Independent Living Communities in Hershey, PA

"One of the things that we are impressed or unimpressed about a place right away is the cleanliness and the odor. Juniper Village at Lebanon was very clean and didn't have a bad odor anywhere. My wife and I went on a tour through the facility and they seemed to have a nice arrangement in their cafeteria for meals. They had several group meeting areas that were used for different social purposes, primarily. They also seemed to have an active regular series of either lectures or activities or something that go on in those areas. They seemed pretty aggressive about having tours that they take their people on, with their own transportation. They were good about offering transportation to and from medical appointments too. Overall, it was one of the more attractive facilities that we visited. Again, it just wasn't geographically appealing for us because of its location. If my wife would have an appointment at a hospital in Hershey, I'd have to drive over to Lebanon to get her and drive back to Hershey then drive her back and drop her off. It just wasn't going to work very well for us but that was the only reason we were having any downgrade in our interest in them. If you were looking for something in the Lebanon area, this is a very nice facility. It's very attractive, and surprisingly, has polite staffing. They must drill their staff on being nice to everybody and not just to us, but I could witness them being that way with residents there too. They're a very polite and professional staff. They were quite impressive. We saw portions of both independent and assisted living but our interest was in assisted living. The facilities were very clean and very presentable."

"We liked Harmony at West Shore a lot. If we were deciding to do that, we would be looking at that place. It was also less expensive. If I was to move out of my own home and go into assisted living, I would think that would be a great place to be. The room was fine. Of course, the furniture was staged because we have to provide our own. But the room size and the way it was laid out, I thought was certainly fine. I have no problem living there. The only person I had any contact with was from the sales office and she took us around to look at different things like the therapy area, the game room, and the cafeteria. She did everything. She answered all our questions, she was very knowledgeable, and she called me several times on follow-ups. I just talked to her again today and told her what was going on. She said, 'If you need anything, any help, or have any questions, give me a call.' So I couldn't ask for any more help than what she has already provided."

"Autumn House East is a nice location, it's more in the suburbs. It's a very nice setup and a very laid back and quiet community. I saw one of the halls where they're playing bingo. The staff, Mike, showed me the building as far as where assisted living will be at and where independent living is located. I saw the cafeteria. They also deliver to your room so you can eat inside your room for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is better. And he went in detail as far as the things that the home has to offer like shopping and doctors help and assistance. And then they finalized that by showing me the room. The room was very large, had a kitchen and it, had its own bathroom and everything was very nice. The staff is very good. It's very well kept and everything is clean, there are no issues at all. As soon as you walk in the door, you see people in the hall playing bingo. They had a patio in the front that was very popular, and they had a location in the back where you can sit along the sidewalk. The independent living room that he showed me was very well kept up, the rug was replaced with square rugs. And they explained why they did it, that if something gets messed up, they can easily pull that up and put a new one down. The walls were painted, the kitchen was cleaned, everything was well kept."

"I liked Country Meadows of Hershey very much. It was very nice. They had two buildings with a nice exercise room and several dining areas with happy hour. However, I didn't feel that comfortable there. The studio apartment was a little bit bigger, and there were more amenities. You can have a small dog or a cat. The staff I met was very friendly and very nice. The menu looked fantastic. It was a beautiful place. They had a bistro as well, which was really nice."

"I toured Londonderry Village. I liked it because it's all together, and they have a central dining room, a little store, a little pharmacy, and an exercise room. They also have a swimming pool and an indoor pool. They had nice apartments, and then, if you needed more care, they had another section where you could go. They have cottages and apartments. It's a nice place, but it's too rich for my taste because I didn't have enough money to stay there. The person who took me around was very informative. Their menu looks delicious. It's clean. There was no litter or anything on the floors, and everything looked good."

"My aunt is in Hill Farm Estates. It's an elegant alternative to facility living. Their staff is attentive and professional. The rooms are cozy and clean. These are one bedrooms with a bathroom. They have a full activities calendar and a beautiful setting. They have an enormous veranda where the residents can sit and it overlook the Lebanon Valley. It's a beautiful estate. They have regular exercise classes and activities like that. They have three dining rooms and each overlooks the beautiful vistas below the Lebanon Valley. They're less expensive than the typical facilities. It's $2,000 less a month than what she was paying, but it's a beautiful mansion. This facility should be checked out for the benefits and price as well as the living conditions."

"We visited The Middletown Home. I like the building itself, the people that were in there, and the cleanliness of the place. Everything was clean. Comparing it to other places, they have a significant amount of staff and you see them everywhere, which I like. Their staff has been there for years, which I think is a good thing too. I thought that the cafeteria and food types that they have was a good set-up. They have two different cafeterias. They have a wide variety of menu options. Overall, The Middletown Home was my favorite place."

"I was able to visit Ecumenical Retirement, and I would like be in this facility, but the problem is that, in their independent living facility, you have to have your own doctor, and that is my biggest problem. We also took my mom there because we think it's the best place around here for the money. It's the only place that I can afford. It's a good place, and I've been there many times and know lots of people already. They have different kinds of activities that are posted in the building. "

"I have friends living at Masonic Village. They have every level all the way to hospice. The family was very pleased with that. The environment was excellent, clean, effective, and responsive. I have eaten there, the food was fine, and they give you special meal on your birthday. The room was adequate. There's a train that runs through there, and any mobile resident can get to Philadelphia and New York. That's quite nice."

"Kindred Place at Harrisburg was very nice. The people were wonderful. The rooms were just too small for my furniture. I'm a United Church of Christ, so that was the reason I wanted to go there."

"We went to visit Cornwall Manor because it didn't seem like it was a retirement community. They have single-family homes that retirees can get or apartments, and those are spaced out throughout the property. They're not all crammed into one place, and they have different kinds of apartments you can buy into, depending on what your needs are. There are a lot of amenities and we like what they have to offer, and they have an indoor swimming pool. The overall tour was very good and the staff that gave the tour was excellent. She was very knowledgeable, wasn't pushy, she says we take time to make our decision and she's willing to work with us. The facility was very clean and well kept."

"I have been living in Alden Place for seven years now. It is well laid out. It has a clubhouse with indoor swimming pool, a gym, a big ballroom, pool tables, and a snack bar. They have people come in to teach yoga, Zumba, card games, pinnacle, and bridge. I am in what they call The Villa. It has three homes attached to each other. I am on an end unit, I have a two-car garage, and it is 1,400 square feet including the garage. "

"I went to The Woods at Cedar Run. We went through all of the levels, but the independent living was the one that we saw the room and got an explanation for. The tour was very good and very thorough. The woman started out bringing us into her office and just gave us a brief description of things and what to look for and what to expect and so on. They toured in a very organized way. They gave us a tour of the whole building and that was very thorough. They showed us where the cafeteria was, where the rooms were, where the physical therapy was, where all of the activities were, and so on. When we finished, we felt like we had a good understanding of the community. We didn't try the food, but we were there around lunchtime, so we saw the different meals that were being served and they looked appetizing. I like the fact that they had two choices at each meal. The facility was very clean and very presentable. The rooms were nice."

"I have moved into Brookshire. It's an over-55 community with very active people. There are lots of clubs and organizations, they have a clubhouse with an exercise facility, a craft room, and library and internet access. They have periodic lunches, breakfasts, and dinners. There's bingo and various groups that meet in the clubhouse. I wanted to be close to family, so it fits the bill for that. You own your own home here, and I thought that the price was reasonable for what you get. It's large and it has 234 homes. Once in a while they'll have a community meal that you pay for, but that's more of a social thing; they don't offer meals. There are a lot of senior activities, clubs, and organizations."