Independent Living Communities in Andover, MN

"I went to tour the Ecumen Seasons at Maplewood. The staff was pushing my aunt more into a deeper level of memory care than she needed, and I wasn't happy about that. The rooms were big and they had a washer and dryer in the apartments. They had very nice grounds. This facility is actually very nice and big."

"My mother was a patient there. The staff was compassionate and caring. The leadership was attentive to suggestions for improvement. The rooms are small and the amount of natural light was limited. The food was good. "

"Ecumen Parmly was very nice. They did not have availability. The community was larger, everything was clean and neat, everybody was friendly, and the residents seemed happy. They have a lot of activities. There were more residents, and they have more community involvement. "

"I liked the location of Ecumen North Branch because it was so close to me. The apartment that I was shown was more than satisfactory as far as the layout, as well as the safety bars put up in the bathroom and such. I liked that they offered wi-fi. The cellphones worked in the building. You didn't have to have a special carrier or a special cellphone. I liked the attitudes of the staff, their approach, and their philosophy. The common room and dining area were very adequate and appeared to be very roomy and bright. The facility was very clean and odor free. I did see some people playing checkers or chess. I did see some people just chatting in the coffee area. They were showing a movie in the chapel area, so that was good to know that they have that as an entertainment aspect."

"Elim Shores is a very nice place. It's moderately priced, and it also has senior waivers, which a lot of places do not have. If a senior runs out of money, they throw you out. This place does not do that. The staff is very nice, caring, helpful, cheerful, and efficient. Even the residents are nice. I live in the East Coast; the Midwest is a much different world. The facility is also clean. Being at Elim Shores seems to work out for my mom, financially, and you just get a sense that it's a good place. The staff is very nice, caring, helpful, cheerful, and efficient. Even the residents are nice. I live in the East Coast, the Midwest is a much different world. The facility is also clean. Being at Elim Shores seems to work out for my mom, financially, and you just get a sense that it's a good place. "

"We toured Oak Ridge Place. What I liked about it was the staff, friendly staff, and very knowledgeable. We were able to meet some, and what is important to us is they have nurses 24/7. We got to meet the person that's in charge of the dining room, which is really nice, and some of the residents. It was just a very pleasant, pleasant place. She took us to three different apartments and stuff, and a very, very nice, very open layout and stuff. I was really very pleased about the way the restrooms were, how much more safe it is for a person to take a shower with all the handles, and the cut out where they don't have to go over a tub, they can just walk into it. It was really nice. I liked the storage area that they had, so it was just a really nice place. They are pet friendly. The maintenance, they're 24/7 also. If you have problems, there's staff there, if you need them for questions. But one of the things that was really nice is that each resident gets one of those alert bracelets or a watch. If something should happen immediately, in the rooms themselves, there's like two or three buttons that they can push for immediate response from the staff there. I love that the mailboxes were indoors and not out. I thought that was really awesome."

"We choose Arbor Oaks for my sister because it is very nice and new. It is also close by to where her daughter lives. It has a homey feeling. The staff is very nice and very caring. The food is very nice. She's in a one-bedroom apartment and it is very spacious. They have a lot of activities. They have exercise programs, bible study, bingo and special parties. They go out to lunch or dinner once a month at a restaurant. They took them shopping. They had some cooking stuff every now and then. I liked that she could stay in her apartment even if she ran out of money. "

"We were able to reserve a spot at The Farmstead for my aunt. I thought it was very nice, very well kept, and the people seemed happy. I thought the rooms were nice. I liked the layout. I liked that they had a separate little kitchen area. The staff who gave us the tour was very helpful. They had activities like music, bingo, little classes, crafts, exercises, and those sorts of things. "

"Margaret Place is great. The staff is wonderful. As you get worse or older and need more help, they meet with you and your family and explain why you need more help, then move you to the next place. They’re all accredited and approved by Medicare. They have a memory unit, a cancer unit, a hospice unit, and a nursing home unit, so you just move up right there to the building. I love it. They offer noon meals, which is the big meal, and you get seven free a month with your rent. The rest are priced $5 a meal. You can have guests if you want and food delivered to your room if you don’t want to go to the dining room. The food is excellent and of a good variety. I think this place is wonderful. "

"My mom was at The Homestead at Anoka for rehab and hospice program when she passed away. My mother had occupational and physical therapy four times a week and had all of her physical hygienic cares met. She attended bingo, spiritual services, medication management and administration and basic monitoring. The staff was lovely, very helpful, and very energetic. They allowed my sister and I to live with my mom right in her room for the last 17 days that she was alive. They brought us a cart every other day filled with drinks, coffee, iced water, pop, and all sorts of cookies and fruit. They brought us recliners so we could sleep there, and we had full access to the kitchen, so we could heat our food. They were very accommodating to us and very gentle to my mother. My mom had a studio and shared a bathroom with her neighbor. "

"We toured Autumn Glen Senior Living. It was a nice facility and we liked it. Everything was nice and clean. It was welcoming. There was a little bit of wear and tear noticeable on the furniture. They showed us an extended studio that had a living area and a bedroom area divided by a partial wall, but it was dark because the partial wall blocked out the light coming through the window in the living area. It was just laid out weirdly and there was no counter space at all in the kitchen. They had little patio areas and they had raised gardens in the back for residents who want to putter around in a garden. Alexis showed us around. She was lovely, very nice, and accommodating."

"My sister was so excited about the apartments. The place is very nice and clean, and the staff is nice. It’s got great free parking for guests as well as for residents. The care was very good, and I would recommend it. They have something going on every day. They have a community room, exercise room, and roof-top terraces which you can go out on. They also have boxes to plant something, and you can have your own garden. There’s a café with different things to choose from, like if you want a sandwich, you can just get from there. Otherwise, you can eat in their dining area."

"Epiphany Assisted Living in Coon Rapids, MN was recommended by an acquaintance in the area as a possible place for our uncle to reside. He has some special needs at this point in his life, so we need to find him a suitable place to live. The outer grounds of this facility are quite lovely. In fact, it looked very much like one of the homes our uncle has lived in for much of his life. The pond in the center of the front of the building featured a gazebo-like setting that looked like a great place to relax and enjoy the day. The staff seems to respect the independence of the residents, which is important to us. Our uncle is anxious about making this transition in his life "“ always having been the one to support, rather than require it. The many services are offered to reflect personal needs and with an eye toward providing choices. For example, outings are suggested and also requested by residents and added to the list of activities. All residents are encouraged to participate in as much as they are interested in, as well as to try new things. The tailored health care services can be adjusted as needed. All of the amenities we were told about seemed to be in place "“ from the caring staff to the types of social interaction. We saw residents doing a variety of things, from exercise to reading, watching films and playing games. The interior rooms, from the communal to the private, were all nicely decorated in a home-like way. The furniture was comfortable and the living quarters were all nicely designed for easy access. The food we tried was tasty and healthy. All of the residents seemed to enjoy their food and were offered a variety of good choices. They offer healthy snacks throughout the day so that the residents are well fed. This is a beautiful place that seems more like a real home than an elder care facility. "

"River North Senior Apartments is not all it's cracked up to be. We have a community room, a day room, and a movie room that you can reserve any time you want. They don't serve meals. Maintenance is alright but it's a 55+ community so there's no nurses nor staff. We have a need and yet people here don't come. It's not a nursing home or anything like that, it's an apartment."