The Best Independent Living Communities in Chester County, PA

"The Ivy Creek Gracious Retirement in Glen Mills was excellent. The staff was excellent, too. I even got to meet the people who were serving food. I actually ate a meal there. You could have fruit salad or veggie salad. After the salad meal, they removed that and asked for your choice of entrees. They have Reuben's sandwiches and vegetable lasagna that was served with grilled zucchini and squash. They also sent me home with a goody bag with freshly-made oatmeal raisin cookies. They took me on a tour, and I saw 3 different studio apartments. The two of them have balconies, one without, and each floor is appointed with some type of facilities for the independent living and assisted living sections. They have a library, a puzzle room, a card room, and a movie theater that seats about 30 people. Normally, there are movies every night, depending on the theme. They had Elvis Presley week last week, so Love Me Tender was on that day. They have lots of different activities. They have a calendar that they print out every month, with lots to do."

"Everything was excellent in Merrill Gardens at Glen Mills. The place was like a country club. They cater to all my brother's needs. They let him hang stuff on the wall. They give you a bed and a dresser. Included in the price are all the meals and medication. They put a necklace around his neck, in case he falls. It was fantastic. I'd love for him to go there, but it was pricey. It's $4000 or $5000. The staff answered all my questions and were honest about it, in my opinion. They thought of things that I didn't think of. He loves it. I love it, but I need a VA Aid and Attendance for him to go there, and that could take up to three to six months, if he gets approved. They offered food, but we weren't hungry. The rooms were spacious and clean."

"The place is beautiful, very nice amenities. The woman at the front desk is so nice and helpful, if you ask her where do you think my loved one she pretty much knows exactly where she is. Food is excellent and friendly staff waiters. If you have a loved one looking for assisted living/ memory care this is the place your looking for."

"My sister is a resident of Friends Home in Kennett. I like that she's so happy there. Everybody's very nice. She enjoys music and they have a lot of nice music programs and they encourage the people there to participate in the choir, which she enjoys. She has just a room with a bathroom. It's much more affordable than some of these places. I don't know what she does all day long, but right now she's out for rehab and she can't wait to get back. They play games, they take them on bus trips to different places, they have people come in to entertain them, and the fellow there that's in charge of the music is a wonderful singer and a piano player. They have a gathering room in the basement, a parlor, and a library. I'm very pleased with them. Everybody I've met has been very nice. She seems pretty pleased with the food. It's a very old building, but they've done a lot. They're working on it to fix it up. They keep it clean. It's right in the middle of town, so when a parade goes by, they get to sit on the porch and see it. Just different activities and schools come over and visit. They seem to be always busy doing something. Value for money is very good."

"We toured the Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line, and the residents were all very friendly and very involved in their activities of the day. They offered me lunch so I could sample the food. The apartments were all lovely and large. They were not the most expensive. They are cheaper than the other facilities. Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line is my number one choice. I'm hoping to get in there. It's nestled next to a golf course. It must be incredibly lovely during the summer. The staff was very nice. Everywhere we went, someone was cleaning. We went into people's apartments because they didn't have anything open at the moment, and they said, "Oh, I love living here. It's wonderful. Look at the view I have." I liked it, and it felt like home."

"It seemed like a caring place with plenty of activities. The staff was very nice. We toured the entire facility and saw more than one room. "

"The room are a good size. The staff was great!"

"We live at The Quadrangle, and we are extremely happy. We are in a cottage. We've been here for eight years. We wouldn't want to be anywhere else. We have all the support we need for any problem that we have. This is a physically beautiful community with 70 acres of woodland. We have trails around. I ride an electric cart, and I can ride all around the fire road. We have a pond. We have very active activities, all organized by the residents. The Quadrangle emphasizes the life of the mind. Most of our residents are highly educated, formerly people in education and business. We have a common dining room, and we have a grill, and you can eat at either place. You have to have reservations for the dining room. It's very elegant. We think the food is wonderful, it's healthy, and has many choices. Since we live in a cottage and my husband and I are still well and in good health, we generally get our dinner and bring it back to the cottage so that we can eat privately. We have just undergone an extensive internal renovation of the facility, and this summer, there will be an external renovation of more plantings and more designs. We have over 70 activities."

"Foulk Living in Wilmington was decorated very nicely. The staff was very helpful and informative during my visit. I toured their independent living community. I can't remember how many days of the week, but they have chef's meals. Those are prepared for independent living, and I think, for assisted living as well. They have activities, and they have a shuttle that takes people to appointments, if necessary. They're very well appointed. They have puzzles, card playing, and book reading. I think they also have Wii Bowling. They have a lot of activities for the clients who live there. The facility's condition and maintenance are excellent."

"Ivy Gables Senior Living did not have an availability in memory care. They kind of had a hybrid program in between assisted living and memory care, but they felt my dad needed a little more care than what they provided in that hybrid situation. However, if we were able to put him there, it would have been wonderful. They were professional, friendly, and informative. The facility was roomy. There's lots of areas for the residents to be able to go and move around. The room was sufficiently sized and clean. They had structured activities. It was perfect."

"After my dad died, mom started to need increased help around the house. We had the time to really search in-depth for a facility close to us. We visited many of the recommended places. Each facility had a different price structure but once we realized that all the business models end up being the same monetary investment after a few years, we decided to base our choice on where mom felt most at home. It was obvious to us that The Villa at Douglassville was that place. She felt welcomed and comfortable. She really liked their packed activity schedule, the character of the building and she immediately clicked with the staff. Mom lived in Independent Living for four years; she took part in a multitude of activities and outings and developed personal relationships with many staff and residents. I was always welcomed when I visited and found her to be getting the best care available. This year she transitioned to Personal Care where she continues to get great care."

"I toured Pinnacle at Plymouth Meeting. It's outstanding. I wanted to move there. They were fantastic. The rooms were a little on the smaller side, but the building was brand new. The person who gave the tour was fantastic, and the food looked good."

"We toured Ingleside Retirement Apartments. I like how welcoming and friendly everyone was. It's like you went in there, and it felt like a home and not just a facility. It doesn't have any furniture in there. They do supply you with landline phones. So, in case anyone comes in with no phone, at least you have one. They have a laundry center. You can either do it, or they have services where people can do it for you. They offer a lot. They have a salon and a barber, and you get your nails done. They have a sports pub in the cafe, a theatre room, and an activity community room. They offer so much. It's amazing. They get three meals daily."

"I like that Atria Lafayette Hill was very clean. The people were very friendly. When I walked in, I didn't feel like I was going into a nursing home. I felt like I was coming into an apartment more so than some of the other places. What I liked about Atria was the fact that it was age-in-place. You can stay in the apartment if you need personal care or if you need any kind of physical assistance. The only time you have to move out of that apartment is if you have to go into memory care. I like the idea that my brother can possibly stay there for a while, and he wouldn't have to move locations. So that's very nice, and I like that. The other thing I like about them is that they don't have a buy-in. They had a community fee that was whatever the rent was for the month. And it only has a hundred rooms, so to me, that wasn't that big. And it was pleasing to the eye. I like the idea that it's a la carte. If they need a little bit of assistance, it's this much more amount, or if they need medication, it's this much more amount. And the staff who gave the tour was amazing. She spent a lot of time with me, and answered all my questions. She was very informative. If she didn't have an answer, she looked it up for me and she got back to me. So that was impressive."