Memory Care Communities in Creve Coeur, MO

"One of the things that appeals to me very much about Clarendale Clayton is that they have progressive care. In other words, the greater portion of the building is for independent living, they have a section, which is smaller, for assisted living, and then they also have a section for memory care. And I think that it's a very good model to take care of the needs of the residents because if we all live long enough, we naturally require more care the older we get, and you don't have to move out of a facility to be able to access the increased level of care. The staff who gave the tour was very, very helpful and very gracious. We had talked on the phone before I left Virginia to come to Missouri, and it was amazing. She did her homework. She wrote down my name, my two sons' names, my dog's name, and she asked me about all of them. She listened when I told her what was within my budget on a monthly basis, and she was very efficient in showing us what was available for that amount of money per month. The building is a high rise. It's the biggest facility that I looked at in terms of population and space. There are 13 floors. They have some penthouse apartments at the top, which I could not afford. The staff showed us an apartment on the third floor, and it was a nice layout. For the same amount of money that I'm paying now in Manassas, Virginia, they're at the Clarendale Clayton, they have a full-service kitchen including an electric stove, a full-size refrigerator, the storage space and appliances to prepare any of your own meals that you wanted to. They have a point system for how many points you have per month to spend for food and beverage services. Also, they have a washer and dryer in each apartment, so you don't have to be in competition for other people to use the washers and dryers. Another way that the Clarendale Clayton was unique is that the staff said that it would be possible for me to come back to bring my little dog and I could stay there free of charge for up to 2 or 3 weeks just to try it out the atmosphere and everything in order to make a more informed decision."

"I toured Sunrise of Webster Groves. One of the things that was striking is that they have a resident dog. It was a beautiful golden retriever that was very, very gentle. And the staff and the patients interacted with the dog. My son and I petted and talked with the dog. And it's like a mascot there for everybody. They also have a cat in the memory care section. So they added something to the place, it really did. And then also close to the area where we waited, three residents were all playing musical instruments. There was a pianist, a flutist, and a violinist. They just got together to play their instruments, and so we had background music, and it was a very nice atmosphere. The staff said that sometimes they have people who come in and they're independent, and then they can stay there for assistance as well. Their prices for the rent are higher and they would be more like what you would pay for assisted living."

"I liked everything about The Lumiere of Chesterfield. They had a private chef who worked with the people who lived there to get on the menu what they preferred to eat according to their diet. A lot of these people are diabetics and when they go to another facility, they don't care what they eat, they just put garbage on the menu. This private chef makes a world of difference. They have high ceilings and big, spacious rooms. It's much more spacious than a lot of the facilities I've seen. It makes it feel much more luxurious and much more like home."

"It is new and it's very beautiful. The staff was very welcoming. The rooms were really big for memory care. They work with you and they reach out every week. You can tell the same kind of warmth and welcoming. I tried the food three times during the open house. With my father passing away, they even sent a meal for the family for the repast."

"I visited Sunrise of Chesterfield and I loved it. I liked the people there. I also loved what I saw. The place was very pretty and attractive. The only reason why I didn't choose this community was its distance from my home. We were ready to check him in there. Then, we got a phone call that a room became available in the facility that was closer to my home. "

"They save semi-independent living with separate bedrooms in the houses. I haven't eaten there, but Mom is moderately happy with the food. I liked that it gave Mom the option of living in a house and having her own private room. The houses are within about 100 yards from the main facility, so the staff is always close by to check up on them. I would recommend this community. "

"My mom has moved into St. Louis Hills Assisted Living and Memory Care. The place is clean. The staff seems pretty friendly. The rooms are adequate. Plus, it's close to my home. That's one determining factor. And the price is reasonable. They supply a refrigerator and a microwave. There's no cooking in the room or anything. They've done everything we've asked and have answered all our questions. So far, they've been really good. The staff members have all been friendly and willing to help. Nobody said no to any requests. When I asked for help for my mom, they gave her the help she needed. So far, so good. The food looks decent. It looks better than the last place she was in. They have activities. They put a little calendar out, but I hadn't had a chance to look at it. They have a patio with a little bit of garden."

"We were going to get Mom in Mcclay Senior Care, but before she could be transported over there, she passed away. It was big and clean. The facility is only four years old. The people were nice and very accommodating for the short period of time that we were there. The staff was nice and friendly. It was very clean. Mom was gonna be there for hospice."

"I went to Friendship Village twice. I liked them, but they would not work with me. They're kind of hardnosed people. They don't budge on you. I talked to the staff, and they weren't very accommodating. They would not work with you. It was either you have the money or you don't, so I didn't care for that. It's an absolutely beautiful place. It was my number one choice until they wouldn't work with me. They wouldn't do anything, and they had a flippant attitude. Their attitude was take it or leave it."

"Autumn View Gardens evaluated my mother to see what she really needed. Part of their admissions policy is they would have a meeting and evaluate her to see where she would belong. I remember them telling me that their memory care unit was new and they still had two openings. We were looking at the memory care unit there as well. It was the best of the four that we visited. I like the staff. I like the layout of the place. It was small and fairly new. The activities were terrific. They would take them on field trips and things like that. The downside was they don't have any Medicaid beds; it's all self-pay. The staff was friendly and informative, and they followed up with me."

"I have moved in. Everything is on time, and everybody is really nice. The place is clean and it doesn't smell. When you call the staff, they come pretty quickly. However, the food is better than the place where I was at last. I haven't had much of a chance to access anything other than just the apartment and the dining room. I think the activities are good overall. The value for the money is very good, too. I don't have to provide too much of my own things because everything else is provided."

"I toured The Boulevard of St Peters. The executive manager was awesome. He was so nice, caring, talkative, and guiding us in the right direction. The unit they showed me was two rooms. It's got a walk-in bath and a little kitchenette. The staff was beyond great. The place was brand new and perfect. They had a walking area, which was nice, too."

"I toured here. They had a nice garden. They have nice apartments. I noticed they had full-sized kitchens and refrigerators. They were located in an urban area, which is nice for people who don't drive. All the people I met there were very nice. It seemed like a very good community. The staff was very good. He's very personable, very nice, covered everything, and took me around. I liked him and he was responsive to me when I had questions. They had a lovely dark area and a nice activity area. They have physical therapy and stuff like that. I think there was a theater. They offered transportation within 15 miles, I believe, and they were pet-friendly."

"Clarendale of St. Peters is a fairly new facility; we watched it being built. It's a very nice place, and very clean. They didn't have studio apartments. So, we were up over $5,600 a month, and that was too much for us. It was going to be that amount and then whatever level of care. They had the restaurant set up. They have 3 different restaurant-type things. I don't know if they get three different dining rooms. There was a bar for happy hour, and they have happy hours a couple of nights a week. In the main dining room, there was a private dining room, so if you were having family, you could reserve the facility and do that. We liked it, it's just not in our price range. It would have been a nice place to go because, for the most part, I grew up right by there. Our old original church that my dad and the elders and the men of the church built was right across the street from them. My mom liked it, and she even said it would have been great. Once they told us the price, she would maybe be able to stay there a couple of years and it would eat up all our money. The staff who gave us the tour was very good, very nice, very open, and very attentive to what mom's needs would have been. She was very informative, and let us know everything. One of the other things my mom was not too keen on is they have three floors, and you would have to take an elevator. The openings that they had and the rooms that they were showing us were on the third floor. Mom just didn't know if she would be able to traverse the place. It was just a little nervous for her because she has early onset Alzheimer's. She just worries that she could get turned around or something, and she was kind of nervous about being up, having to be traversing in the elevator and stuff. With it being brand new, everything was bright and shiny. It's only about two years old, maybe three."