Independent Living Communities in Jackson, MS

"We did a tour of The Blake at Flowood. It was beautiful and spacious. The staff was very welcoming and kind. We ate a meal there, and it was very good. They had a good menu. The chef was very kind, he came over to the table and talked to us. We got a very good tour with all the amenities and all the things that they had to offer. It looked like a very nice place. The person who took us around was amazing. She was so kind, so knowledgeable, very thorough, and good with follow-up. I enjoyed being with her so often, her name's Annabel."

"My mom is at The Blake at Township for about two months now. It's a very active community. The workers are all very nice. They had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration where they invited family and friends to come and eat, so we've been very pleased so far. My mom's room is great. It's a perfect size. She's got a sort of a living room and kitchen combination. There's no door into the bedroom. The bathroom is well-appointed, and it's got a roll-in shower. She's got a very large walk-in closet with plenty of space, a bed, a chair, a nightstand in the bedroom, and a wingback chair with a little table. She's got room enough for two large televisions, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. They provide cleaning services three days a week. They constantly change the garbage. Some facilities you go in smell like a nursing home, and this does not. You don't get that feeling at all. It's very upbeat. The Thanksgiving food was fantastic. There are certain days that my mother says the food is gross, but she's kind of a picky eater, so there are good days and bad days. The dining area was very nice and well-appointed. They have a lot of amenities. My mom is still in the transitional period, so she's not really participating a lot in the activities, but the activities are there. I see a lot of other people participating in the activities. Fairly recently, they even had a caregiver support group meeting where they brought in a couple of outside speakers, which was wonderful. I thought it was nice of them to do that. It's expensive because we don't have long-term care insurance, but I think it's very comparable to other facilities."

"We visited St. Catherine's Village in Madison and toured their independent living. One thing that I liked more than anything about it was the fact that I would be able to go to mass there without ever having to leave the facility. We are Catholic, so that is important. We were looking for a regular one-bedroom apartment, and the one we saw there seemed smaller than the one we looked at later on at another facility. The one we saw in the other facility was a single deluxe apartment, though, while the one we saw in this facility was just a regular single apartment. Other than that, all of the accommodations there were very nice, so of course, they have a huge waiting list. We have filled out an application there, but we've not heard back from them. The food selection also seemed lovely."

"We had a meal at Sunnybrook Estates Retirement Community, and the food was very good. The staff was excellent. They take them to doctors' appointments, shopping once a week, and on outings to the movies. It's affordable, the people were lovely, the facility was well decorated, and the apartments were nice. They had a studio and a one-bedroom with kitchen."

"I toured Sunnybrook Estates. It is very well kept up. The beautiful landscaping outside has birdhouses and a very nice, wooded walking trail with benches. It's a very pleasant, woodsy feel as well. On the inside, it is well-kept, clean, and very homey. I don't get that institutionalized feel with Sunnybrook, which is one of the reasons why we chose that for my in-laws. Everyone was caring and very, very helpful. They went above and beyond to help us out and answer questions. They spent a lot of time talking with us on tours and phone calls. It was excellent. Unfortunately, due to COVID, they still are not allowing families in the dining room to eat. They're hoping to lift that restriction soon. They have a beauty salon, a library, and a theater. It is not just a room to show movies, but an actual small theater with theater seats in it. They have craft rooms, therapy rooms, and a room for fitness. They also have a game room, a dining room, and a little area where they have music. They'll have people that come in to sing and they have a piano area. My in-laws are moving in next week. They have an on-site chapel, a place where they have Sunday services and services on Wednesday nights. This was meaningful for us and will be beneficial for my in-laws. This is not a criticism by any means, but it's about 20 years old, so, it's not as new as some of the others. But they are constantly updating and renovating. It's still very well-kept and very clean. The staff that I have met have been excellent. The marketing director that has helped us tremendously has spent a lot of hours with us, not just myself, but my other family members, by answering calls, and taking them for multiple tours. The menu that I've seen looked good, and they have alternate selections. So, if there are things that they don't particularly want to eat that day, there are some other selections. I like that they offer three meals a day. And if you do not want to walk down to the dining, they can box up your food and you can take it back to your apartment to eat there. So, you don't have to eat in the dining room. It is independent living, but they offer housekeeping. They come in and clean once a week, change the linens, and wash them. They also have call buttons if they should have an emergency. They are very good. One of their policies is to have your medical and medicines on file, on the back of the door, in case of emergency services. What I have witnessed talking to people on some things that have come up was that even though it's independent living, they will go and check up on you and assist you even though it's not assisted living. So, it's very, very caring and they work with you."