The Best Senior Living Communities in Waltham, MA

"We toured The Residence at Watertown Square. It looked like the floors and walls were in very good physical condition. It didn't look like it was beaten up, with people walking around with walkers and wheelchairs. So, it was in pretty good shape. I had a couple of issues, and part of it is that my dad has difficulty getting up out of chairs. He would not be able to use any of the upholstered chairs that are in the common space. He needed a solid chair to sit in with arms to push himself up, so that was one of the issues in that particular location. The second one was the thickness of the carpeting in the room I looked in. I noticed, when I stepped on it with my sneakers, that it grabbed my feet. I'm just thinking, my dad, that if it grabs his feet, he walks with walking sticks and is more prone to falling. If a unit had hardwood floors or solid floors instead of carpet, that might be something he needs. The woman there, Amanda, indicated that they may be able to replace the carpeting. They want to be accommodating to the people. So, that's a good thing. Everything was easy to access, including the elevator and the laundry room. Those were positives. People were having lunch at that time, and they all seemed happy, and there was no controversy. It's a good setting. Amanda was very nice and considerate."

"I like Sunrise of Newton. I like the openness of the hallways and the elevators. Because it's new, they were able to have more space. They took time to follow up and answer my questions. They have a fridge in the room, but of course, they don't have a stove. They have a backyard. They have grills and things like that out there."

"I could see my uncle at Evans Park at Newton Corner and be happy there. I like that it seemed they would be very attentive. They also seemed to be able to have the staff and support that my uncle would need. The two people that we interacted with were lovely. Their approach, their explanation, and their attention to detail were all something that I enjoyed experiencing. They had a lot of wonderful things that they offer there. They have a salon. They had a barber who would come to my uncle's room and cut his hair. They have a podiatrist that would help with cutting toenails. So those things are important, and they have them in place."

"My father has been in Brigham House for about a week now. It's just perfect, and they are incredibly helpful. I was looking for an economical alternative in Massachusetts, and Brigham House accepts assistance on some of their residents, which some places don't. It's very clean. They've had no COVID outbreaks, and the staff seems very professional and fabulous. I looked at their Facebook page and it had a lot of positive pictures and positive comments on it, and it's only a mile from where I live. His room is a studio, and it's relatively small. It's 440 square feet, but it's laid out nicely. He has a small kitchenette and they allow their residents to have a cook service, which is fine. He's 98 and he really shouldn't be cooking for himself anyway. The bathroom is very nicely sized and he can get his walker in it very easily. It has a shower stall and they're assisting him with bathing as well. It's an old school and they had it rehabilitated. His room has very large windows, so it's very bright and sunny, which is nice. It's incredibly clean, and it really was a good fit. He'll be getting all of his meals, and they'll change his sheets and wash his towels weekly, which is a big help. At this point in time, he doesn't need help with his medications, but that's available, and I think that's gonna be coming down the road. The food is very good, and they have quite a few activities there. My father is new, so he hasn't been able to participate yet because he's been in quarantine for the first few days there, but they do memory games, bingo, and some movement classes for people. They have a nice variety of activities, and they sponsor movies in the common rooms in the evenings. "

"My friends unit is lovely and overlooks the bike path. The food is delicious. Juan does an outstanding job. The staff is kind and welcoming."

"My wife and I are both in an assisted living accommodation at The Falls at Cordingly Dam. She's on the fourth floor and I'm on the first floor. I'm looking for an independent living accommodation because it is not good for me to be in an assisted living accommodation. She's fine here, but this is not the place for me. There's no activity for me here. We've been here for two months. I'm not happy here, but my wife is here. This is great for her, but not so good for me mentally and/or physically. I think the staff is superior. The accommodations are very nice for the assisted living. They have programs during the day, but everything requires assisted living and I do not need assistance in living. Their activities are for those who need assistance rather than for independent individuals. The rooms are very nice and very comfortable. The heating and air-conditioning is very adequate. There's nothing wrong with the accommodations at all. There's nothing wrong with the programs at all for the assisted living residents that are here. There's nothing wrong with the facility at all. I'm very pleased with the activity here for them. The food is great. They do a great job. I have a two-room apartment, fundamentally. It's very small and it's $10,800 a month."

"My Mom has been a resident of Waterstone at Wellesley for more than two years now and is thriving like never before. She's highly engaged in the community and has made close friends with whom she enjoys meals, activities and shared interests. I can always count on the staff at Waterstone to reach out to me with issues (there are seldom any, but they are both proactive and responsive when needed). And the location on the Charles, and so close to the highway, makes for both an oasis and a convenience. My mom has, happily, gained a bit of weight since moving to Waterstone - she had lost so much during the pandemic we were concerned. She loves the food and the options available at meals. We have no complaints at all. It's hard to get a read on a community unless you are there during meals or Happy Hours, which Waterstone has twice a week for residents of both Independent and Assisted Living communities. It's a lot of fun for residents and gives my mom (and others) something to get dressed up for (mom puts on her best *AND* makeup)! We are extremely happy with Waterstone."

"My family member has been there for a year. Not only is the facility beautiful but the staff is thoughtful, caring, and tries very hard to work within the limits of each resident. I had serious reservations going in, but they have greatly exceeded my expectations."

"The Commons in Lincoln is excellent. The whole facility and the staff are wonderful. Mom has no complaints at all about the food. They have a swimming pool, lots of activities, and ways to get transportation to different places. If you needed more care, they have people that would come in. She has two meals per day that she could just have them take care of. They also have an exercise room, an art room, and a great room where they have music, bocce, and all kinds of other activities. They have wonderful grounds. Mom loves going for a walk so she could go for walks for around the grounds. Lincoln has many, many miles of paths and grocery stores nearby. It's just everything she needed. They have lots of concerts. Before COVID, they had children come in whom the residents had interactions with. Then they have exercise classes, as well as religious services, music, art classes, and lectures about all different topics including geography and politics."

"I liked Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle a lot. I found it more attractive in terms of the furnishing. It's sunnier. It's tucked away and quiet. It has some nice outdoor spaces. The activity programming looked pretty good. The memory care was far superior. The staff was excellent. I worked with the assistant director as well as the community relations person. They were not doing me a hard sell. They're going to visit my sister in the settings she's in now, meet with the nurses, and the social worker and evaluate what's the best situation for her."

"I had moved into Wingate Residences at Needham, but I had to move out again, not that I got sick and nobody around me got sick, but I knew I'd be in lockdown in their senior living and that would defeat the purpose of my living there, so I moved back home. I was there for a couple of weeks. They were very nice. It was a lovely place. They provide excellent service, good food, and things that you would hope for, but I didn't want to be isolated. There's a library, a swimming pool, a fitness center, and a theater, but I couldn't take advantage of any of these things because of the Covid lockdown. I had two Covid tests, so I had to stay in quarantine the whole time. The physical appearance was beautiful. I had a little experience with the activities. I heard an excellent lecture on my first day, but then I had to go on quarantine, so I didn't get to experience anything."

"My dad has moved into Waterstone at the Circle. It's spacious, light, clean, and friendly. Everyone there has been so outgoing, very accommodating, and so kind. They want to help and reach out. They're doing the best they can. My dad is in a one-bedroom with big windows. It has a full kitchen. There is the bedroom, the closet, and the bath. The closet is so interesting. You walk through the closet to get to the bathroom, so the closet is on both sides. It has this nice corner that you can get straight to the bathroom. They have amazing amenities. They have a beautiful library. They have a bar, and they have a huge dining room with lots of lights. They have a craft room and a community room with a piano. They have a swimming pool, an exercise room, and a theater. They have a lounge on the fifth floor. The activities are great. The residents decide what activities they want, and they set them up. The other people that we talked to are very satisfied with the activities. It's such a welcoming place. It is very expensive, but I feel like they measure up to the expense. I don't feel bad about the expense because they're getting a lot. People stay there; they don't leave."

"I went to The Residence at Boylston Place. I was treated very well. They're upgrading their facility, so there was some construction going on but it didn't bother me. They're making it even nicer. By the time I'd be ready to move in if I did go there, it would be even more beautiful. It's a very nice architecture outside and inside. It's being brought up-to-date very nicely. The staff during the tour was very helpful. They have three meals a day and transportation and utilities are paid for. It's very attractive architecture and it's very clean. The dining area had very good lighting, was very spacious, and it looked like it would be an excellent place to sit down and dine and talk to residents."

"I liked Providence House Assisted Living. It was bright, and it was accessible. There was parking there. The staff was very nice. It's very clean. I was surprised by how bright it was. It didn't feel like a nursing home. They had things for the people to participate in. They have transportation if you don't have a car to go shopping three times a week. There are studios and apartments. They have a hair salon. They were playing Wheel of Fortune. They have tons of puzzles, and they have a library. Providence House is my favorite."