The Best Communities in Mercer County, PA

"I found a place for when my mother-in-law is ready to go. It's The Lakes at Jefferson in Mercer. We toured their 2nd floor, which is the 24-hour care facility. The 1st floor has no assistance at all. They said when you're on the 2nd floor, they clean your place, wash your clothes, tell you of your medicines, and anything that you would need medically. They also take you to any appointments. It's like you're walking into the most beautiful wedding reception hall or even like a gentleman's club back in the day that you would see in movies because the floors are just stunningly beautiful. It has couches and beautiful furniture all over, and even a pool table that's just beautiful. The colors of the whole place, even the flowers, it's all beautiful. When you walk in, they have this big, long white counter and it's all refreshments that anybody can have, even if you're going for a visit. There are beautiful tables and chairs. It's so state-of-the-art. When I walked in, I thought my mother-in-law would love this place. I've seen other ones that look so run down and this is the nicest one I've ever seen. It doesn't even look like you're going to a nursing home. I did not talk to the staff, but I was introduced to a couple. What I liked is that that particular day they had a large van and any of the residents that wanted to go to Kaynak's are going on that trip that day. Those that didn't (because it was around Easter when I went) could come to help stuff eggs because they have a huge egg hunt for any family members, children, or even the local residents. They put on shows and entertainment, and they're outdoors. They have beautiful patios with fire pits and a waterfall thing. It's just nothing like I've ever seen that could be associated with the nursing home. If I go and visit, they have a private lounge room that's just like a living room with a big-screen TV. It's small enough to make it intimate, but large enough that if you had eight people with you or the whole family, you're all comfortable. I loved their meals too. They have an area where they post for the whole month, what they're having every day. They also have alternatives if you don't like that. I was just impressed, from top to bottom. I didn't meet any staff or personally talk to them, but I was introduced to one of their members who was in charge that day. I did not try their food, but the menu looked like something I would want. They even have a Taco Tuesday, where they literally have like a taco truck that comes out. They have certain things that happen weekly for the residents, aside from what they also cook inside the place. They have specialty trucks that come with special food. They had a hair salon right on-site and a workout area, a beautiful gym. The only thing that was different was just something that I did not expect from the phone call. When I went there, was the room that I got quoted was a price of $2800 a month for a semi-private (so there would be two people in that room). If you want the private one all to yourself, it's $4500 (which my mother-in-law doesn't have). The semi-private area was still really nice. The bathroom was huge and then the other room adjoined to that just looked like a hotel. It has 2 beds, a TV, a little kitchenette, a little sink with a refrigerator, and its own dressers. They just had a hotel look. "

"I went to an in-person tour of Whispering Oaks. We were treated very well, and the tour was very nice. I found that I could probably go there anytime I needed to, so that's what I was looking for. In case we were incapacitated we wanted someplace to go that's nearby, and it's very nice. The studio was pretty small, but the other rooms were OK. I liked the two-bedroom one; it was really nice. The staff were very nice. They're just very nice people. There are a lot of amenities and as far as physical activity goes, I saw people playing dominoes, and that was about it. We just took a brief, quick tour. There was someone cleaning the rooms when we were there. It looked very clean. The design layout is fine. They have just about everything you could need there. I like everything about it; it was very nice. The staff were very polite and very nice."

"The tour with Clearview was good and very informative. The surroundings and rooms were nice, and we were impressed. The activities appeared to be more than satisfactory. It just seemed like a nice place. It was the only one in the price range which she can afford. "

"The building of Whispering Pines Village is beautiful. It's a Georgian court type of thing. It makes you think you're in the Deep South. It was gorgeous. It was really "whispering pines". There were pine trees surrounding this place, so it gave it a peaceful atmosphere. Plus, it's giving it privacy so the capable residents, are walking around the property and all that. They're putting in some sort of waterway out front so that people could go by the water, too, which was in the digging process last summer. I'm sure it's up by now. It's just a nice setting. The person who ran the thing was very competent. She knew what she was doing. If I was looking for one for myself, I would have picked it, but I was looking for my mom and she was a little too far. She needed less assisted living and she needed more skilled care nursing. So that's why we didn't choose it. The person was very knowledgeable. She understood some of the questions we'd have before we even asked and she guided you through the experience. The only thing I have to say about that place that I did not like was we did not see any residents. It could have been the day of the week that we visited or something unusual was going on or they were in their rooms or out on a bus trip. There had to be at least 100 people there, but I didn't see any people. That is weird because you know how you always like to talk to people to see what their opinions are. There's no one to talk to."

"My mother is in John XXIII Home. The reason we choose it is because we are familiar with it, and we have other family members that have gone there. The staff seems to be very caring and knowledgeable. The facility is very clean. The rooms are very spacious. It is a place that has people that she knows. When I am there, they have like a picnic and they have like hamburgers and hotdogs and stuff, but as far as I know, my mother says the food is very good. I think she is doing more there than she did when she was living by herself. "

"Liberty Arms is a beautiful place. However, they didn't seem to think they can handle my mom's needs. It was kind of they've already made up their mind before they came to see her. And I know they gave her a very good evaluation. The rooms there were kind of odd-shaped with an odd setup. The staff would make sure everybody gets down to the dining room during meal time, and if somebody is missing they'll go look for them. Or if someone would need assistance they'll take them to the dining area. "