The Best Independent Living Communities in Genesee County, MI

"I love StoryPoint Fenton, but it's too expensive for my brother-in-law. It's beautiful. The whole facility is top-notch. It is very open and welcoming. There is a huge gathering area. The receptionist is right there to greet you. They had the director right away, and they took me to a model room that was set up. It was a one-bedroom and it had a refrigerator. It was very, very nice. However, that was an assisted living senior community, and that was not what I was looking for. I was looking for memory care-assisted living. They would do an assessment of my brother-in-law before he was allowed to live there. He probably could fit into the assisted part of it, but that part was too big for him. It's all one level, which is good, but I think that with him getting himself from his room to where they have to go and eat would have been difficult, because the layout wasn't good for him in the memory state that he is in right now. I also went to memory care. It was beautiful. We walked through it. It was very nice. They have a nice little area where you could go in and sit by a fireplace and watch movies. The kitchen was right there. They only have 16 residents, which is nice. They were finishing up lunch when I got there. They have several little areas where you could sit down and have a conversation or play a game. The windows were on each side of a nice wide hallway. They showed me a room that my brother-in-law would have. It was a studio. Somebody had just moved out of there, and they were in the process of painting it and getting it freshened up for the next person to come in. It had a nice view out the window where you could put a bird feeder or whatever. All of his furniture could go in the room, too. Then the staff showed me where the patio was, and it was very nice. They have a grill out there where they would grill food for the people. It is also backed up to a wooded little area where you could see nature and sit out there. It was very welcoming and very comfortable. I told her that I would move in there myself right now, so that part of it was very, very nice. The residents that were there were more in line with what level my brother-in-law was at physically. He's very mobile, and he has no medical issues with his heart, legs, or lungs -- nothing. It is just his mind right now is having a problem. If money were not an object, I would have him go to StoryPoint just because of the aesthetics of everything."

"I love living at Lockwood of Fenton. Except for this problem that I'm having right now with the manager, the staff here is really good. They have different types of residents. I get along with everybody here except for about five people, but this is a big apartment building. I love everybody here. I help wherever I can, and they appreciate that. There is an activity director here; she is young, but the things she comes up with to do are amazing, and I tell her that. They will take the bus on a lunch trip once a month, they go for ice cream, and they go shopping. Today, they're going to Walmart on the bus. There are a lot of good things about this place. Good food, too. I'm in one of the smallest apartments here because it needed to be rented. The kitchen and bathroom are upgraded. I have a very nice apartment. The biggest apartments they have are two-bedroom-two-bath, and they go down from there: Two-bedroom-one bath, and one-bedroom-one bath. I'm in a corner and my apartment is small, but it's tolerable."

"I've moved into Vicinia Gardens Independent Living. It's beautiful. The staff is happy and helpful. Everything's great. Maintenance and cleanliness are perfect."

"My sister has moved into Vibrant Life, The Lodge of Durand. It was by far the best, as far as staff, pricing, and what they had to offer. The other ones were much higher in price, didn't seem to have the room size, and weren't as up-to-date as Vibrant was. I have no complaints with the staff or the food. The food is fine. The activities appear to have helped her; they're excellent."

"My mom is at the Devonshire Retirement Village. I just find the whole thing so wonderful. It has been so good for my mom and the people there, from the director, Sarah, down to the cleaning people, I see nothing wrong. My mom has thrived so much. She is so excited to participate in everything and to be in a community with other people of the same age group and socio-economic kind of stuff. She's having the time of her life. I don't think she's going anywhere, anyplace, any time soon because she truly loves it. She loves her space that she has there. It's beautiful. There are animals that are outside that come up to her window. I never feel like she's alone if she were to fall. When she was still living in her own home, that was always a big concern. She eats with a group of women and they have their little chitchats and they spend good quality time together. The people that do the games are doing a fabulous job. They're so caring. I've had some issues and they have been the sweetest people. It's a godsend. My mom has a suite. She has a ginormous bedroom with a walk-in closet. The bathroom is right off from the bedroom in that part of the apartment. It's like a one-bedroom apartment. She has a nice living space with a sliding glass door in the living room and her bedroom has a bay window with a window seat in there. It has a cute little kitchenette and it has just a little refrigerator. It's decorated really cute with her furnishings from home. She's just moved a part of her house to this new place. They have outside activities. They do bingo and they have kickball, which seems to be her favorite. I went to a baseball game. They've gone on outings to campgrounds and it's so decorated. They have a theme every week going on and I've shown up to do things with them. Maybe three weeks ago they did something that was with the 70s game shows. They had a really good time doing that. They play cards, and there are puzzles. She's back to reading again. She never turns the TV on. Her day is very, very busy. She doesn't have to attend if she doesn't want to, but they are really big on encouraging everybody to mingle. The social part is what I think I love the best. She isn't sitting alone in a room with the door closed. She likes to leave her door open and then it's closed in the evening. I don't worry about her there. I think that is a load off of my shoulder. What she's paying for, it's well worth it."

"I will move into Winter Village. I like everything about it. When we walked in, it was warm and inviting. It was very nice. We had a wonderful lunch. We had shrimp scampi on top of rice pilaf with a vegetable, a roll, and a dessert. They let us choose what we wanted from the menu. Then they took us up to the apartment, and it was beautiful, very nice, and clean. There was no smell. The staff was wonderful, too."

"I was in Independence Village of Oxford for seven years. The staff was very caring. All my needs were taken care of. There was a nurse practitioner onsite, and she was readily available to all the residents. She was there on a weekly basis, which was very helpful. We had very good housekeeping services. Our apartments were cleaned every other week, kitchens thoroughly cleaned, bathrooms cleaned, sheets changed, and vacuuming. We had the laundry done once a week and returned in a good manner. The food was very good. We had good choices and there was a variety. If they weren't able to satisfy you with what was on the menu, you could order replacements. I had just one full meal, a continental breakfast. There was no lunch. You could prepare your breakfast and lunch on your own, but they were available for a fee. You could buy lunch and breakfast if you needed it. My apartment was about 600 square feet. It had a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and a bedroom. It was actually about four rooms and they were cleaned thoroughly every other week. They did a very good job. There were different floor plans. I had one of the smallest. They had some that went up to 1,000 square feet, which were very nice. That was related to the cost, of course. They're all wonderful. Even the maintenance staff and the housekeeping staff were very nice people. We had first class chefs. They had buffets once a month for the family and they were like on a cruise ship. They were fantastic. All the activities were very good and inclusive. The director just went all out for all, trying to keep us interested and entertained. There were all sorts of costuming. Every day, there was something going on. Comparing to what I have now, I'd say the value for money was a little above average."

Lockwood of Hartland, located at 12371 Highland Road in Hartland, Michigan, is an independent senior living community nestled on 17 acres of pristine wooded land. The community offers spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments designed to support an active and carefree lifestyle. Each apartment features modern kitchens with sleek stone countertops, individual climate control, and options for in-home washers and dryers. Residents can choose between layouts with one or one-and-a-half baths, all designed with comfort and convenience in mind. The community boasts a variety of amenities to enhance residents' quality of life. An on-site beauty and barber salon, physical therapy room with scheduled exercise classes, and multiple activity rooms for art, music, and creativity are available. Residents can enjoy chef-prepared meals in the formal dining room or opt for a quick meal at the casual Grab and Go Cafe. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the nature trails, outdoor patio, and raised garden beds. Additional services include housekeeping and linen service, controlled entry access, ample resident and guest parking, and available carports. Lockwood of Hartland fosters a vibrant community spirit with daily planned events and social activities, encouraging residents to connect with others and embrace their favorite hobbies. The community is pet-friendly, allowing up to two pets per apartment with certain restrictions. Located in Livingston County, residents have access to various local establishments, including parks and restaurants, enhancing the overall living experience.

"My dad moved to Village Manor Retirement. The atmosphere is vibrant. It seemed like there was a lot of activity. The rooms were clean. There's a lot of light and everyone was very, very nice. They had a really good follow up. After I inquired, they got back to me fairly quickly and were very responsive. The administration staff is wonderful. My dad says the food is good. They have a lot of different things going on for everybody and anybody to pick and choose from. They are very active there. Knowing what the competitors charge, it's a good value."

"We toured Canterbury on the Lake. It was very nice. The person that gave the tour was very helpful and very knowledgeable about the facility. We got to walk through from the front door all the way through the dining room and the common areas. We got to see a couple of different apartments with different floor plans. So that was nice to be able to do that. We got a sample of their menu, activity, and calendars, and then we got a packet of floor plans and applications. We got to sit down and have our questions answered. The building itself is beautiful. They're small apartments basically, but they have all the necessities. They have a kitchenette and they have their closet space. It looked clean."

"We toured American House Milford. It was very informative. The staff took us straight to the room we wanted to look at. He answered all our questions. It was lovely, and we thought it was a perfect fit for my brother, but he didn't like the price. The other thing is that he seems to have more trouble with memory, so we're not sure how all this is going to advance. So to move him somewhere, and then have to move him again is not an option. They showed us the laundry room. It was very nice and clean."

"Oakhaven Manor had better parking and lower prices. We put our name over there and we're waiting for a call. They had an art room and exercise. I saw a two-bedroom place and it was nice. It was clean and very nice."

"I toured Lockwood of Waterford. It was very nice, very well maintained, and the apartment was very comfortable. I've had the meals there. They were not included. They have to be paid for. The food was very good. The staff was very friendly and competent."

"We’re so grateful to have found IV of White Lake for my Dad! He’s been there for about 5 years. He’s always felt welcome and cared for. He likes the variety and quality of the food serced. He has been involved in so many of the activities they offer. His needs have changed along the way. IV and the wonderful staff have jumped in to make these transitions easier for us."