The Best Independent Living Communities in Gloucester County, NJ

"Chestnut Ridge was really nice. The staff seemed really nice and attentive there. Their rooms were very spacious, very clean, and very nice."

"Brittany Manor didn't provide respite care services. Going in there, it was more for people who are mentally challenged. Before I went in, there was a resident already asking me for money while I was sitting in my car, and then when I went in, there was another resident who was asking me for money, and food, and whatever I had in my hand. The person who walked me around was a five. My experience trying to confirm that I had a tour was a one or a zero. I called to confirm, and no one seemed to be able to confirm with me that they were aware that I was coming. They said they would get back to me, and no one ever got back to me, so I just wound up showing up, and the person who gave me the tour was very friendly. However, she wasn't necessarily prepared to provide a tour. The place was very disheveled. Whoever owned the place before, that signage was still up there. The facility smelled as soon as I got in the door. The staff pretty much mentioned this is for people who have mental disabilities. The room I saw wasn't dirty. It's just that everything looked old. Everything didn't look like it was maintained properly. That's not a place I would recommend for anybody. It didn't seem like the patients were even well taken care of. The people that I talked to on the phone were not professional in my book, and telling me that you're going to get back to me, and then you still don't get back, that was very concerning."

"After 4 months of in-home care for our Mom, we decided to look at some assisted living facilities in our area. Although very nice, the ones we visited seemed a little overwhelming to Mom. A friend told us about a newly renovated facility in Arden that had just re-opened. We decided to check it out. Thus began our love affair with Ivy Gables, a beautifully appointed 24 room senior living facility nestled in the community of Ardentown which just happens to be 5 minutes from our home. We particularly liked that it was a small facility, knowing that it would be more comforting to Mom. Of course, what’s a beautiful facility without warm and friendly people to bring it to life!! The staff at Ivy Gables outshines all of its beautiful appointments! They are top notch, professional folks who welcomed us and have went the extra mile to make our Mom (and us) feel at home! Knowing that our Mom is safe and in the hands of such kind and loving folks, has given us such peace of mind!” "

"When it came to receive extra care for my mother, I would have done anything to keep her out of a retirement home. Since my father had passed away, I had become the decision maker of her future. We looked around at different places in Philadelphia, but I wanted her to be somewhere that she would feel at home. Then I found the Philadelphia Protestant Home. The people were so nice as soon as we walked in and we felt very welcomed. We looked at different packages and picked the one that best suited our needs, and medicare covered just about all of it. Our favorite feature was that she didn't receive a little room, she received a miniature home. She had everything she needed, even her own bathroom. I was afraid of how she would react to the food, since I have heard of bad experiences with the cooking in places like this, but even I enjoyed the food! My mother has her own meal plan where she could eat three meals a day and snacks like muffins in between. She even made her own group of friends with the other residents at the Protestant home and they did numerous activities to keep everybody involved. My mother passed away in November of 2010, but I know that she enjoyed the last few months of her life. She was surrounded by her new friends, whom she referred to as her family. I was able to visit her whenever I wanted and they kept us very involved in her daily schedules and medical problems. I am glad my mother had the experience that she did at the Protestant Home, because it changed the way that I think about retirement homes. I would definitely recommend them to anybody. "

"I went to McCallum Assisted Life. I saw a room with a shared bathroom. The staff told me the price point. They have a doctor every month that comes out to the location. They do things for them, they have activities, and they do the medication. I like the location. The staff was very friendly, very knowledgeable, and informative. It's an older facility, but it was nice and clean. They had a patio. They did show me the board where they have activities."

"We have chosen Forwood Manor. I met two staff members and they were very nice and open. When you walk in, there are two doors that open to a nice area, and across the hall is a huge living room. We like the floor plan because there's two walk-in closets, which I think is good. It seems that any activities you're interested in, they have it going on there. They have a library too. They have crafts, sewing and cooking groups, they go out on small trips, and they go out to eat once a month. The menus are very nice too. When you go in, they have all these coffees and teas, and you can go down there any time during the day and get coffee or tea."

"Springfield Senior Living was very clean, and the workers there were very professional. I liked how engaged they were with the residents. They showed me the activity room. I noticed that the residents were involved in activities. They were in the dining room, they were watching TV, and they were doing things. Then the apartment itself was very nice. The only criticism I can think of is maybe renovation of the apartments like with the cabinets or something like that, but other than that, everything was very nice. I like it a lot. The staff was very professional and informative. She gave me a folder with all the information in it. I didn't have to ask any questions because all the information was in the folder."

"Ivy Creek Gracious Retirement is a fairly new place. It's nice and clean. The staff who gave the tour was very sweet. I was the only one who was on the tour. She took me to every place in the building in spite of the fact that she had a bad leg. I met a couple there, and they were very positive. It seemed like a nice place."

"I did an in-person visit to Pinnacle at Plymouth Meeting. It looked pretty nice to me, it's fairly new, and they were just accepting people in the next couple months The apartment was kind of small. I saw one or two staff members, they were very pleasant and helpful. I just saw a couple of apartments and an area where the turnpike passed by there, and still I couldn't hear the turnpike noise, so that's quite good."

"My review is excellent. I have lived here since November 2016. The staff has been great. I have visited other facilities and found that Juniper Village was the best environment for myself. The entire staff is great and also the food. Please come here if you are looking for a great home."

"My mom was at Legacy Gardens of Bristol. I really liked that community. The problem was they didn't have a separate memory care unit, so she was mixed with other people. They said that they handled dementia patients, but they said, "We couldn't keep her here because she wanders," which to me is the definition of dementia. So we had to move her out of there quickly. I liked the building. It was a nice little building. I liked that it was a smaller community. They had a community room right by where my mom was. They always played card games with the residents. They had games where they would throw a beach ball and they would all take turns catching it and throwing it. They did some arts and crafts with them. It was a nice community, but I don't think it is a good place for somebody with dementia."

"I think Arbour Square is a fairly new facility, only 3 years old. My mother liked it and preferred it because it was smaller. It was much more manageable for walking around or getting around. All the common areas were very nice, and everything was new. There was a lot of light inside, which she really likes too. Everything was smaller and closer together, which she actually preferred. We toured independent living. When you go in, there's a little store, a beauty shop, and a post office. There's a 1950's style restaurant, a movie theater, and a dining facility. They're all right there and very centrally located. She really likes that one. The staff was very helpful. The rooms have a very nice design. Everything was well-appointed, and I would say they're quite a bit smaller than the other ones we've seen. Their activities are probably not as extensive as the other ones we've seen because it's a smaller place, but they gave us the newsletter that lists all the activities for the week. There are a lot of things going on. One nice thing they had there during our visit was that they had a seven-piece small orchestra come in and play for the residents that night. Everybody seemed very excited about that because they weren't able to have things because of Covid. The residents were all getting ready, and they were very excited. It was really very nice. They have an outdoor roof deck, which was super nice for somebody like my mom. It was a really nice space that you could spend time in. One kind of unique thing about the place is that it's located right on a small runway for a local airport, not with big jets or anything. The residents can watch the planes take off and land all the time, which is really kind of unique and interesting. I doubt you'd be able to see something like that at most retirement communities. I thought that was kind of neat."

"I toured Echo Lake, and it was worth a six. It was like being in a luxury hotel. It was gorgeous. Everything that you can imagine they have, except for the chapel. They have doctors' offices. They have a gym. They had a huge art room, and a bus to take you places, like a weekly run to the supermarket, within a certain distance. Also, to doctor's offices if you didn't want to use the doctor that was there at the building. It's a couple of stories high. It was huge. For me it was expensive. They had a lot of two-bedroom units there as well."

"Our family loves Cardinal Village!!! My mom has been a resident there for 7 years and calls it her home! She moved into Independent Living which she just loved and then to assisted living. I cannot say enough about the wonderful care that my mother receives at Cardinal Village. The nurses are some of the most compassionate & caring people that I have ever met. All the staff is amazing. They are always so helpful, respectful, kind & understanding to her. They really go out of their way. They always keep me informed of things going on with mom. We made a great choice in coming to Cardinal Village!"