Independent Living Communities in Strongsville, OH

"We checked Vitalia Active Adult Community North Olmsted. It's way too far out and way too much traffic; but otherwise, it was absolutely gorgeous. They have wonderful staff, wonderful facility, and beautiful apartments. It would have been a perfect place for my parents if it was not too far out. They have another assister building not too far away that is a skilled nursing home, but it's not on the same site. We would have physically had to move my parents about 10 miles for the next step down. They are connected to each other literally through a walkway. They actually have not officially opened their assisted living yet. There are only two people living in that facility right now because they were waiting for their license to get there. Then they have seven others to move in there, and then they have lots of rooms available. We did get to tour it, but they weren't going to be ready for more people to move into like the beginning of September. As far as their full meals, the kitchen was not up yet. The residents that were living there were in the assisted living side. It's a brand new building, and they have just finished building it. They had two people on that side working full time: a nurse and a nurse's assistant. They had an activities person over there working right now. We met everybody that was there at the time, and they were fantastic. The distance is the problem; it is way too far, and it is really in the middle of nowhere. It literally is on the North Olmstead-Westlake border. The problem is it's in the middle of a MetroPark, and there's really nothing that they could walk to to do anything. There's a very busy road that runs right past it."

"I toured Danbury North Ridgeville. Everybody was very friendly and welcoming. The facility was clean. They also had a lot of great programs and amenities for the patients. I was there around chow time, so I got to smell the food. I didn't have anything to eat there. I liked the facility a lot, but did not like the location. It was close to a highway, and that turned me off. Their courtyard was pretty open, and it was pretty windy back there. It was a nice courtyard, but I didn't like that it was next to the highway. Lisa and the team did a fantastic job showing around. They knew the answers to the questions I asked. They provided me with information about things that I didn't think to ask. All of the rooms come unfurnished, which is typical, but they were willing to work with us on the types of furniture that can go in there. They did not have in-suite showers in the room."

"I had a very good experience at Westlake Village. Both of the individuals that I talked to were able to answer my questions. They were wiling to sit down and go over the financial aspects with me and looked at the options and alternatives. I took my mom to visit it and she really liked it. Although, I thought it was a lot larger than what I wanted for my Mom because I thought she needed a smaller environment to get better, I felt comfortable with them. With my few visit there, I got the impression that everybody was happy and was receiving the level of care that they needed. I was hoping to get her in but did not got the chance to do so. "

"My grandfather moved in. They've been amazing, they were super helpful getting him moved in, and they had lots of people to give us a hand getting all his stuff in there. They made it very easy and very welcoming for him. The staff has been super great, they've checked in with us since he's been there, and they were really helpful getting the rate set up for him. They've been great. They've been awesome. He said the food is awesome, he really enjoys the macaroni salad, and he really likes the apple pie."

"So far, Vitalia Senior Residences at Westlake is good. My mom has been there, and it took a little while for them to get their act together with the pills, like getting them to her the right time and all that, but I think that straightened out. Otherwise, I think everything's fine so far. They have a combined studio, which were two studios with the door in between, making it two rooms. It is actually bigger than a one-bedroom. My mom lived five minutes away from the place, so she's familiar with the area too. We had lunch there and the food was fine. They have this little bus that they use to take them shopping or to other places, like they went to a Chinese restaurant the other day. She's too new to be doing this, but they have a happy hour, people that come and sing, some entertainment out in the courtyard, and lots of activities. They're short on staff right now, but that's not just their problem, it's everybody's problem."

"The Echelon of Medina was great. It is a wonderful place. My husband was there for about three months. The facility is extremely friendly. They promote socialization. Meals are not served in the rooms, and you go down to a dining room, so you're socializing with people. The physical therapy was great there. The rooms are spotless and very, very clean. The facility itself is very clean. They had several things. They could go out and play pool, they played bingo, and they have a beautiful sitting area downstairs with a fireplace. You can go down and sit, read books, play games or cards, and things like that. The facility is simply 100%. Everything there was immaculate. The food was awesome. They don't do any pre-prepared meals and they cook everything. They have chefs there. I ate dinner with my husband twice and it cost me $5. The food was as good as what you would get in a nice restaurant."

"The tour we had at Vitalia Rockside - Active Adult Community was very nice. The young lady that I worked with was so sweet. She made me feel comfortable. I had some questions that she said she would look into for me and she also told me, "You can come here and join us for things. If you want, I'll send you a calendar when things go on and you could come and join us." I thought that was nice. It's modern. They didn't have a lobby or a place where people could go outside of their rooms. All they had in the middle of it that I saw was their dining area. There weren't a lot of rooms like seating rooms and things like a lot of them have. They said there was a library on another floor, but I didn't see it. The food was awesome. They offered me lunch. The menus were very good. I had an omelet and it was very good. They have a bakery and things, restaurant style, where you can just go and get something all day whenever you want. The chef is good. They gave me strawberries, and they were fresh and so good."

"I'm a resident here, and it's very good. It has 72 residents, so it's not huge, and everyone knows everybody. They have bingo, movies, bowling, pool, and go to the casino, shopping, and restaurants. They have prayer service, Scrabble, board games, coffee hour, and monthly meetings with the residents to try to improve their activities. They have medical staff, who are pretty good and do their best to take care of our needs."

"The man who toured me at The Normandy was very nice, but not familiar with everything. The facility is very nice, but I cannot afford it. I saw an apartment, and it has a living room and one large bedroom with a beautiful bathroom. I saw some ladies knitting. They have restaurant style dining, and they don’t accommodate special dietary needs. I like that it’s near the lake, and they offer transportation. "

"Staff is exceptional. They provided care, true concern, much needed guidance, patience, and wonderful support at an extremely difficult time in my parents' lives. They went way above and beyond the call of duty, and I will forever be so grateful to God for putting these people and this facility in our path. "

"We toured Rose Senior Living - Avon. The people were great, courteous, and made us feel at home. They took us all the way around through the senior living apartments. They also have assisted living and an Alzheimer's unit. The problem with that is that I don't think I would be able to do it financially. The size of the rooms was adequate, and the upkeep was excellent. The dining area looked wonderful from our point of view. The parking area is large enough, and they even offer canopies for cars."

"Independence Village is very nice and comparable in price to all the other assisted living type places we looked at. The food was excellent, and the rooms were pretty nice-sized. The staff was very good and friendly. They offered us a complimentary lunch; it was very good, and they have a real chef. Even if you come as a visitor, it's only $4 for lunch, and you get to pick from a couple different things. "

"My aunt has her own little apartment here. The rooms have a living room, a bathroom, and a kitchen with a little dining area. She can go down to the little dining room, and sometimes they have some activities down there. My sister said she liked the place when we were visiting my aunt. It is a nice area, and it’s close to the mall and supermarkets. "

"I visited Copley Place and it was a very nice community. I was very impressed with it. The lady who showed us around was very friendly and very knowledgeable. We had a meal there and it was cooked deliciously. They were also offering five nights for free. It was a pretty facility. "