Independent Living Communities in Dover, NH

"My mother is in Hillsbrook Village at Allenstown. It's about $10,000 a month, and she's running out of money. The staff is excellent. The food is very good and appropriate. My mother happens to be in a special part of the facility called Egis, and it's for wandering people so that they don't have to tie them up. They have a place where they can wander safely. You can bring your loved ones in to have meals with the folks at that particular location. The dining area is very good. They have meals that are new and inventive, and then they have a lot of staples that most of us grew up with. The LNAs that come in and out are very, very helpful. They support that group of people every day. The actual RNs and such also are fantastic. If it was me, I would love it. I could play Scrabble every day, or Monopoly with other people. They have singers and storytellers and comedians coming in at least once a month. They're always promoting board games and cards and such for the entire community to use, and they have a library. They have heating and air-conditioning. My mother doesn't use all of their facilities, but if I was her age, I would be very happy. From the folks that are laundering the clothes, to the LNAs, like making beds, helping with showers, they're all trained properly. They are very good, and they have good ways of working with some of the folks that are maybe very troubled, because they're sick or whatnot, and these LNAs are bright lights for all of these people. They have crafts and it's available for everyone to use. It's well announced ahead of time. The people that like to sing can go out and sing. They have all kinds of stuff. Their food is very good. They have a variety for my needs and my mother's needs. I sometimes go with my mother to the cafeteria. It's a good menu and I think most people can say the same thing about it. They do their best, but there were some things I wish that they were doing differently in that area."

"The Residence at Silver Square was beautiful. It was a very beautiful place. It felt very energetic and very youthful. It felt very all-inclusive. Like you could continue with your life there, whether it's exercise and food. It was quite outstanding. The food was excellent. I was treated very well by the staff, but the main person was fairly new to the game. The Residence at Silver Square was a little uppity and upscale, and there was certainly a vibe about that. But I was thinking about my mother-in-law and that wouldn't be a place that would jazz her. It jazzed me, but I'm not going there. They had some very unique things that I thought stood out. However, the location was not that great."

"Tara Estates is a very nice and a very well-kept community. These are individual homes on individual lots which makes it attractive. It's pet-friendly; you can have a small dog, but there’s a weight limit. It’s very quiet and very friendly. There’s an exercise room. There's a beautiful clubhouse with a function room and a huge fireplace. There are all kinds of activities -- breakfast, bingo on Thursday nights, and holiday parties. It’s very active. Its location is desirable because you've got the ocean within a half an hour and the mountains within a half an hour. Major highway is accessible as well as good restaurants. "

"My dad is here. The staff is very good, very attentive, and work with him very well. The room is good and clean. He has not complained about the food. "

"Sentry Hill at York Harbor was a beautiful community, exactly what I wanted. It has freestanding independent living little cottages. My tour was fantastic. I only met one person. It was during COVID, so it was just the two of us, but she took me all around. She was wonderful, very friendly, and helpful. I wanted a private cottage, and there were very few places in Southern Maine that had them. I've chosen Sentry Hill because they had the private cottages."

"I stayed at Langdon Place of Exeter for a week, and I liked it. It was wonderful. I was busy all the time. I played bowling, had a chocolate fest on Valentine's day, and there was an accordion player. It was entertaining and they had sing-alongs and a happy hour one night where you could have a drink, if you wanted one. Everybody was happy and everybody was always telling me how nice the place looked and how happy they were being there. The nurses were unbelievably nice, too. They're just terrific. The place was always clean and neat. It was beautiful. Even the indoor pool was pretty, as it kept turning colors. The staff was the most wonderful people I've ever met. They always have a smile on their face, and they're always protecting you. Every night you have a choice of choosing your meals and desserts, and I liked everything that I got. They could have a few other things though, like crocheting and dancing, because I like them a lot. Still, it's one of those places that you go and enjoy."

"Nichols Village has little cottages that are lovely. It would be cost inhibitive for me, but they would be perfect. You still could go over to the building and have the use of all the amenities, and that would be very nice. They had the attached garage which would be perfect for me. I didn't get to see the cottages, but the apartments were very nice. The staff showed me a couple of the apartments. They had a pool there, too. The staff was very nice. I just walked in, and she said, 'We'll give you a tour if you want.' They have a garden where they could give you a little plot, and you could plant your own little garden. It was all done by the residents. I really didn't tour the outside as much there as I would have liked to; it was just kind of a quick walk around. The rooms were on the small side, but they were nice. They had a little sunroom area, which was kind of a nice idea. The kitchen, dining, and living area were adequate. The bedroom was a little bit small, but I'm only one person; it's plenty big enough for me. The living atmosphere was very nice. It's a perfect location."