Independence Village of Ames

We were very happy to find a place for my father after he had a health scare. The apartment he lives in is roomy and has plenty of space for everything my dad needs. The staff is excellent. Alan, the weekend activities director, is great. He checks on my dad regularly and does not give up, no matter how many times my refuses to join the activities. Alan has actually convinced Dad to participate in a few activities! My dad loves being able to walk the halls for exercise, and they also have a walking path in their courtyard. Everyone at Independence Village is friendly and welcoming. I am very happy my dad has a safe and friendly place to live where his medical needs are being met.

Independence Village of Ames is very nice and they were very friendly. It was a beautiful place, the rooms are a nice size and they seem to care about the people. The prices are awful, but they seem to be more consistent or a little better than some of the other places. The place was lovely and the staff was just knowledgeable, caring, and interested in helping. The facilities were excellent, they were clean, and they were nice sized.

Rooms are updated with stainless steel appliances. Staff is AMAZING! They treat my mom like family. Any concern or question I have, they answer right away, and it’s always, “What works best for your mom and you.” The staff made it as smooth as possible when we transitioned my mom from her house to assisted living. They really do go above and beyond to make my mom comfortable and happy. The chef is fantastic and, although my mom is not a picky eater, she has enjoyed EVERY meal. There are so many activities for the residents to participate in. They encourage the residents to be involved in choosing the activities offered. My mom is a retired teacher and they encouraged her to teach a class. They have a small gym and have daily fitness classes. There is a bus that can take them to appointments 2 days a week. My sister and I are confident that we made the best choice for our mom when we chose Independence Village of Ames.

My mom has early to moderate ALZ. She can function on her own for the most part but needs some oversight. Not having to cook was a huge plus for our family. She likes most of the people she interacts with and loves having the ability to have bird feeders outside her window.

The apartments are nice. My family member is in a one bedroom which meets their needs. The ranking I gave below for the staff is based on great interactions with administrative staff but is tempered with problems that have occurred with other staff in regards to their responsibilities. Since my family member's residency in late June, their have been two interim directors of the facility. We are on the third director who I believe is the permanent one. This person is an internal hire and in their previous role I found them to be great to work with and I continue to find that to be the case. The problems were with the support staff and aids. There were some who were lacking in their knowledge base with simple things like the appropriate way to make a bed. Some linens went missing during the laundry process. Thankfully the administration replaced them but the ordeal prompted me to label those items to ensure that they were returned. There are some small issues that I have to revisit but in the grand scheme of things, they are minor. I am optimistic that there has been better training of those staff or that they have been relieved of their position at IV. In all of my interactions with employees, it has been pleasant. They are trying very hard to make IV a pleasant environment for the residents and they have always been receptive to my concerns. I understand it is not an easy job/career but it has been a relief for me to have someone to fill in to care for my family member.

The process of moving my mom in and getting her transitioned to assisted living after being on her own for so long was outstanding. She received the perfect amount of attention and service, yet autonomy to grow herself in her new home. She loves the staff and her new resident friends. The engagement of my mom with the activities and social aspects has been a perfect balance for her... and she is enjoying her days. While my family was looking for safety for her, we found that... and happiness, which was the ultimate goal!

Our first impression while visiting was the front entrance. The property is well manicured, well kept. Inside the front entrance, we were greeted with a cozy fireplace and nicely decorated area and the residents were out mingling. We saw the 1 bedroom apartment furnished. It was the perfect size for mom. Not too big and not too cramped. The staff have been incredibly helpful as my brother and I are not always able to check on our mother. Each staff member has been attentive, caring and respectful to both our mother and us. We often times show up unannounced. The food is better than we thought. We've sampled it a number of times. We have seen first hand the activities provided for the residents. They are engaging and fun and optional. During the times I can't visit mom, I know she's in good hands at IV. The onsite medical services have been tremendously helpful as we can't always take mom to her appointments and transportation can be a hassle with my work schedule. Nobody enjoys re-homing their parents but we have felt good about IV since day 1. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for memory care for their parents as they offer progressive care as its needed and you're not paying for services not yet needed.

The staff are very friendly and seem like they are happy to work there. They have fun together and enjoy the residents. I love that they have so many games, outings and activities to choose from. The food I'm told is delicious and they are always having treats and special times for a snack. The rooms are very nice and updated. They have nice sized rooms and are pleasant. I feel the staff are easy to talk with and helpful with any concerns i have.