Independent Living Communities in Richmond, VA

"The best thing Atlantic at Charter Colony is the camaraderie of all the people who live here. It's like one big family. I like the movie nights. I don't like having to pay for laundry, and I don't like the fact that they changed the soda machines out and brought cans in. That's my two big complaints. The apartments are nice. I have a two-bedroom apartment, and I'm preparing my own food. All of the programs are put on by or sponsored by people who live here. We have a movie night with hot dogs and snacks. There are card games that go on all week long, an aerobics class, a puzzle room, a small gym, and just about everything that you want. I've never had any problems. Maintenance is taking care of the issues I have had immediately. The staff is good. We have more than enough for people to do. We also have bingo and church services every other week."

"Stayed a few days in the guest room while visiting a relative. The live in management team Linda and Malcolm work tirelessly to ensure the ones we care for are taken care of. Very clean facility, nice amenities and great selection of food options on a beautiful well maintain property with private garden area for the residents. "

"I went to Lakewood. The pool was really nice. I have a friend living there, so that was nice also. It's pretty big, which makes me a little nervous. If it is too big, am I going to be able to get from A to B if I'm all the way across the campus? Most of them have walking paths that are covered, so you don't have to worry too much about the outside weather and stuff like that, but this one was nice. The waiting list wasn't astronomical; it was probably two years. The room sizes were good. I think there's an allotment for food, but I did not have any of it. My friend says that the people there are just wonderful. The staff was friendly, and the residents seemed happy. The facilities were nicely kept. There were lots of activities and things to do if you chose to, so that was another one that was very positive."

"The tour at Brandermill Woods was good. The salesperson was knowledgeable, and she showed us all the areas of the building. It's a much larger facility, and it's very clean, well-kept, and maintained. The facility itself is going to be in better condition. The problem with Brandermill was their dining facility. Because of COVID, their dining room isn't even open, so they're preparing meals and residents can pick up their meals at this time. The downside is that the wait is a year to two years. They have a clubhouse. They have two dining rooms: one is less formal and the other is more formal. They're very nice. They have a bar, a pool, an exercise room, and a media room. They have a lot of amenities. We saw both apartments and cottages."

"I really like Brandermill Woods a lot. The pool is not huge, but it is adequate. The rooms are fine. I looked at a two-bedroom-two-bath apartment. The money is still an issue, but I was very impressed with that. It's a four- to eight-year wait because they're just so popular. The other thing with it is that, even though they're a continuing care community, if you go into a skilled level, the price just increases. It's not like you're building up a reserve to go into a skilled living situation. It is the only one that is only for rent, so there's no buy-in. I really like the community. The continuing care part is the only thing that is rough for me. Nevertheless, the staff members were friendly and attentive. They knew the residents. It was a welcoming situation. Everything seemed very well-maintained. The apartments I looked at were clean or in the process of being renovated."

"Avery Point was really nice. It was brand new but absolutely huge and still growing. The pool was nice and very big. This community is still being built. They're adding up to five or six more buildings to their development, making it significantly larger. The pool was beautiful. The people seemed nice. They are for-profit, and their continuing care section is not really up and running because they're doing so many buildings. Because they are so huge, being able to get around if I'm all the way across campus (Like, am I going to have to get in my car to drive?) was a concern for me. It was a beautiful campus in between all of the constructions, but I was afraid it was going to be too big, that I would get lost in the shuffle. The people seemed friendly. The facility was well-maintained and kept up."

"I went to Everleigh Short Pump. It's a new facility. I believe it's about four years old. So everything is very, very modern, clean, and nice. I think the access is well-guarded. So, you can only go in on some entry cards and the options because there is a heated swimming pool, it's outdoor and a lovely, lovely gym. And then I was intrigued by the common area they have. I think it can have about 150 to 200 people and capable of asking for a room with up to 20 people if you want to entertain. So it's good and it's in a lovely location. It's dead on Broad Street. I can't remember the name of the thing, but Costco is about 5 minutes away, Sam's Club. There are lots of restaurants, and I think there's a very good Pickleball park close by and a tennis court. Everything is nice. The downside for us is that there are very few of what they call two-bedroom, two-bath units. There are probably about 16 of them in the whole thing. There are two different sections. The other downside is, that I found it very difficult to communicate with them. I think they're completely short-staffed. We do like the kitchen. The kitchen is much larger than the other places we looked at. So it's a full-sized refrigerator, good stove, and heaters like an island so that you can have breakfast equipped. The kitchen is separated by an island and the living room. So it's definitely a place that we probably are 95, 96% fixed on going, but obviously, and I understand it, they can't commit until a maximum of 60 days before, and they can't guarantee that there will be a unit available. So, we need to be there, but it means we don't want to put all our eggs into one basket and find that they say they don't have a place. The lady who took us on the tour was excellent. She took us around a lot of time. And then the bad thing was she said, "Okay, you can bring your family and come anytime you want to take a look." And she was gone. She had gone for the weekend or something like that. And the lady who talked to us must have been someone higher who said she didn't know anything. She's just on the front desk. So my concern is that if that is the level of service you get, what happens when you go in there and they assure you that there's 24/7 access? What type of access will we get? I don't know, say there is something broken down. What happens? Do we have to wait the whole weekend to get something? So those are the short answers we have to find. But it's top-notch."

"These caregivers TRULY care about my parents. When one of them needed to go to the hospital, the staff checked in on my mom every single day to make sure emotionally she was doing okay. The marketing person even went to the hospital to visit my dad and brought him flowers. We are extremely thankful for everything they have done."

"Harvest Glen Community is a mile from my house. I like that it's a single floor, and it's a nice open layout inside. They do have a clubhouse and a pool. I think they do all the yard work with outside maintenance. The place is fine. I have been there a lot because I know older people that live there. They have garages attached, which is nice. The staff was very nice, they let us in, and they were fine."

"My Father lived at Summerhill for a little over eight years before he passed. He enjoyed gardening, playing bridge, and having his own unit that he bought. Summerhill has transportation for residents to go shopping, to a doctor's appointment, to church, and to special planned events. The staff at Summerhill is very pleasant, helpful, and there is round the clock security at the entrance and throughout the community. My father loved living there, and my brother and I were pleased with how he was able to maintain his lifestyle and enjoy new things. The unit he had was two bedroom and two full baths, a kitchen, dining area/living room, washer and dryer, and a lovely covered front porch. "

"Cedarfield is a large facility. They have multiple eating venues. They have a lot of nice-sized apartments and a lot of facilities that appealed to me. There's a large park nearby with easy access, which appeals to me, too. They have multiple floor plans, but I am interested in the one-bedroom apartment, and that's what I looked at. I had a nice interaction with various staff people. They had a lot of nice common facilities like a swimming pool, a gymnasium, and a theater."

"I was a guest for their holiday party, and WOW what an amazing job they did! The food was spectacular! They had a carving station, fresh pasta bar, and a seafood tower which consisted of cold jumbo shrimp and fresh shucked oysters. There was music everywhere! A harpist in the dining room, pianist on the second floor, and this jazz band on the third floor! They truly catered to their residents in more ways than one. We will certainly be back!"

"My husband moved into Discovery Village at the West End. I like the fact that the staff is very pleasant and very attentive. All of them have good attitudes. It's more like a home-type atmosphere. It's not like a hospital. It just had everything that I needed for him. I would highly recommend them to somebody that's searching. The staff was very friendly, very knowledgeable, and very helpful. I have no complaints. The food is fresh, hot and it's good. And, all the patients were eating it, so it was all good. Every day multiple things are going on. Yesterday, they did bingo. They painted rocks or something, just hands-on one-on-one. They truly work with every person in there."

"My guide was very informative and knowledgeable about my interests and concerns. He made the tour very accommodating and gave excellent examples of how a person would live in this fabulous environment."