie, admissions director, to ask about options for my 98-year-old mother-in-law, we were impressed and deeply grateful. The staff is attentive, responsive, kind, and empathic, and go out of their way to help residents feel at home. The positive attitude and cheerful atmosphere of this bright, well-lit space are so welcoming that even after living independently for 98 years, my mother-in-law is comfortable and happy to be settling in to life at Sunnybrook. I can’t imagine a better senior living facility for someone whom you may love and/or perhaps yourself. Grazie mille to all…... "

"This is an extraordinary place. I have visited many nursing homes and assisted living facilities over the years but have never seen a facility as warm, comfortable, caring, compassionate, supportive, friendly and professional as Hill House. My mother moved to Hill House seven years ago after breaking her hip, reinjuring it in another facility, having multiple hip repair surgeries, and being told by her doctor that she would never walk again. The Hill House staff were wonderful right from the start. They took great care of her, attended to all of her needs, and did everything possible to ease the transition from independent to assisted living. The nursing and personal care has been outstanding. Now my mother walks to the dining room twice a day and is very engaged in Hill House activities. Hill House is also special in planning resident activities that are creative, stimulating, engaging, entertaining and fun. Some examples are: Picnics by the water, costumes and a bonfire at Halloween, barbecues, residents baking pies and making crafts for a public Thanksgiving fair, excursions to the beach and a drive-in restaurant, daily exercise sessions, and stimulating games for all cognitive levels. Hill House has an inviting, family-like atmosphere. Family members and guests are always welcome to dine with residents at no charge. While the building is not upscale, it is located on a hill with beautiful views of tall pines and water and has a comfortable, home-like feel. My mother and my family feel very fortunate to have found Hill House. "

"My father is at St. Andrews Village Retirement Community. They have houses with assisted living, and they have nursing and rehab. They have a little bit of everything there. He is in the skilled unit right now. They have been great to him, they have been tremendous, they have been awesome. The interaction has been mostly over the phone and we haven't been able to go visit the building because of Covid, and it has been great, everybody has been fantastic. We do window visits with him, so we can see right through his room, and they are great that they are putting him right at the window for us, so it is almost like a face-to-face visit as best as it can be right now. At first, he wasn't thrilled about going there, to begin with, but now he is joking with everybody and is more comfortable. He has been limited with the food but that's only because of his restriction."

"My mom moved into Montello Heights. It's well-organized and clean. It's got a library. It's got one meal included and light housekeeping. The room is very nice. It's a studio apartment. We're managing out of pocket based on her benefits. And the people there are kind. Mom is pretty sharp. She's in her 80s, but she's got some mobility issues, and they're aware of that. The building is designed with wider hallways, and the room itself is designed for wider doors and wider entries to accommodate people who might be in scooters or in wheelchairs."

"I liked the fact that Ocean View at Falmouth was large and that they had a lot of activities going on. They sent out emails on updating things and they seemed to be on top of everything. The only problem I have with that place is that it's too expensive. They were wonderful and they had everything. Their rooms had some interesting layouts. They were very nice. The atmosphere was very uplifting. I liked the fact that it's on the water too."

"We visited our friends who are residents of The Atrium at The Cedars. They have a lovely unit, and it was the size that we would be looking for independent living, and it's very nice. There are more options for food, which is more attractive. It's a bit higher class. We had lunch there, and it was very good. They have a smaller cafe-type place, and that's where we ate. The chief advantage of The Atrium at The Cedars is that you can be there if you have a memory care or an assisted living issue. They can take care of that easily."

"I visited The Meadows. That's where I feel it's very home-like. They are exceptionally interested in me. I can describe my room that I'm gonna have. It's the largest room they have; a very large and vast room, they're painting the room, painting the bathroom, and putting in a new sink. They are getting it exceptionally well-prepared for me. It fits me very well. I'm an independent person, I take care of myself, and I don't need nursing care. I have a nurse coming in once a week from a home health, and take care of my weeks with the medications for me. It's very home-like; very welcoming."

"I moved to Betsy Ross House. I'm very happy. It was the right place for me to move to. Everyone here is very friendly. The facility itself is very clean and well-kept, and there are so many activities. I don't know which to do first. The only drawback is the apartments are small. I moved in from a two-bedroom apartment with a lot of room. When you come into the apartment, which I'm using as my computer room and office and all of that, you can't hang anything on that wall. They have a movie night. The people go down and watch the movies. They also have bingo games, poker games, and cornhole, so there are a lot of things that you can do. Everybody has a good time doing it and participating. I did not take the meal plan because I have a full kitchen. I wish I had a dishwasher which I need. I have a stove and an oven and I put in a microwave. It's livable. It's nice. They're currently constructing an addition to the Betsy Ross House. I don't know how many units are going to be in that, but it's a fairly good size. The staff was very responsive, in the winter, I gave them a duplicate set of my car keys because if we have a big snowstorm, they do go and plow the parking lot, and also clean off all the cars, so that's a big benefit. The manager is good. She listens to you. She's very good."