The Best Independent Living Communities in Pickens County, SC

"We liked Haywood Estates. The apartments were nice and decent sized, and had built-in closets. The dining area was very nice. The lady who took us around was very nice and very friendly to all the people. There didn't seem to be any problems."

"I like the cleanliness of Maple Brook Terrace and the staff. Dad has a full one-bedroom apartment with an oversize kitchen, all-new amenities, and granite countertops. The bathroom is very nice. It has all of the necessities, like hand bars and everything for the shower. It's easy to move about. There's a washer and dryer in the unit. Again, it was new. It's only three years old so it's very well maintained. There's a patio off of the room. It was just very nice. It didn't feel like a senior living place. It was more independent and the staff was very courteous. The food is excellent. They have regularly scheduled activities. They have outings that are scheduled every month as well."

"My top choice would be Harmony at Five Forks. The facility is clean. Alexis, who gave me the tour, was very helpful with explaining everything that happens in the memory care community, and also it is closest to my home. We did get to tour through the dining area and I was offered something to drink. It looks more like a regular apartment-style building. It doesn't look like a nursing home."

"Quillen Manor was very nice. It's a small facility, which is good. I have nothing bad to say about it. The staff was very nice and very helpful. Everything's very clean. It smelled good. It looked good. The rooms were nice sized. I only looked at semi-private rooms. I didn't look at private rooms because I'm not sure that mom's going to get enough from the VA to accommodate a private room, but they do have both. They have a beauty shop, a salon, community activities, and they do manicures and stuff. They had the games and all that sort of thing that the roommates enjoy. They have a gazebo area. It's nothing fancy, but it's nice and it's clean. The yard was all cleaned up. The one person that walked me through was great. It's not a new facility. It's got a little bit of age on it, but it's fine."

"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."

"Foothills Retirement Community was my first choice if I would move my dad. It was a complete facility. I tried their food and it was delicious. With regards to the room, you could choose the one you wanted. "

"I visited Clemson Heritage Senior Living. The facility is beautiful and very inviting. I think she said it was like three years old. It's nice. The common areas or the gathering areas are super nice with good seating and an environment that would make people comfortable. The rooms that I toured were small. I didn't get a lot of information from the staff, she just basically showed me around. The dining area is beautiful, but I did not sample any food. I saw a couple of residents doing puzzles, I didn't see any structured activities, but they had a full calendar that I looked at."

"The memory care at Clemson Downs has 2 floors, and everything is nice and clean. It has a cafeteria/meeting room with a television on both floors because the patients can only be on one floor. The rooms are nice, and you move in your own furniture. Everything is pretty good, and the staff is good. They have crafts, artwork, religious services, and movie nights. "

"Wonderful community with several levels of care. I like the fact that if my mom moves into assisted living she does not have to pay a move in fee. "

"We moved to Merrill Gardens at Greenville, and it's very, very good. The food is good, and they're always changing their menu, and when people make suggestions, they try to incorporate those into the menu. They have someone that comes once a week and does the floors and the bathrooms and cleans the counters, and those kinds of things. The building itself is well-maintained. It's a very well-built building. It isn't that old. It's a nice facility and has lots of public spaces if you want to entertain people. They have a parlor. They have a gym. They have an outdoor pool and elevators. They have activities. They have a bus that can take you to medical appointments. They also take you weekly to the grocery store if you want to go, and they do have outings with them, as well as a staff on board that does a whole set of activities. Every day is something different. The staff is the very best. They're caring. They stay up on things. They bother to know who you are. In the restaurant, they try to know what your preferences are. They're very friendly, always upbeat, and they're always available. I think they're exceptional. It's not cheap, and you have to be at least 62 to come here."

"We toured here. They're clean and all, but if you're in a wheelchair, it's kind of hard to move around in there because they got ramps. The room was clean, but you got a problem with space. The person who accommodated me was very nice. They got a workout room and a library. The ramp is what turned me off there."

"We just moved in and as one would expect some minor issues needed to be addressed. Kendra and the entire Cascade staff have been very responsive, professional, knowledgeable, courteous and pleasant to work with. We look forward to many happy years at THE CASCADES."

"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 liked everything about Overture Greenville 55+ Apartment Homes. It's just way over my budget, but the person who gave us the tour was wonderful. She was very thorough, she was very nice, she took us around, and she told us all about the place. They were wonderful, and it was a beautiful place with lots of activities. They have a game room where they get together, play cards, meet people, and socialize. There's a section where women get together, cook, or just interact, and they also have a men's night where men just get together, too, so that's very good. They have a dining room and entertainment that comes in, so I think that's wonderful. It's in a convenient location because it's right in the shopping malls here, so they can get out and just do anything they want to do, really."