The Best Independent Living Communities in Washington County, MN

"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."

"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."

"It is good. The staff is cordial, helpful, friendly, and accommodating. My mother has a very nice corner room and it has a lot of windows, so it seems bigger. She likes it. The food is good and the dining area is like a restaurant. They have happy hour, card nights, exercises, and trips. It's a very nice facility. They have a bus that takes a loop around the Edina area and connects them free of charge to doctors, dentists, Target, shopping, and a movie theater. It runs daily."

"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."

"My mother is in Ecumen Seasons, and the staff there seems to be cooperative. The rooms seem to be fine. The only thing I want them to have is a microwave oven. They have activities, like baking parties. They have a rec room where she can play cards with her friends and make new friends. They have a dining room also. "

"We visited Havenwood of Burnsville and looked at their independent living. I loved the floor plan that they showed me. Their dining area looked really nice. I have arthritis, so it's hard for me to get into a tub to take a shower, so I really liked the walk-in shower that they have. They had a lot of activities there, too. I need a lot of those because that helps pass the time. If you move in as an independent living resident and then need assisted living, they have this plan where you don't have to move. Even if you need assisted living, you can still stay in your independent living apartment, and I like that. The facility is very clean and nice. They also provide meals for their residents."

"I liked it very much; it was very nice. I felt good about the place, but it didn’t appeal for my needs. The staff that accommodated me was really wonderful. The dining area was nice, and I liked it. The room that I saw was nice and clean, but small."

"We were able to see three different rooms at 1Rose Arbor & Wildflower Lodge and they all look great. We would go more for the 1-bedroom and we really liked that one. If things worked out for us, that's the one we would go for. They were all so very nice and the staff we met with spent over an hour with us. We were so pleased. The staff that assisted us during the tour was very nice and took extra time to talk to us. He did a very good job. The facility was all very clean and they offered us coffee or tap water."

"My parents moved into Haven Wood in June 2023. Sadly, my mom passed away that fall, and I was initially concerned about how my dad would manage living on his own. Fortunately, he truly loves it at Haven Wood. The facility and rooms are top-notch, and my dad can’t say enough good things about the food — both the quality and variety are excellent. He especially appreciates the willingness of the kitchen staff to accommodate "off-menu" requests, which makes meals feel more personal and enjoyable. While there has been quite a bit of staff turnover, everyone has been exceptionally kind and attentive to my dad, and I’m deeply grateful for the care he’s received."

"What I liked most about Elim Shores were the very knowledgeable and welcoming staff, the decent-sized rooms, and the views out of the rooms. I just had a good feel to it for myself. The staff was attentive, considerate, and respectful. They had different places to relax. You could walk outside to the pond or lake, and they had an activities calendar that seemed to cover a variety of interests."

"We had a very good experience moving my parents in. Though we are giving five stars, it might have helped to understand the Ambassador program better. Maybe we missed something that was explained to us but I don’t remember how the introduction between the ambassador and my parents was going to happen. A couple people told us who the assigned ambassador was but we never met him in the week we were there. Again, we might have missed something information that was available to us, but some information about how to get new residents familiar with wayfinding would be helpful. Maybe there aren’t any tricks for way finding except repetition."

"The Ecumen Parmly (Margaret S Parmly) is actually a very wonderful place, very clean, friendly, and nice. They do have assisted living, and we are trying to get my mother in there. She went in there Thursday last week, and the people working there were very friendly. It is very clean and very beautiful. It’s a large facility, but each section has its own wing. They have entertainers that come in, and they have TVs. The atmosphere was very good. The room is not that bad; they have like six people in there and each has plenty of room. She has her own bathroom, TV, a chair, and a table. She gets assistance getting to the wheelchair and then to the bathroom. They come very quickly when she pushes the button, and then the person that comes in would do wound care. They are very good, and they listen to her. "

"The other place that we looked at was The Wellstead. It was a phenomenal facility. The décor was a bit more upscale, which my parents preferred, but they didn’t have a two-bedroom available at the time. I was very impressed with this community, they just didn’t have openings. In the end, they were farther away from my home. The Wellstead has dining options, it is bigger, and they have more robust entertainment options. It is also closer to my home."

"Benedictine Windermere Way is a fairly new place. My daughter-in-law's mother enjoys it very much. It's very well done and it is very comfortable. It had excellent people running it. The staff was competent and the activities were excellent. As part of their COVID protocols, you have to wear a mask, put antiseptic on your hands, and keep distance from the people. So, they are very cautious with that."