Independent Living Communities in White Bear Lake, MN

"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."

"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. "

"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."

"My husband is in Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley. So far, they seem to be keeping their word on all of the services they had promised that he would receive. We have received very thorough communication and a breakdown of all the billing practices so that we understand what we're paying for and what we're receiving. I was real happy with that. They seem to be very kind and thoughtful to him and understanding for his condition. They've been very attentive. I've sat with him for his meals and they seemed to be adequate and varied enough to get his interest. They're thoughtful in making sure he has something that he likes. They talked to him before they made a meal plan for him to make sure they were serving something that he liked. He's kind of locked in, so he can't go out. I can take him to the other places, but I haven't had a chance yet, to like the library and the theater. Compared to the other places that we looked at, they came in lower, but offered as good or better service. He has a balcony even in memory care, and it's locked. You have to have an attendant unlock it for you. Somebody has to be with him if he's on the balcony."

"Havenwood of Burnsville is a newer place. They've only been open a couple of years. It's very clean. I liked the structure of the place. The woman I met was very nice. We spent quite a bit of time talking and touring the place. Unfortunately, they didn't have an opening. So, I didn't pursue more than just doing the initial tour and the initial conversation. I think the newer memory care rooms are more open. I liked that they have a big living room and dining room in the middle with the rooms around it. I think the apartments that people were living in were very large, which is kind of a nice factor in terms of moving things in. I had a very positive feeling about it."

"I looked at three apartments at Havenwood of Minnetonka. I visited primarily for independent living, but I was looking for continuous care going forward. For me, it's in a very good location. There's a grocery store, there's a bank, there's a hardware store, and there are restaurants. It's just very, very convenient for me who is accustomed to living on the western edge of Minneapolis. The first impression when you walk in is that it is a new building. It's very clean and it's tastefully decorated in the public areas. The apartments are smaller compared to what I'm living in now, but I'm ready to accept that in the future. I only met with two people. I met with one who gave me the tour and then the gal who was at the front desk. They're very accommodating and answered all my questions, plus they gave me more information, not just what I'd asked about."

"The Wellstead was great and really nice. I was ready to move in myself. The people were friendly and helpful. We had a full tour. "

"I toured Elim Shores. I like the price of the unit. And it was located by a lake, so that was another plus for me. It also had the capability of having assisted living, and you would stay in your own unit, and not move, so it has services where you live. Also, they would take a program in Minnesota called elderly waiver. They have three meals a day. You have the option of buying a meal plan. You didn't have to buy all three meals. You could pay as you go or buy a reduced ticket group. I like the availability of meals and I like the availability of assisted living and elderly waivers. As life changes for me, I will probably need all of those. They have underground garage parking, which is ideal in Minnesota. There's a beauty shop, and of course, crafts and church services, so all of that was appealing. They have units that view the lake. If financially you could afford them, then you could live there. I had a taste of their barbecue, and it was okay. They have a dock, so those who would like to fish that would be available. They were planning to buy a pontoon, so there would be rides in the water. I think they have a bus and take people out in outings."

"My mom didn't care for The Waters of White Bear Lake. They did not have any transportation for the people. You had to coordinate that on your own. That was a huge, huge thing for my mom, especially in the winter. I thought it was nice, but my mom felt like everyone was looking down at her. The people there have a little more in their pocketbook than my mother, so I think she let that intimidate her. It was very classy. They have a chandelier. The lady that showed us around was very nice. We went to their restaurant, and the food was really good. However, the people weren't as friendly, so that turned my mom off. The room looked nice. They probably had it staged like a nice model home, and I liked it. I'm 60 years old, and I wouldn't mind living there if I had no one else and if I was all alone. It had high-end cabinets."