The Highlands Topsham, ME

Mother is doing fine in Highlands -- they're wonderful and very welcoming. We had lunch with her there, instead of a formal assessment, and that was really nice. They've got Bingo, arts stuff, and they take residents swimming in the next lodge and use the weights room. They keep a watchful eye without letting the residents know. They have lots of things going on and they're going to be having duck tours. The staff is very friendly. The menu is lovely, with really yummy food you can order from a menu. The dining area is lovely and looks like a restaurant. It's competitively priced.

While owning your condo unit may give you peace of mind, when it comes time to sell it and move on, the Highlands controls the selling process. They set the price and you are still responsible for the monthly condo fees, heating, and other costs that you paid while you lived there. They keep the price high and units remain unsold for years until a buyer is found. If you need the money for assisted living, you may be left out in the cold. If you can afford to tie your money up for years, then you can be happy here.

The Highlands is a community where you can live indepentely or with Assisted Living. There is a variety of choices from apartments, single family and rental units. All of the staff that I met seemed very dedicated. There is an exercise facility, indoor pool and dining room available to all residents. The grounds of the entire complex were well maintained. What made this attractive to us was that you actually own the unit you live in via a Co-Op. The assisted living and memory units are a pay as you go when needed.

It is difficult for most people to transition from independence to assisted living, but the services and resources provided, as well as the skill and compassion of the employees, can go a long way. The Highlands offers various levels of assistance depending on the needs of the resident, and these can be modified as the individual's needs change over time. Attention is paid to residents' body, mind and spirit: activities, outings and special programs are offered, as well as garden plots, a full library, a swimming pool and fitness room with coaches available on the premises. It is also critically important for the staff and management of an assisted living facility to interact well with the resident's family members, respecting their priorities and wishes while also gently suggesting, where appropriate, choices that might be in the best interest of the resident. The Highlands has a low turnover rate of employees, which not only speaks well of the workplace but is an added benefit for residents and their families. Many employees go out of their way to gt to know the residents and their families as well.

I have a family member in this facility, and it's always a pleasure to visit them - I wish my apartment was as nice and spacious as theirs! The staff is very friendly, and have gone above and beyond on several occasions (bringing meals to the room, when my relative is not up for going to the dining room, remembering personal preferences in food and activities, bringing in treats for special occasions, taking time to listen to stories, etc.). I'm always impressed by the number of activities available, and even the meals seem to be above-average. The only issue we've had has been the communication between shifts - sometimes we'll give a staff member a heads-up about a medication change, or meal preference or something, and that message won't always get passed on to the staff on the next shift. But they're good sports about getting pestered with the same message multiple times. I think every place has its ups and downs, but I'm very happy that we made the choice to go with The Highlands.

The Highlands was absolutely spotless, and everyone from the staff to the people who were there looked so content and pleased to have you there. I will be moving in soon. The dining area was superb, like a high-class restaurant, and the service was excellent. Everything that you could possibly imagine is there, like an exercise program, saltwater pool with aerobics, card playing, social activities, concerts, and trips. I was so impressed.

The Highlands have separate houses for people who are able to do things for themselves but still need a little bit of assistance. Then they have a bigger building with rooms for people who need a little bit more care. They kind of separate the two. The ones that are able to do more have their own place and are able to come and go as they please. When they do start to decline, they are moved to the bigger building. There they have their own separate room which is totally private. They are able to still come and go with assistance if they need it. Many of the residents have personal care aides. If they have a walker or need a wheelchair, the personal care aide will come to assist them. You know they are Highlands personnel because they wear their uniform. They are very clean, very organized, and very professional. I was able to visit both assisted living and independent living. They have a really nice common area where people can go for different functions. They have different things that the residents can join like different communities. It's a really nice setup, but unfortunately it is expensive. It is also a very expensive place to live.

I had checked the Highlands, and they’re a little more expensive than what I can afford. They’re one of the nicer places around closer to where I am, and it would be very suitable. They’re very well manicured yards, and the houses are quite lovely and well laid out. Some of the houses are bigger than others. I have friends that have had a home there, and they also have nice apartments. I’ve only been in one room, and it was comfortable. The staff is all very pleasant and very friendly. The food is terrific. They are nice to guests, and they have a program usually in the summer time that invites tentative hopeful tenants. Some of the women’s groups that I belong to have had Christmas parties over there. I would definitely recommend it.

The Highlands is a good community and the staff is good. The people who live here are friendly, and I like them. The dining room is large and lovely with tables for two, four, six, seven, or eight. It is nice, and they have menus with three main dishes, four vegetables, and dessert. There are lots of nice activities including swimming in the morning with exercises in the pool. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings there are exercises in the gym. There are other trips or they take people shopping to Wal-Mart, to the grocery store, and to other various places.

My brother is all set up at The Highlands at Topsham. He is very happy there. Aside from independent living, they also have assisted living. They have little cottages so you can actually have your own privacy if you opted for that. My brother is in the Maine Lodge where he has his own place there. The staff is very good. He likes them. The two dining areas that they have are very nice. They also have a shuttle to take residents out to town shopping. My brother is doing quite well in The Highlands.