The Best Independent Living Communities in Anderson County, SC

"My mother went with TerraBella Greenville. She is an elderly senior and this place has an older population, so it's more her age group, and it is more laid back. The majority of the activities are in the main lobby. They have a lot of activities in the lobby, in the corner of the dining room, or in an activity room. People can be sitting around just listening to music or participating with activities because everything is centrally located around the lobby. It's an older building, but it's very well maintained. Just by coincidence, two of the other residents there are actually retired ministers. One is a retired Navy chaplain and another is a female who has a masters degree in Divinity, and they have Bible study classes weekly. They have hymnal singalongs. For the elderly seniors, these are things that they enjoy doing, to sit around with somebody who's playing the piano, singing old gospel songs, or having a Bible study group where they'll review histories in the Old Testament of the Bible. They have bingo, arts and crafts, trips to go to WalMart, or to go to the banks, or to go to the mall. The people of her age group, they're very inviting. They have exercises, but they don't have regular exercise exercises per se. They have chair aerobics. In the activity room they'll have a bunch of comfy chairs without arms, and they'll actually sit there and they'll do exercises while they're sitting in their chairs. My mother doesn't get up early. So, she usually gets up and goes to the dining room around 9:30 a.m. when breakfast has already ended, and she just goes to get coffee. But the people there who are preparing in the kitchen for the lunch items, they will bring her something even though she says she doesn't want anything. They'll bring her something like a bagel and cream cheese, or they'll bring her some fruits. The staff is wonderful, super, super friendly, and very accommodating. Her apartment had just been redone. They had totally redone the floors and repainted it. They had a new refrigerator. When we got there, the apartment was very, very clean. The housekeeper that was going to be doing the housekeeping in her apartment actually came by, and was very, very nice, and told me not to worry, and she's going to take good care of my mom. They are giving age-appropriate activities for the age group that they are dealing with, and they're very good about making announcements. They actually have doctor services that come there Thursdays and Fridays. They also have occupational health, physical therapy, and podiatry that comes and sees them there."

"The thing we like most about Quillen Manor is that my mother-in-law is safe and kept clean. Her room is kept nice. The activities that they have are engaging. Several of the staff are so kind to her. She thinks she is still at work in the office, so they will give her envelopes and papers, and she can write things down and stuff just to keep her busy. They're really kind about things like that. The turnover in staff is the one thing that I'm not happy with. I know that it's a high-demand job. They're expected to do a whole lot. The turnover is not my favorite, but I understand you have to make a living for your family. They take care of all my mother-in-law's medications. Doctors like podiatrists come here. They have physical therapy on site. They have a gym that they go to. The dining is wonderful. They have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. They have activities. For those who are physically able, they go out and see the lights. There's a performing arts center about a block away, and so they'll go around Christmas time and see a Christmas performance. They have some people coming in from the community at least once a week, if not twice a week. Different groups come through. Some sing, and some come in and do Bible studies or play games. They also really work hard to keep it clean and smelling fresh. It's not the newest of everything, but you know going in that it is clean and they take care of it. They take pride in the facility."

"We just moved my mom into the facility. Everyone has been so great - both residents and employees. Her studio apartment is beautiful and it feels like home to both my mom and our entire family. Very happy!"

"Everybody was nice, but I think it has elevators and I don't think that would probably be good for Mom. If she was capable enough, that would probably be a good one to go to though. The facility looked very nice. All the rooms looked good to me. The rooms on the second floor had some kind of balcony and then on the bottom floor, you could put chairs or something out right there. The man who toured me around was excellent. He called me even a couple of times after I decided I couldn't have her there."

"I loved Harmony at Five Forks. I liked the community events and the happy hour lounge with the live music. I liked the cleanliness. The staff during the tour was nice and thorough. The apartments were efficient. The studio was spacious enough for one person. I did not try the food, but it was restaurant style and it looked good and the menu was great looking as well."

"My father will be moving in. I was just very impressed with the facility in general. They had what feels like very personal one-bedroom and two-bedroom condos. I'm really happy about the fact that he could independently use the facility and he could go to the lunch and dinner facilities. Even though he has his own personal kitchen, I wanted him to definitely have access to a good meal. He would have his own laundry room in his condo. It was a very personal space, and I just think that they were doing everything in their power to give senior citizens the right to go ahead and be on their own. In the event that he would need to be in an assisted living facility in the years to come, then he would have that accessible. The staff member was very good. She was very knowledgeable about the facility and she was very good about showing me the things that I was interested in."

"The facility really needs some help for the aesthetic properties. The house looks really, really old and it needed to be remodeled. The flooring was not leveled. It had 3 or 4 different floors. The carpets and the rest of the stuff smelled like disinfectants. It's very, very strong! I just didn't like it. I asked the owner if the facility always smell like this and she said, " Well, we only use it in the commodes." I just can't believe that was true. Although, I love the lady because she was very open and she gave me more information about how assisted living works than anybody that I've talked to. But, I just wish her facility had looked a lot better and the furniture was a lot better because it was horrible. The residents seemed happy and even the employees seemed happy. They said, "We know you're going to love it. Your mom will love it here." But it just really broke my heart to see the condition those people were living in. They said they were remodeling and I could tell that they were, but they need some grant money or something to really update the facility. This is also a bit far away from my house and my concern is the distance factor. My mom has asthma like I do. I know that I would not be able to go there without having an asthma attack. The staff was great, but I would suggest for them to change the wallpapers of the facility to make it look new and bright. The rooms are not well-decorated. Well, I would bring my mom home before I would even let her go there. "

"I have chosen Clemson Downs. I have not yet moved in, I've put down a deposit, that's all I've done. It's just a nice place. They have lots of activities. They serve a meal a day. I just really like it. I have friends who are there. They have cocktail parties, and they take the bus and go to concerts. There are lots of activities. I have tried the food; it's very good. The two bedrooms are a good size."

"Clemson Heritage Senior Living was a nice community. Some of the residents were in the dining area while we were there, others were out back on the patio, and a couple were talking on the telephone. The place looked great. They showed me the studio and the next size to that and I liked both of them. The building was very clean and nice-looking. They provide transportation and medications daily, and they would have a doctor and a nurse practitioner that come in one or two times a week. They had a salon, a workout room, and a library, too. The facility and the staff were great, except for the price."

"I toured Serenity at Easley. They were very friendly and very willing to help. They gave us a good tour of the building. Some of the clients were very friendly. They came to greet us and asked us if we were going to be there. It was a very pleasant experience. The kitchen in the room was very small, and that's one thing that turned me off because I love to cook. The place was very neat and clean though. They showed us where the dining area was, and that was very neat and tidy."

"The appearance of Foothills Retirement Community was beautiful. They have constructed a beautiful chapel as part of the facility, they have a pastor onsite for spiritual needs, and the rest of the facilities seem to be well laid out. They have a centrally located administration with several patio homes around the perimeter for the independent living. We met several residents and they all seemed happy and enjoying their time there. We visited the dining facility also; they gave us a copy of the menu. The facility seems to be run very well. Some of the other amenities that we found attractive were the physical therapy, the training rooms, and the swimming pool. The person who accommodated me there was Cathy, and she was awesome, very friendly, very open to answering our questions, and meeting our family's needs. She explained the options for opportunities in the future when the time is right. My wife and I both liked this place very much, and Cathy was topnotch. We talked with the food preparation manager, she was a retired restaurateur, and she was very competent in that position. It's located in a wildlife sanctuary, so it's surrounded by beautiful grounds, but it wasn't a gated community."

"My parents will be moving into the Legacy Reserve at Fairview Park. I like that it's new. It has up-to-date features and amenities. The room is a fairly good size. It has a nice kitchen that is very complete. It has a very big walk-in closet. They have 24-hour transportation, which comes in handy when they need to go somewhere. They also have assisted living and memory care on the same campus. The staff gave me a really good tour and answered all my questions. They have a nice saltwater pool, a fitness center, and a lot of nice dining options."

"I moved into Merrill Gardens at Greenville. I visited about six or seven places, and I found this the best place for me. I liked the staff, the facility, the restaurant, the gym, the swimming pool outside, and my studio apartment. I have no complaints. The food is good, but not great. The restaurant is great. There are plenty of activities inside and excursions outside, and plenty of choices for how to spend your time. Everybody's taken good care of. They check in on people in the morning if they want to be checked in on. It is a very comfortable community. The residents are pretty friendly for the most part. It a very easy place to be."

"Of all the assisted living, we would've picked The Springs at Simpsonville. I love the fact that the family that built this facility is still a part of it and their presence there is just evident everywhere, in all the appointments, the furnishings, the atmosphere, just everything. It just feels wonderful. It didn't feel institutional. It felt like home. It's just right there in town. People can walk, and there's a big church right across the street and an ice cream parlor right around the corner. It is near the restaurant. It sits right in the middle of downtown."