The Best Independent Living Communities in Cumberland County, ME

"My parents just moved to Clover Health Care up in Auburn. My father moved to their memory care and my mother followed. Everything's been great and they've been very helpful. They've been working overtime trying to help with getting insurance all taken care of, because that was quite difficult. We don't know how insurance could be and we're still trying to iron out some of it, but they're able to get my parents in there for the time being. I've only been there a couple of times, and only there to see my dad before my mother moved in. It's a very clean place. The staff also seems incredibly friendly and attentive. We really don't have any complaints about them as of yet. Their common areas are very nice and very clean. There is a courtyard outside that seems nice. It's in the middle of the winter, so it's kind of hard to see right now, but everything is clean and adequate for my parents. The only thing is that Dad can't go visit Mom in her area. Mom can go visit Dad though, so at least that's allowed. I guess the memory care people can't go out of their area. That's the only bummer about it."

"My wife moved into Huntington Common. The building is excellent and set up very well, so people can easily find their way around. The staff is excellent, very supportive, and devoted to their jobs. I've been most impressed with the staff. Many of them have been there for some time. Her room is good-sized. The place is very well-kept, and the food is good. They do bus and van tours. They have a library and two garden areas. It's lovely and very peaceful."

"My friend moved into Plant Memorial Home a week ago. The administration there is fantastic. They helped with every step of the process. It's a very homey place. It's more like being in your own home. The location is beautiful, and the people are wonderful. They really care about the residents. The medical attention they show him has been excellent. They're on top of his medication, his physical therapy, and occupational therapy needs. They have been very communicative with me any time they had a question or I had a question. His apartment is clean, bright, and cheerful. The floors are brand new. They have big, spacious, and handicapped accessible bathrooms. They have a kitchenette. It is freshly painted. He has a stunning view of the river. My friend says that the food is excellent. He loves to eat, so the food must really be good. I ate there the day I moved my friend in, and the food was excellent. He enjoys socializing with other people in the common room. They have a movie every night after dinner. People can go down and watch TV during the day, if they want to. They do trivia, and they have a pastor that comes for Christian services. They organize outings. They can go to the grocery store on the bus once a week, and they can go to Wal-Mart once a month. They have an exercise class. Last time I was there, I saw a bunch of paintings that the residents had done at a painting class."

"I visited Atria Kennebunk. The tour was very nice. The rooms were nice, and very good size. The upkeep was very good. The staff was very good during the tour. The best feature of the room was the size and the overall decor. Their dining area was very nice. They have a gym, gardens, and an exercise program geared towards assisted living."

"My mother ended up staying in Schooner Estates. It is a comfortable country setting. It is near family. The staff and management are just wonderful. They go above and beyond. They go out of their way to help, make things livable, and make it more like home. They treat her like she is their family. The food is very good. They have all kinds of chair exercises and different things to do. They have entertainment come in to keep them busy. If you want, they'll take you out to different places. They have a van to take a group out. It is just that they can't give nursing home care; they don't have that available. They have a piano room, an exercise room, and hairdressers. We are getting what we pay for, but it's still quite expensive."

"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 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."

"My Aunt spent 9 months there with so much love and dignity given to her daily. Today would of been her 82nd birthday. Last year she celebrated her Birthday on the Summer unit. She was surrounded by so much love and it was one of her best birthdays in years. I am forever grateful for the kindness,love and care my Aunt Roberta received. Staff shows so much love and dedication. Management walks the talk and is very amazing and approachable. I recommend this facility to everyone . I have been in healthcare since 1985. No worries if you put your loved one there. They will truly love and respect them. I will be forever grateful to them. Kelly Yattaw"

"The Cape Elizabeth Home is smaller. There are only six or seven people there, so it' more personalized. The building is in very good condition. They have an excellent chef that does meal preparation during the day and they have additional staff that does the evening meals. They have very qualified and very friendly staff. The atmosphere there is great. My mom is in a 2-room suite and she seemed happier when she moved there. I would recommend this facility to others. "

"We visited Piper Shores and toured for independent living. That was quite an incredible place out there. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, and it's overwhelmingly so with its decoration and the fact that it's huge. It's three floors with an elevator to different floors, and the amenities, artwork, and all the things they have to offer are just off the charts. You could not find a better spot than that. You probably couldn't find a more expensive spot, either. I didn't eat anything there, but I did look at several of the options as I was walking around, and it was all first-class dining. They have amenities almost too many to mention, like a standalone woodworking shop, a room that's just dedicated to fabric art and sewing, and a room dedicated to painting and sculpture."

"My mother preferred the Inn at Atlantic's independent housing, where you could have a house, but you're going to buy it. In addition, it has assisted living, and if you need rehabilitation, it was connected to the facility, so you just move in there. It also had a nursing home facility. You avoid having to go through multiple changes as you progress to the other care, and that was the other big plus. They were doing a wine and cheese social, had a musician come in three days a week, and had a salt water pool where they do aquacise. They looked forward to what was happening. "

"Wardwell Retirement is very friendly. They provided the type of care that my friend needed. The rooms are beautiful. He came from a small apartment in New York, and his apartment is exactly the right size for him and not overwhelming. They have everything from exercise to entertainment, they go out for meals, and they have memory games. "

"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."