Independent Living Communities in Grand Blanc, MI

"Caretel Inns had everything we need. The place was only two years old, and that was a big factor. There were no bugs in the place and that was a good thing. The staff was pleasant and observed cleanliness. They treated their residents well. The apartments had one bedroom and a kitchen in, where the residents can cook. The residents can also go down to their dining room. They have 3 meals a day and snacks. My wife was a trained chef, and she said the food was good. During our visit, there were residents playing cards outside. They had a pool for residents to swim in. They had three vans that picked people up to go shopping. We walked all over, and there were a lot of activities going on. Their security was very good. They had cameras all over. They had slide keys like in hotel rooms. Their price was $2800 a month, and it was reasonable. "

"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."

"American House has independent housing apartments mainly, and common activities for the elderlies. They have 2-bedroom and 1-bedroom apartments, and they're very good. They take people to doctors' appointments. There's a chapel and even a small theater."

"I'm very satisfied with everything here at Devonshire Retirement Village. The people are very helpful when you need help. The food is good. I would rate it topnotch as far as I could tell. They serve three meals a day. I have one of the small apartments, and it's very comfortable for me. I have everything in here that I need, so I'm perfectly satisfied with it. It was an empty room. My son moved me in and they bought me a small refrigerator. I have a couple of chests of drawers, a small bookcase and a rocking chair. The bed that I have was provided by Devonshire, but I'm comfortable here with this arrangement. It's working well for me. They have a hair salon and I use that. I'm satisfied with it. The lady is very nice that runs it. They have somebody that does nails. They have a foot doctor that comes in periodically and trims your toenails. I have no complaints with the staff. Anytime I've asked questions, they've answered them. If I have anything I need, all I have to do is ask one of them and it's done. It's very good. They provide exercise, we do kickball and they have a lobby that we set up jigsaw puzzle. There's always something to do. It's not just sitting in a rocking chair all day. They go on outings at least once a month. We have a Walmart, we have a Meijer store, and then they go to some parks around. Periodically, they will take a group in a bus and go out. There's a city bus here in Lapeer and you can call and make appointments if you have a doctor's appointment, like I go to the hospital for a blood draw every once in a while because I'm diabetic and it's very convenient. I'm completely satisfied with it. The food is excellent. There's a lot of variety on our choices. It's better than I expected when I came here. All through the week, they're vacuuming and cleaning and everything. I've never had a problem with that at all. They periodically bring in entertainment for us, like in the dining room, where they can gather a group. It's usually a couple of guys that sing, and they sing the old songs that are appropriate for our age group. There's always a roomful of people there. Those are things that a lot of us look forward to. It's expensive, but I think if you want good care, you have to pay for it. I feel that it's a good value for the money."

"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."

"I have visited Independence Village of Waterstone in person. The staff was very professional and very courteous. The rooms were nice and clean. The room I saw was just a model room, it's very simple, a small bed, a nightstand, and a lamp. It's beautiful. They had a lot of services to offer."

"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."

"It was clean, fresh, uplifting, and felt like a beautiful hotel. The staff was helpful, and there were activities. I saw the library, which had nice chairs and interesting pictures on the walls."

"We toured American House Milford. This place needs renovation, but they were perfectly nice. The staff was a nice young woman, trying her best to earn our business. She was trying to win the business, but it's just a place that needs serious updating. It is so outdated. The restaurant was also working, but the apartment was really bad. It's just so unappealing. They got to go in there and spend some money. They have three meals a day. They have activities and shuttle busses. They clean the apartment; I don't know how often. They do have caretakers that you can hire for extra. It's got everything, but it's for low-end income, I think. I like their location. I think it's beautiful and right next to downtown Milford. I was excited about it because I live in Highland, which is just 10 minutes down the road. I was thought it's perfect location and beautiful setting, right next to a very quaint city. I thought this is going to be great, until I saw it. I was very disappointed. It's just run down."

"We ended up finding Elmhaven Manor. So far, it has been a fairly smooth transition. They were helpful for the most part. They have an excellent activities director who is really involved with all of the residents there. She does a lot of activities with them. Other than that, it hasn't been long enough to make a judgment yet. They have in-house activities. They do weekly church services. They have movies every Saturday, but they have community service, like community activities with concerts at a local venue, picnics, barbeques, arts and crafts, and bingo. They do cards, like bridge tournaments. So far, with one exception, all of the staff has been really, really good. We had a little bit of an issue with the manager. She was a little bit difficult, but everybody else was very, very helpful and just a joy to work with. "

"I liked the way it was laid out. I liked the facility that they showed me because there's more room than the average home. The staff was very helpful and cheery. They had an exercise room, an activity room, a gym, and a small theater."

"My husband and I toured Oakhaven Manor for my mom, and we really liked it. It's seems like they really care about the residents and make sure that they have everything they need. It just it offers a lot. The staff is very nice, pleasant, and helpful. The place is very clean, and it just had a lot to offer. It's a big place, so there's lots of possibilities for her to meet lots of people and interact with them. She doesn't even have to go outside or worry about walking anywhere, except down the hall to your neighbor's apartment. It is all contained indoors. I've only met two people, and they were friendly."

Pontiac Village Estates Co-op, is located off of Walton Boulevard, just west of Perry Road. This 77-unit apartment building opened its doors in November 2014, with spacious apartments, a computer center, an exercise room, gated parking, and much more! A pleasant living environment is provided with a buzzer/intercom system in every apartment that is operated by the resident/member for entry into the building. Pontiac Village Estates Co-op offers a healthier and safer environment to live in by being a 100% smoke-free building. Smoking is not allowed within the individual apartments, the common areas, and within 25 feet of the building. Activities are planned by the resident/members and include luncheons, dinners, bingo, card nights, exercise classes, and many other activities. Members have a voice in the management of the building and are encouraged to participate. The co-op is within walking distance to the bus line, retail establishments, and an urgent care facility.

"At Magnolia by the Lakes, I saw the assisted living rooms on one side of the road and I saw the senior living on the other side. They said that we could have a senior living apartment on the third floor, which was a two-bedroom and I would love to have stayed there. I would like to have gone there. I did not have any food but the person who was kind of a salesperson told me that they don't really spare anything on their food and that they have good meals that occasionally they might even have steak or something special. She was kind of bragging about the owner too. This person was a physician and I was told that she used to own hospice centers around the United States or something and sold them. She had this place because she felt the seniors deserved to live very nicely. I like the philosophy of what I heard about her. I did not meet her though. There was a room on the 3rd floor that we could have had in the senior living section. My husband could live there and they said they could give him assisted living and that I could live there too. It's a 2-bedroom place but it was going to be around $10000 rather than $5,000 or $7,500. It was very, very lovely. The carpeting maybe was a little bit older, but it still was lovely and clean. It's 2 bedrooms and the kitchen is better than the kitchen in our house that we've lived in for 50 years. The cabinets were first class, nice countertops, the carpeting was like a lighter gray shade, which was nice, and a nice-sized area for the full washer and dryer. It has nice walk-in closets for the two bedrooms, the bathrooms were big and it has a lot of shelves or drawers in the cabinets. I loved it, it just costs too much. The person who helped me or showed me around was very pleasant, down to earth, and seemed very kind. I don't know what the experience would be if you lived there so I would skip the rating though because she was just a salesperson. I toured the assisted living side too and I felt it was a little bit dark. There's a room there where you can watch movies, and it had the amenities but to me, it seemed a little dated. I can't remember if it was red and gold but it kind of looked more like a hotel. I had a heavier feeling in there rather than light and cheerful. They showed me one room, which if I signed up right then and there, would be like $5000 but it was a very, very small room and it needed some updating. It just would not have worked for my husband. I also saw a nursing station there and there were a couple of nurses or assistants. I didn't talk to them, but I saw them working and taking care of patients in their rooms. The rooms, just by glancing at them, seemed crowded and older. Maybe the patients had been there for a long time. If I were living there, I think we would be quite happy because there is a nice balcony with a sliding door, and when you're on the balcony, there is a strip of houses kind of below you and you have a lake view. You would probably see boaters in the summer too."