The Best Independent Living Communities in Chatham County, NC

"My parents lived at Carolina Meadows for many years. It was the best retirement decision that they could have made. They lived in a large Villa for years, and then transitioned to the Fairways and finally, to the Pines. The environment was perfect for them. The other residents were similar to my parents: successful in business, worldly and very social. The atmosphere was very friendly; not stuffy at all. The food was outstanding. For years, I would meet my parents every Thursday there for lunch, and it was a real treat. The food was that good. Many family holiday meals were enjoyed at the dining room. Their Villa was perfect for them. Spacious, it was a high-quality build, and maintenance was always friendly and very responsive whenever something needed attention or fixing. I think that the best and most impressive part of Carolina Meadows is the staff. As they aged and depended on the staff more at each transition, my parents received amazing care. My sister and I became more involved as time went by. We made many unannounced visits, and at no time did we ever observe anything but excellent care for Mom and Dad. If you are on the fence about committing to this place, just do it! Like my parents, I think that you will discover that it will be the best retirement decision that you can make. "

"Parkview Retirement Village is very clean, it smells very good, and the people working there are friendly. I got to meet the owner, and she was extremely nice and helpful. My aunt has a very nice, clean room. She was always clean herself. The meals were delicious, and I couldn't find any fault with it. "

"My mother-in-law is in The Cedars. The real positive thing about it is that the people who purchase the apartments own them. Overall, upfront that's a big investment. There is a monthly fee, and it is fairly high. I forget the exact amount, but it's between $1,000 and $2,000 a month. In fact, it may be higher than that because it includes the meals. They have buses and so forth to take them. They have all sorts of activities. They have a very nice pool and a gym. There are multiple buildings, and it is a really nice place. The food is excellent, and it is kind of like a restaurant. There are social activities if somebody wants to. They have all kinds of events for the people to be involved in. "

To learn more about this provider’s license and review other available state reports, please visit: North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation Licensed Facilities

"I looked at Azalea Estates Gracious Retirement Living. It is fairly new, it is very big, and it looks very homey. The person who accompanied me was very good and helpful. I wasn't too crazy about the apartment because it had a very small kitchenette, and there was no division between the kitchenette and the living room. They went to quite a bit of trouble about the food, but I didn't really like it that much, as it was kind of high in fat. It just wasn't to my taste. They have the usual amenities, but I just didn't think I would be comfortable there. They have an outdoor tennis court, an exercise room, a library, and a room where they show movies."

"My lease just expired at Overture Chapel Hill. I've been there about 11 months. I love the location of it. I love the facility, the layout of the facility, and the way the apartments are designed. It was a nice place to live. It was a good-sized apartment and it had one and a half baths. It was brand new with hardwood floors. It was very nice. The staff was very friendly, and they got along well with all the residents. They have a fitness center, game areas, and a movie theater. They have an exercise room where you could go for classes like Taichi and other types of classes. They didn't serve full meals and only had continental breakfast morning. The food was great. The dining area was kept very clean. It was very nice and large with lots of windows and lots of light coming in."

"Overture Chapel Hill is a very friendly independent living community. The staff is also very good, and I don't have any complaints. From what I saw during my tour, the upkeep was good, and it looks brand new. The place was very clean."

"Carol Woods for me was a very nice place. The staff was wonderful. They had inside apartments and garden apartments and they were just beautiful. The dining room was very nice. I had not eaten there, but for what I had seen the meals were really healthy and delicious. It was close to a shopping area and not too far from a medical facility. They also had a bus that take people to where they wanted to go. "

"Alamance House is wonderful. It's a homey place; it's clean. The staff is caring and kind and if they're not, they don't get to stay there. They didn't keep somebody with an attitude. I'm impressed with that because when you work with elderly, you have to be happy around them. The CNAs there and the medtechs are good. If you wheel yourself up to the desk and talk to them, they will respond to you and smile. The director is very good. They're really on top of things. The facility is only 1-year-old. It's beautiful. Mom has been there now since February and I am very impressed. They are really, really good to her and she is happy there. My mom is paralyzed on the left side so she doesn't have use of her left arm but she does participate in bingo and they have groups come to sing. They have preachers come to preach. The activity director does her nails on Friday. If you call a couple of hours before mealtime and just let them know so they can make an extra plate, you can eat with them. It's very reasonable. I do that from time to time and it is good food. I would recommend it. "

"Searstone was probably the top of the line in terms of quality and amenities. The cost of it was reflected in the services that they offered. They've established themselves to be a high level of care within Cary, both physically and in terms of amenities, which includes accommodations and food. The apartments were wonderful. They offered a variety of physical and social activities."

"We have two friends at The Forest, and it appears to be a well-run facility. The people are very nice and friendly. They have it set-up so that people will be taken care of. It is a continuing care facility. In other words, it is independent, and if something happened to one or both of us, they would come and take care of us. They have assisted care and skilled nursing, and they will help make that decision to move you. I will say that from the ones I looked at, this is the best. "

"My mom is pleased with Overture Cary. She likes the activity that's going on. She's happy there. Right now, she is enjoying their Bible study. She is well pleased with her apartment, but when it comes to cleaning the big one bathroom she has, she said it's hard to clean them, so she's thinking about getting somebody to help her do that. I haven't been back there to visit her since I've moved her in, but the place was clean and well-maintained definitely."

"Oak Creek Retirement wasn't really big of a facility. It was a little bit older though, but it was still nice. I thought it was a pretty nice place and very reasonable in its cost. It was definitely clean. It looked very good particularly around the cafeteria area. The cafeteria area was nice. We looked at one apartment and it was nice. It had a kitchen and everything that my mother would need. They were in the process of cleaning it for the next resident. It was already clean but they were repainting it and updating some of the fixtures and things in it. You could tell they were really doing a good maintenance on it. One of the problems with this facility though was that the laundry and all of that was on the level down from where all the apartments were. You would have to go downstairs to get to it but they don't have an elevator. However, the staff seemed very nice. The woman that we spoke to was very nice and answered all our questions. Also most of the residents there smiled and were very nice. They were talking and sitting together. They had a good group of activities at that time. "

"Recently my grandmother was no longer able to care for herself so we where lucky enough to get her a spot at The Village at Brookwood. We chose The Village at Brookwood because it had such a warm feeling when you come into the community and the staff was very helpful and kind. The first visit we made to see her she was absolutely happy with the way she was being treated. She had already made her own little family at the village. The best part of The Village at Brookwood was that she was able to still live in her own home within the community but was always able to get assistance any time of day when she need it. Within the community she was still able to have family and friends come visit at any time. All together she was very happy with the move and all of the help she has recieved from the staff at The Village at Brookwood. "