Independent Living Communities in Oakdale, MN

"My mother lived at Oakridge Place. The price was good. You have a choice of doing a full meal plan, one meal a day, or two meals a day. They had wonderful staff there. We visited there. I thought that I was going to be able to have a meal there, but I didn't get to. I was a little late, and they were in the middle of their lunch. If you don't like what's on their menu for the day, you can do an ala carte menu. They could have said, 'Well, we can get you a sandwich quick' since people were still eating in the dining room. They could have done that. I think the staff either forgot or had to continue with the tour because I was late, and she had other things going on. The staff was wonderful. I visited this place two weeks ago, and the person who did the tour was Heather. She is new to that place, but she's very good and helpful. They had a couple of apartments that they were fixing up. After someone leaves a place like that, they thoroughly have to go through it and clean it. Heather did a great job. I was pleased with it. It didn't make a difference that I didn't get a lunch, but I think if they tell you you're going to get lunch, you should get a sandwich or something. They have a lot of activities for the residents. They had a lot of people coming in to sing. Sometimes, during the meal, they had light piano music going on and a lady was playing. It's not a place that I wanted, but it would be a great place for the right person. They were very efficient with everything. The dining room was very clean. The hallways were very clean and kept up well. They had a lot of activities. From experience with my mom being there, they have activities that are geared towards older people like bingo, putting puzzles together, and music. They have a van where they'll take you to the bank or they'll take you where you need to go. My mom was there during COVID the whole time and it doesn't bother her too much because she wasn't used to going out much anyway because she's blind and couldn't see. She had those books where they listened to the books. Those are provided by the Foundation for the Blind and that was her enjoyment for activity. There are good things for the people to do there. Overall (and I based it on what my mother was able to do), they were very efficient with that. They had therapies that would come in if your doctor agreed that you needed that. They had bingo, music, therapy, exercise, and some other types of games."

"Great staff and management. Caring, attentive. A lot of activities, great food. We are very happy with them."

"I chose Abiitan Mill City because of the neighborhood. My very first apartment in Minneapolis was right there. I raised my daughter there. Our favorite restaurant for our family is there. We have many friends there. They're welcoming to cats. There's a whole floor where a kitty can play and be on leash with others. It's easy for my friends to get to. It is not spacious. These apartments are dinky. The staff was very welcoming. They showed the library, the gym, the auditorium, the restaurants, several versions of the apartments, the open floors, the garden floors, and the patios. I like the design, too. It's very modern, not suburban, but the parking is so expensive, and I might have to give up my car. It's sparkling clean. My friends did have dinner there and they said it was very good."

"The rooms were all nice, good-sized one-bedrooms with kitchens. The ones on the first floor had patios. They had bingo, puzzles, and games and a van on which the residents do outings. There was a room which they use as a chapel and movie theater. I only met their sales representative, who was very nice. The place was nice and clean. I saw a few residents who all looked happy."

"I liked Havenwood of Richfield really well. I just didn't like it being on the other side of the river from me. The rooms were quite spacious, but the kitchens were probably a third of what the apartment was. For a one-bedroom apartment, it is kind of ridiculous to have the kitchen be so huge when they're providing two meals a day. I just felt that they could have had more living space. The living room/dining area was tiny. There was no living space. It's all kitchen. Everything was clean, neat, and well-organized. The staff was very friendly. Their social activities director's dad lived there. I think that's a pretty awesome statement that the staff would want or have their family members living there."

"I thought Copperfield Hill Senior Living was a lovely place. They had a lot of very interesting events and a beautiful atrium. I liked the two-bedroom apartment that was really close to the atrium. It was large, bright, and sunny. The woman who gave me the tour was a very nice person. One building was assisted living and another building was independent. You can add services as needed, and I thought that was very nice because you wouldn't have to move your loved ones from independent into assisted since they could get all of the services they needed. They were very flexible, and you don't have to buy an entire package. "

"I moved to Bay Harbor of River Falls. It's wonderful. All the people that live there are very nice, and they have wonderful activities every day. I enjoy it very much. The food is excellent. Yesterday, we had music in the afternoon and bingo. The dining area, they're remodeling it right now, and it's very clean and very nice. I like my room very much. They send somebody in once a week for 15 minutes to do the floors, the sink, and the bathroom."

"I had an in-person tour. The staff showed me the common areas and the memory care areas. She explained that they have two regions of the memory care area. It was a much larger facility, and they probably had more activities that would be available. The staff was very good and personable. They had a courtyard and a place for music where there were concerts on Sundays. They had a lot of good amenities. They have onboard chefs, and they gave me cookies, which were good."

"We chose Covenant Living of Golden Valley. We liked how happy everyone was, the involvement of people in the community, and the interactions that people had with each other. The residents were just interactive, happy, and welcoming. It just depends which room you get. Some have laundry, some don't, and it depends on the size of the room. But one thing about them, there's a buy-in option, but you can redecorate your room how you want it before you move in."

"I went to Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley for a tour. I saw independent living, but if I need assisted living right now, I could go in the same unit. It's a stay-in-place facility. It was very clean, very attractive, and quiet. It seemed to have all the aspects that you might want in independent living. It's modern and impressive. I think the staff gave a comprehensive tour and explained things. She showed me two units. She was respectful, very prompt, and very attentive. They had a nice park area on one side of the building. They had a walkway around it, which is excellent. It's a nice strolling place for people to be out without crossing any streets."

"The rooms are older and small. The care is moderately good. The biggest complaint is that we purchased new comfortable clothing for him and within a week all but one item we purchased “disappeared” never to be seen again. They also “lost” a sweatshirt that was very dear to him. It is obvious that they randomly distribute clothing to other patients as we often arrived and he was wearing items that were not his own. I would be very wary of this place."

"The staff is exceptional and made my dad feel part of the community before he even moved it. The building is well kept up and bright. Apartments are newer and bright. Highly recommend Havenwood Burnsville!"

"I toured. It was new and updated, and it was very nice. We saw the studio room and it was nice and updated, but it was a little bit small. The dining area was nice, spacious, new, and updated. It was more like a restaurant. It had a bar area, and they do happy hours there, and then it had a seating area. We saw bingo going on and some residents were meeting in the lobby with their loved ones. The staff was very friendly. It didn't have as much outdoor space as I would have hoped, but they had it beautifully maintained. It was definitely in a more industrial area."

"My mother is in Elim Shores. The staff is very warm and inviting. It is a smaller community, and we feel very comfortable with them. They have a number of outings where they take the residents out to a theater or shopping. They have a bridge club that my mother joined and take her to weekly religious services. It really works out nicely. They are a great group of people. However, they do not have quite the variety of food that my mother normally had. She likes more ethnic food, and this is more of your basic meat and potatoes. They can improve on having an on-site physical therapy. They do have an organization that you can schedule to come in, but it is not really equipped as compared to the other communities that we looked at, but that is a very minor issue. The director is phenomenal, and the registered nurse is really wonderful. I met with almost the entire staff. The residents have a strong community feel. Everybody introduces themselves and comes over for coffee. "