Independent Living Communities in White Bear Lake, 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."

"We have moved my mom in. It is close to where I am, and that's important. The place seems clean and friendly. They have activities. Like this week, the residents went to one of the local casinos, and a couple of weeks ago, they took my mom on a tour. They had a luau for families and friends, and they had music during that event. The food is good. It is usually fresh. They have a lot of vegetables and fruits. They have very good staff."

"Abiitan Mill City is my favorite. If I wanted to stay in Minneapolis, I would move there. It is located near the river. The streets are lined with trees. There are lots of good restaurants within walking distance. The Guthrie Theater is within walking distance, too. Great transportation is available, from the light rail to buses. The rooms were beautiful with huge windows. They had lovely common spaces, indoors and outdoors. There were lots of arts in the hallways that I found to be very contemporary. There was a lively feeling about the staff and the residents I met. There were many happy people there."

"We went to Copperfield Hill. We loved it, it had a very comfortable and home-like setting, and I think the programs they're offering were wonderful. They have pick-up service where they can take people to the doctor if they have to go, or grocery shopping, and it's clean. We were just very pleased."

"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."

"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."

"Havenwood Of Richfield has both Senior Living apartments and assisted living as well as memory care. We have visited friends in the senior living apartments, and our mother is in memory care. The senior living apartments.are beautiful, spacious and well laid out. Our mom‘s memory care apartment is also spacious and nicely laid out. Overall, Havenwood Of Richfield is a nice quality retirement community with friendly welcoming staff. For social interaction they have many occasions to meet for visits or activities with others, and have a variety of relaxing common spaces to use. Memory Care is a pleasant place and the staff works hard to be engaging, and supportive of each person’s needs. Our mother has an apartment in memory care that is spacious enough for our family to visit comfortably, enjoy meals in her apartment with her and play games at her dining table. We have even enjoyed ordering food from the kitchen in order to eat with our mother. We’ve had the meals brought to her room, out to the main dining room, and even the patio. (The hamburgers are excellent!) Havenwood of Richfield feels like a real small-town neighborhood house. Havenwood is not so big that you get lost in the facility yet big enough to meet a good variety of people. It is nestled in a quiet neighborhood which is nice for getting out doors for a walk and convenient to a number of stores and restaurants. When you walk out of your room, you definitely feel like you are meeting with the neighbors of your neighborhood. We appreciate that it has the main floor for the two wings of memory care, and has in the center, the lobby with its fireplace and seating areas, the main dining room, formal dining room, back “porch” room, mailboxes, Veterans wall, a small store for residence to pick up essential items or snack and a salon where services like podiatry are provided. We like that mom can be brought across to the other wing and participate in activities with people there which gives her variety and a feeling of being in a whole new place. She is also taken to the second floor chapel/theater room for the bimonthly church service. We like that Havenwood of Richfield is not a tall impersonal high-rise with many floors. Overall, it has very tasteful decor with a homey and welcoming atmosphere. Through seasonal touches of decor, the atmosphere is cheerful and welcoming as a home would be. The moment you walk into Havenwood of Richfield, you are met with a friendly smile. The staff get to know the residents and families by name. This helps us all feel welcome. Either through the suggestion box or direct conversations, they welcome suggestions you might have to make it an even better place to live! Havenwood helps us to feel part of a team who deeply cares about the quality of life for our mother. When residents and their families come to the main lobby they will find a counter set up with coffee, ice water, and fruit always ready and available which promote visits and connections. Fridays are popcorn day! Everyone seems to like that! You will also find a TV on above both sides of the fireplace. On the coffee side they usually have the news and the other side the TV shows beautiful scenery, wildlife or cute animals, etc.. In memory care, they have a main interactive TV which they can do multiple types of programming. They have a second TV above the fireplace that shows beautiful imagery, wildlife, nature, and cute animals. There is a patio outdoor space that gives residents an option to enjoy the sun, flowers, and walk the path. In fact, flowers are all around! At the entrance and front patio, on all three of the resident patios! Often cut flowers are arranged in small bouquets and set out on tables and counters. Flower arranging, and plant care is an activity the residents enjoy. The creative art room in Willow has a Tover interactive system for residents to play together or with their family members. Mom‘s grandson will play some of those games with her and also loves the old typewriter on the desk! As with any new place, give it time and let staff know if there’s anything you’re concerned about. They are eager to help make the transition as smooth as possible. We are very thankful for this community for our mother and for us."

"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 visited and thought it was a lovely environment. It's close to many amenities, things to do, and shopping. It felt like very nice, upscale living. The staff was friendly, open to questions, and treated me very well. The food was amazing. They're connected to a community center, so you can go swimming. It was more for active people."

"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. "

"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."

"We toured Rose Arbor & Wildflower Lodge, and it went very well. We liked the location of it and the staff was very nice. We had lunch there and the food was very good. Everything was in good shape, and the outdoor areas were very nice with lots of trees around. They have activities, like bingo, then there's a pool table and a chapel. Everything was accessible from the elevator. The cleanliness and the upkeep was also very nice."

"Havenwood of Maple Grove seemed very nice. They didn't have the unit that I wanted available. So, I kind of didn't go back there. The rooms were nice. There were some things that I didn't like. There weren't many closets. I didn't meet very many people, but the person who gave the tour was very nice. It was clean."

"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."