The Stratford

Betty

We have friends at The Stratford. We were impressed with the swimming pool and the common rooms; it's very upscale, kind of like being on a cruise. The dining room was nicely appointed, but I didn't think that the food was up to my expectations for a facility like that. My friends have their own 2-bedroom apartments and they're really happy with them. It looked really good, they seem happy with it. The staff is fine. Our friends are happy with the activities. I think they have a euchre thing going on during Saturday and they wanna participate in that, they told us there are a number of activities.

ReviewerAT1211C

My overall experience with The Stratford was good. I was impressed with the place. The staff was very helpful, and I liked the physical facility and the independent living quarters. The independent cottages were very nice. The location was kind of on the fringe of what I was interested in. They were sort of at the top in terms of expense; they're fairly expensive. They had a full line of amenities in the independent living and assisted living, lots of activities for people, and quite an extensive dining menu and area.

TMangos

I have become familiar with all areas of the Stratford through friends who reside there. The administrative staff provides an excellent array of cultural and social opportunities both in-house and in the community. New residents are welcomed and offered ways to get involved and meet others. The dining staff puts a lot of careful planning for a variety of nutritious menus in the dining hall, along with special event themed dinners. The atmosphere is elegant yet has a “homey” feel. I would highly recommend it.

KatArmstrong

My parents resided at the Stratford for almost 5 years, and it was the best decision they made during in their retirement years. The Stratford provided them the perfect place to downsize their lives, but continue to live in the upscale and elegant manner to which they were accustomed. The facilities are exceptional, the programming interesting, the residents embracing, the dining top-notch, and MOST importantly, the people who manage and work there are the best in the industry. I can speak for my parents, as well as my sisters who reside far and wide, but have had many opportunities to interact with the staff, in saying we LOVE the Stratford. It is retirement living at its best in Carmel!

Julie Os

I can’t say enough about the Stratford in Carmel. The staff, starting at the top with Sam, creates a caring, welcoming environment. The units are beautiful, and there are so many different styles. My mom had a spacious two-bedroom apartment that fit all of her furniture, even her formal dining room table and china cabinet. The kitchen was larger than other places we visited even though she didn’t use it much because the food in the dining room is delicious. I especially enjoyed the Friday night buffets and meeting some of mom’s friends over a glass of wine before dinner. The ice cream social and themed dinner nights were also fun. My mom also loved the indoor pool which was the warmest pool I’ve ever been in, and she enjoyed fitness classes every morning. I know my mom was much healthier, happier, and active because of the wonderful people and amenities at the Stratford. It’s definitely the best place in town!

Mary

The Stratford's staff treated us very honorably and respectfully. The staff member who showed us around was very lovely, followed up on us, and was a great person. The place was very clean, attractive and we're very impressed with it. They had everything we're interested in, like a library, lifelong learning, and water aquatic program.

Tom and Connie

We lived in a cottage at the Stratford for four years. Our cottage was lovely, homey, and met all of our needs. All aspects during our stay at the Stratford exceeded our expectations. The facilities are immaculate and amenities are first rate. When we ate in the dining room, the food was excellent as was the service. There are numerous events & activities for everyone to enjoy if they choose. The overall environment is relaxing and courteous. The management and staff are very helpful, friendly, and accommodating. We would especially like to mention and thank in particular Sam, Grace, Christina, Heather, and Jackie. You can definitely tell they love what they do and they represent the Stratford well.

MB

The Stratford has a lot of good points, but it's not perfect. Since we're a couple here, what I really like about it is that we have a nice, roomy, 2-bedroom apartment where we can put our king-sized bed, which is important to us. Also, if one of us needs more assisted living, they'll keep us together and not separate us. We have plenty of activities, like bingo almost every other day and dollar blackjack twice a week. Once a week, they have a musical with guitars and singing. We also have exercise seven days a week, and they take us grocery shopping to Walmart or Target. We also have board games like Scrabble.

Provider Response

Joanne642563

I would give The Stratford a very pleasant review. The marketing person was very friendly and not pushy. I was looking for something separate. I did not want to be in an apartment style dwelling because I had a dog, and I wanted a front and a back door. This had a front door, a back door, and a garage which suited me fine. They had heated parking for those who stayed in a large apartment building. I liked the fact that I could be in a cottage, and it was a lovely cottage. It was 1,100 square feet. I thought it was rather pricy, but it was not a buy-in. So, I figured at the end of the year, 2 or 5 figures that was too much of a strain on my finances, but right now, it’s going to be fine.

Provider Response

cheryl510654

Stratford was lovely and had different restaurants and spacious apartments. It was immaculately clean and provided shuttle service. I liked the food.

Karen110900950

The Stratford was really nice. I did go there and, in fact about a year ago, I was there frequently when our pastor's wife was dying, and we were all taking turns at church staying with her. It was just a very nice facility, and the place I was visiting had very good meals, the service was very nice, and everybody said "Hi" and was pleasant, but I don't think this is some place my parents would want to live especially my dad. I would arrive and sometimes sit with them while they finish their meal, and the meals were very good. I didn't eat with them, but he was commenting on how very good they were. His wife was in the process of end stage Alzheimer's, and they prepared a special puree -- not so much puree, but more of like really soupy -- so that she could eat it. After the meal, they would clear it away just like they were being served by a waitress, and then they would say, "Would you care for a dessert, and do you want coffee with that?" And they would tell him his choices for dessert. Well, by then they knew him very well and his favorite pie, so they didn't ask if he wanted dessert. They just knew that he would like to have a piece of pie and would just ask him what kind of pie he wants, and they always brought him a cup of coffee. It was very nice, and they had a piano in the dining room area. There was kind of a dining room lounge that was right next to the dining room. They knew that she played the piano, and she couldn't remember anything else, but they set her up with the piano and she would play it, and all the residents would come and sit around, visit in the couches, and clap when she played a song. The nurses were very nice, and they would put her to bed, et cetera, then I would just sit quietly and read to her, and she would go to sleep. They were very open to the church members being part of not so much the care, but integrated into their social needs and support. A place like this is a place that my parents wouldn't be able to afford.

Provider Response

Charles103137450

Stratford is very nice, but it's not within our reach. The rooms are spacious, and they have quite a few activities like exercises. We were invited to come back for a meal.

Provider Response

Caring102165750

They kind of pigeon holed my mother. The Stratford would not show us their independent part of their facility. They insisted that because she had a stroke, she would be in an assisted living only. The woman was very nice, but she was a bit pretentious because she kept telling me what my mother would like. They only had one apartment choice. The facility itself was beautiful and immaculate. We didn't meet any of the staff. We walked out of it, and my husband said that there is no way. The woman did follow up with a visit. From a location standpoint, it was in the middle of a very busy neighborhood. From where I live, it would be too far. She didn't show us any menu, but she told us that it was restaurant quality. The dining room is lovely. There is an invisible wall between the independent living people and the assisted living. They don't intermix at all. I felt like we walked into another planet because it didn't really seem to be very friendly.

Kathy37

We checked out The Stratford for my mother. It had a very nice growing location in West Carmel. They had a combination of garden homes and then also the main lodge. The more critical care was in the separate wing. Stratford was definitely gearing towards the higher-end type of retirement living. It had a nice indoor swimming pool and also an elegant dining room. We actually attended one of their luncheon presentations on moving assistance when you consider downsizing. Outside, they had a community pool for kids and grandkids when they come and visit. They also had a variety of activity centers around the community, whether it was sports or recreation. They got a really nice library and a theater for big screens for movies and shows. They got two or three different dining rooms areas and a little pub. They have a large community that allows for a lot more different activities to be going on. Cost, however, was a little bit higher.

SH54

The place was very nice, the people were good but it's just quite expensive. The price of the unit was out of our range and its very important to us in choosing a facility. And so we ended up looking for other place., that can cater to my Mom's needs but its within our price range.

SpyderStop

The Stratford assisted living facility in Carmel, IN is the best of the best.I toured this facility to compare to some others and this by far stood above them all. There are numerous amounts of people there to help and it feels more like a vacation hotel than an assisted living facility. This place has big rooms which contain their own baths and there is a heated pool for rehabilitation. One thing I found very unique was the hair care salon! This place has everything and if you have a relative who is going to need assisted living this is the place to go. I highly recommend The Stratford!