Independent Living Communities in Gresham, OR

"It was very nice. I enjoyed that one the most because the rooms were bigger and had lots of lights. It’s close to the mall and regular apartment buildings around it, so there are young people around. The people were very nice and pleasant. It’s also family-owned. They had availability if you had a dog. I liked that one, and I just kind of fell in love with that."

"My father is in Courtyard at Mount Tabor. They've been really, really wonderful. Their activities have been fantastic. They worked really, really hard to make my dad feel at home there and they still do even though now he is a regular resident. The initial move-in was quite difficult for him because he's actually much more sort of cognitively present than a lot of the people who are currently there. I think that was hard for him to accept, but the manager and the activity manager are wonderful, and all the staff has been great. They do not accept Medicaid. One of my misgivings about moving my dad in there is that, God forbid he runs through his resources, we are going to have to move him again. The fact that they don't take Medicaid is problematic for me. There was one incident where an evening med tech accidentally put his eardrops in his eyes and caused him a lot of pain. I got a panicked call at 9:00 at night and I called. They got in touch with the manager who was already home, and she called me. It was well handled as it could have been, I think. I would have preferred that the incident hadn't happened, but I know mistakes sometimes happen. That was another reason why I was kind of like, "Oh my gosh, is he in the right place?" Then I actually heard from other people whose parents are in homes that this is better than a lot of them, so he's staying there. He's well adjusted now, and they know him and they know his meds, so it's all good. Technically, he's at the Pavilion. He's kind of on the edge of needing memory care, so we decided to keep him in memory care because that's not gonna get any better. The activity manager has been absolutely wonderful, especially when she knew that my dad was having some adjustment issues. She really stepped up and checks up on him because he's a bit of an introvert, and so he's in his room all the time. My dad is always talking about the food, "Oh the food is really good. There's too much of it. I'm eating too much." They have a restaurant that's really nice."

"The building and grounds are very attractive. I saw only one apartment with the approval of the residents. It was spacious and beautifully appointed. I shared a meal in the dining room with the marketing director that was very good. The menu is extensive. The community is dog friendly. There are many activites available both in house and for groups that travel. There is no buy-in. Luxury is a good word. "

"I toured Truewood by Merrill, Vancouver. I like their rooms. The staff were fine. They have a swimming pool, which is nice. The upkeep is alright. It's older though. With regards to location, it's near school and shopping."

"I went to Springwood Landing. It was very nice. It's a beautiful community. It was gorgeous actually. They had a lot of amenities, and it looked fairly new. Michelle took us around. She was wonderful, and she was very informative. We had lunch there also, which was very good. We had chicken fried steak. There were lots of food. I only got half done and I said, I can't eat anymore, and the little lady at the other table says, 'Oh, you should have ordered only a half,' and I said, 'We didn't know we could have a half.' The dining area was beautiful. It was very open, it had lots of windows, and it was bright. It is like going into a restaurant. We sat down with a menu, and they had several choices, so it was very nice. They had crafts, they had a billiards room, and they had patios and I like that. The utilities were all paid, and that was great. They have a beauty shop on campus there. They have buses to take you to grocery shopping and doctor's appointments. They had a gym, a craft center, a hobby place, a computer center, and all that. They had raised gardens. It's very nice. The people were very friendly. The staff who gave me the tour was very informative and very friendly. She just let us kind of roam around, too, and we could ask people questions ourselves. It's very nice. The only thing I don't like is that I have to pay for three meals a day, and I'd rather do my own breakfast and lunch and just have dinner. I like cooking and stuff, so that was the only drawback for me. It's pricey but it's brand new, too. The chef even came out and talked to us. He asked how we like the food. He didn't know we were visiting, I don't think, so it's very nice."

"Cascade Inn is well, the prices were reasonable, and they had a lot of activities, so the people seemed to be happy there. They were pleasant, and I really didn’t have any negative things to say about them. They had rides to doctors and all that kind of stuff. I like it particularly because of where it was located, it was a walking distance to shopping areas, and they also had an extra large studio. They were the only ones that had an extra large studio apartment. They have exercise, game rooms, and party rooms. I would recommend the place. "

"Mom is at MorningStar at Laurelhurst. It is very clean. Most of the caregivers are very caring and loving. They enjoy what they do and care for the residents. There were a few issues at the beginning, but things are better now. No place is perfect. I was given a couple of opportunities to have a meal there, and the food is always very fresh because the memory care patients are always served first. It's nutritious and they have a really good chef. There's a good variety. There are a lot of coloring activities (they have adult coloring books). They also play music and then have movies after dinner. They have other activities that I noticed on the board, like going for a walk and trivia things, but Mom's not interested in any of that stuff. She's very picky. She's always just sitting there, totally bored."

"We have chosen Somerset Lodge for Dad because it was more cost effective. He likes the Somerset Lodge. It's a beautiful setting with trees and a beautiful park area. It's closer to where I live. It's smaller, cozier, and the environment is really welcoming. The price was very reasonable, too. They had ice cream and coffee always available. My dad likes little things like that. He likes that he can get coffee and soft serve ice cream any time. The ice cream was good, but we did not have a meal. He likes how the food is part of the rent, while at the other place it was not. The staff who assisted me was really helpful and very friendly. A lot of people have dogs there, and my dad got a little dog. They help each other out, like if my dad had a doctor's appointment or if he was in a hospital, they would take care of the dogs, including the person who gave us the tour. She showed us pictures of her dog. Another thing I like about the place is that they have couples that are resident managers, so for 24 hours somebody is there. Even though it's not assisted living, they have somebody there. That was another perk he liked about them. This is under the umbrella of Hawthorn Senior Living, and if my dad likes to visit my sister in Arizona -- there was another facility owned by them -- he could stay there for like a week and not have to get a motel or hotel. He can stay at that facility and have all his meals provided. Somerset Lodge was definitely very clean, which is always important. I liked how it was homey with the decorations. It felt like a very welcoming, warm environment. The ambiance of the place is, there are lots of light coming in, and it just has a real homey feel to it. It was very nice."

"You could not ask for a more compassionate (residents, staff and management) community to be a part of. We looked at so many places for mom to live in, and knew when we walked in the door that this was her home. I am so grateful for everybody at Cascadia Village, they made our relationship go from "caregiver" back to mother and daughter. The community has a home like feeling that you could not get anywhere else, everyone is always smiling and they always stop to talk to you in the hallway. I could not thank everybody enough for everything they did for us, they made us feel like a part of their family from beginning to end. "

"It was absolutely awesome. The person who took me on a tour showed me around. She showed me several different options, e.g. apartment areas. She showed me the entire place which was absolutely awesome. I would love to be able to get in there. She also introduced me to the director, which was absolutely wonderful. They were awesome. The place was beautiful, too."

"My mother currently lives in Kamlu. It is fine. It is a nice place to live. However, I just want to get my mother in a facility where she can transition to assisted living, and Kamlu does not have that capability; that's why we're looking somewhere else. She likes Kamlu; there is nothing wrong with it other than the food. Food is pretty restricted. A lot of people complained about the food. However, everything else is fine. The rooms are OK. They have little kitchenette and what-have-you. They have different sizes for different places. The facility is older. My mother is OK there. She likes it. What they could improve on the selection of food and cleaning the floors. They have housekeeping provided in their rent, but they don't really clean the floors. "

"I have been delivering mail to The Lofts for 10 years. I have always found the staff (Jodie,and Denise) to very helpful with all their residents, and with myself. The residents are always happy and great to talk with. When you walk in the lobby it instantly feels warm and inviting. It feels more like a home atmosphere, rather than a business entry.. I highly recommend you inquire when you need a great place to live for you or your loved ones."

"Van Mall is a fabulous community. The staff would bend their backs to do anything; they are great. They are very caring, and they know my step-mom's first name, who she is, and where she belongs. We have eaten there several times, and it's great. Their dining room is like a restaurant. Their menu changes daily, weekly, or monthly. She has an apartment, and it is beautiful. They do have all kinds of activities -- anything from going to the symphony to gong to the mall to shop. My stepmother has early Alzheimer's, and she is in a specific group aimed at activities for her needs. There are four other ladies in that group, they have one staff member who does memory exercises, and that kind of thing with them. She spends at least two hours a day at that group, and it's wonderful. "

"My parents are here. My favorite part is the staff. Everybody is very caring. They get to know the people that are there very well. They seem to like where they work and the residents seem to like being here. It's gotten easier and easier to get around because everything is kind of centralized, logical in terms of what's on what floor. The people seem to be able to get around pretty quickly. We've kind of been on the end, so I don't know if I'm the best one to be able to say that side of it because we've been in enhanced care, which is on its own little wing. They have quite a few activities to choose from, but because of the situation that we're in, we haven't been able to take part in any yet. The staff is awesome. The place is great, but it's the staff who makes it that way. The facilities are nice of what we've been able to use so far. Everything I've seen has been a 5, but we just haven't been able to use them."