Independent Living Communities in Boerne, TX

"We have chosen LIV at Westover Hills. It seems to be pretty good for our needs, so we're happy. There were a variety of factors involved in this choice, and one is the cost of living in San Antonio is quite low. The other was the size of the apartment that was available for the price. It was probably the lowest cost per square foot, and we needed to have some space because we collected art and books and so forth over our lives. Also, it's very critical for my wife that it has a washer and dryer supplied in the apartment. It's senior apartments for people 62 years old and older. The staff were very helpful and very nice. They have a swimming pool, a gym, a craft area, and religious services on Sundays. There's a salon, and there's a big kitchen that can be used by the residents. They have the usual amenities. However, they don't keep the corridors and the common areas as clean as we'd like to see."

"I heard good things about Franklin Park Alamo Heights so we insisted on visiting there. As soon as we walked in, it was open and clean, and it smelled good. It was just very inviting. Their rooms were large. Mom is there now and she has a one-bedroom apartment with a laundry room, a full kitchen, a den, a bedroom, a large bathroom, and a large walk-in closet. Everything's really good, but there were just a few things that should have been done before moving in. Other than that, the staff is friendly and they have a full range of activities. They do bridge, line dancing, bingo, poker, movies in their movie theater, outings, different kinds of card games, exercise, and a pool."

"I went to The Inn at Los Patios. Good people, older community. The people were friendly. It's a secluded place. We had a positive experience. They have a yard. And then they had patios. So you had a patio with your balcony with your place. The staff was excellent and professional."

"I did a tour of Morningside Ministries at Menger Springs. They have a larger facility that includes all levels of care for your loved one, regardless of what you're looking for. They have a beautiful campus; I think it's on thirty-four acres. The lady I met with was very informative and very happy. She knew all the residents we came in contact with and spoke to every one of them. She seems like a very informed and friendly individual. They just seemed to be happy. I didn't see anything going on at the time because I was there right before lunch. They have restaurant-style dining, and they also have a bistro. I saw people eating at both places. The food looked good, but I didn't taste it. They have large outdoor spaces that are very nicely manicured. They have a deer feeder that draws deer in the evenings, and the residents like to observe them. They had multiple outdoor patio venues where people could gather, and they are all shaded. It was very nice. They have an outdoor pool that is enclosed for water aerobics, which they have twice a week. Those were the outside amenities that I observed. They they have transportation to Walmart and HEB, which is our grocery store, all the time. They do have activities on and off campus; at least, that's what is mentioned in their amenities list. She showed me a one-bedroom that was around 800 square feet, and I believe she showed me a two-bedroom, two-bath as well."

"My dad stayed at New Hope Assisted Living. They have been wonderful. They were very caring, and they took care of my dad very well. The staff was wonderful, informative, very helpful, and kind. It was like being in a home. I didn't feel like my dad was in a nursing home. The facility was very clean. Everything was organized very well. My dad was bedbound, but I saw them being very involved with the other residents. The experience was wonderful. It's not easy to take care of other people's families, but they do it very well."

"I looked at LIV at Boerne Hills on a weekend. The tour was pretty much cut and dry. They don't offer any meals since it's independent living. It had a swimming pool and a workout room. The amenities seemed nice. There was parking, and it was in a nice area of town. It was good. It's just that going there on a weekend, there really wasn't a lot of staff there. It was just one young woman that was able to show me around. There was a couple of things she didn't know, but I think she was doing the very best that she could."

"My dad moved to Blossom Care Assisted Living. I walked in and it smelled nice, and it had high ceilings. It was very spacious. It had excellent lighting. It had excellent natural lighting. Everyone was smiling. It had modern, updated furniture and wall hangings. The structure of the building was quite new. It was a beautiful home that had been transitioned into a care home. So it had a very cozy feel. It had nice, fluffy leather couches. They sat around the fireplace doing different activities, whether it was exercise or cognitive games. All the residents sit together at a table. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, diligent, friendly, helpful, and always willing to help. I found the place to be clean, which was a major item for me. The floors were clean. The kitchen was clean. Everything was very transparent. You could see where people ate, and what was being cooked. It had a lovely backyard. They have barbecue activities. They played music that was suitable for the generation of the residents. It was just a very upbeat, happy place."

"Nice facility with a very home like atmosphere. The management went over and above to make the transition for my mother smooth. "

"The Lodge at Leon Springs was very nice and homey. The staff members were very nice and I loved the cottages. I loved the rooms, I thought they were very nice, and they had roomy closets. They have a Friday night social that everybody goes to, and they also have weekly trips to Walmart and other places. They have a library and an office that people can come to. Just walking on the grounds itself is very nice; they have a little duck pond with fish in it. They also serve meals in your own cottage three times a day, so they have eyes on everybody. A lot of the residents do volunteer work, and they can go around since its independent living. They also have assisted living when you need it. I like that they check on you to make sure you're OK, but they let you do stuff on your own. The cottages have a refrigerator inside the kitchen and a washer and dryer."

"I visited Isle at Watercrest Dominion. They have a really nice facility, they are very active, and they have lots of activities that I could see my family members being interested in. They have lots of amenities that she would find useful; the staff was super helpful. I would actually consider putting other family members there. They keep their residents very active, and there are lots of interesting things to do there. I was able to check their menu, and there was lots of good food on their menu."

"This is truly a family oriented environment. Excellent loving care was provided to my mom. Great meals. Very clean and really in tune with the residents needs. I would wholeheartedly recommend this home for care. "

"Overture Stone Oak Apartment Homes was a place for 55 year olds and over. It was topnotch all the way through and the people are very nice. They had a nice pool, a great outside area, different things that came in to put on demonstrations, and they had a workout room and pool tables as well."

"The facilities are nice, and the main reason for the low rating concerns their attitude towards their residents. They are more concerned with their bottom line than their residents well-being. They asked us to supply gloves, pads, diapers, etc. They immediately began to complain that we misrepresented my mother's condition, even though we explained that she was being transferred directly from the hospital and we couldn't really assess her condition. But we paid two months rent at $4000 a month as a gesture of good faith and said that we would re-examind the monthly rate after the first month, and add to the second month's fee, if they felt it was necessary. My mother sadly went downhill rapidly after arriving at Villa Cristina and passed 17 days later. The owner told us he was keeping our entire payment of $10,500 (2 months fees and a non-refundable deposit of $1500. He told me that is was "financially beneficial for him" that my mother died after only 17 days in their care, and accused my husband and I of trying to "trick them" into caring for a "very sick person" even though my mother seemed to be fine the first couple of days there. The money is not at all important, but Villa Cristina represents itself as a Christian Home. To say that it is fortunate that a resident dies quickly, and I'm keeping all your money, sounds horrible, and if that attitude represents what is most important to them, they should not be caring for the elderly and ill. "

"I am a resident of Snowden Living. I like the living area. It's nice and close to hospitals, groceries, and everything I need. What I don't like is that they said the cost was $934 a month, but because I don't get my Social Security until the second Wednesday of the month, I didn't have anything to put down at the beginning. Now I'm about two weeks behind, so I have to pay $1,027 a month instead. It's not very good senior living. They're not well-equipped, and there are many things they need to catch up on for senior living. My apartment is fine. I've got plenty of room. They also have plenty of covered parking. The other apartments, though, aren't very good if you have a lot of things. They have an island in the middle, but there's not much counter space. The staff is OK, but they're not very knowledgeable about senior living and need to be educated more on that. Keeping your apartment clean is fine, but they don't clean the outside areas very well. They need more people for that. They don't even clean once a week, which they should. They also don't have many activities. They have get-togethers with health care people, but that's about it. We have an aqua swim group, but that just started recently and was personally started."