The Best Independent Living Communities in Addison County, VT

"I toured Harbor Village Senior Communities. When I walked in, it was so very closed in. The people I encountered who lived there were a little bit more withdrawn. They didn't look as happy as the people in the other community I went to. What I noticed immediately was the overwhelming scent of a glade air freshener, like it was so intense, it was cloying. I had a hard time breathing through it. I only spoke with 1 or 2 people. One of them I liked very much. The coordinator, I liked her a lot. It was raining on the day I went. I was like, "Do you have a place to put my coat?" This other lady said, "You can probably put it in there." It wasn't like people were coming to visit and we're going to give you a Gold Star service. I asked how much fresh food, and she said, "To be honest, it's mostly Sysco." They do get some donations. They did have fresh flowers on the table. So, that was nice because Trader Joe's shares what they're not going to sell. They brought them in there, so that was nice. Their rooms are quite nice, very similar to the rooms at the other community I went to, however, there was that cloying smell of air freshener. The upkeep and maintenance were okay. I went with the amount of air freshener, and it made me feel like, "What are they covering up?""

"I thought The Residence at Otter Creek was very top-notched. My mother is one-hundred years-old; so she felt settled at that point cause we already had her at this other place, but she wasn’t completely happy. It’s a big place. It’s much like the one my mother was in New Jersey. It was very nice, the rooms were gigantic, and we were impressed with it. I think they could be overwhelming for somebody who used to live in a cozy place. "

"My mom was here. It was perfect for her. The people were fabulous. The location of the facility was superb. The food was wonderful. They really paid attention and made efforts to design their menus, and their service to the needs of the residents. I loved this facility, loved it, loved it. It's absolutely clean. The structure is new. I don't think it's ten years old yet, but maybe seven or eight years old or so by now. For activities they have craft and arts activities and exercise activities. They have like speakers come in. They have trips. They have a wonderful array of different things. They have card games, and they put puzzles together. They always have something that will fit somebody's taste or flavor. The sizes and layouts of the rooms were awesome. It's very warm, inviting, welcoming, and safe."

"We lived at the Wright House for ten years. I liked the fact that they had community gatherings and it was inexpensive for us. Everything was included. Their staff was very helpful and very kind. I liked to do arts and crafts. They had cooking, and they had gatherings where we did origami. The last time I was there was about three weeks ago. I went to visit a friend. The apartments were beautiful. It was brand new when I moved in. We cooked our own food, and they supplied holiday meals and it was excellent. The last few years that we were there, they had stopped the activities because of COVID. Sometimes, they had a good turnout, and other times it wasn't very good at all. It all depended on what the event was. They have subsidized housing there, so your rent was dependent on your income and I thought that was extremely fair."

"The tour we had at Maples Senior Living Community was very nice. We got to see a 1-bedroom apartment and how it was set up. They had a little exercise room and a reading room, and they had books where you could exchange books. If you're on a second floor, you would just take your trash out to the designated area on the floor that you're living in. You wouldn't have to go all the way downstairs or go outside to a dumpster. The only way you could get in is you have to be buzzed in. So, it was extremely secure. We were looking for a 2-bedroom, but they did not have a 2-bedroom available that we could look at. I didn't see anything out of place. The staff was very knowledgeable and very good. They answered all our questions. You had to fill out the application and then we had to wait to see if we were accepted or not. They occasionally had dinners. If you have family gatherings or birthdays, you could put an advance notice that you want that room, but basically, you're making your own meals. They occasionally have get-togethers like coffee hour or happy hour, but they don't prepare any of your meals."