Communities in Hampton, VA

"I visited The Ballentine. It looked like a nursing home even from the lobby when you walked in. I did talk to the staff there and got some information regarding how being a veteran can help to defray some of the costs of staying there, but I got the feeling that it was a level of care that was way beyond what we were looking for at this time. "

"Harmony at Harbour View was very, very nice. My sister and I joked about wanting to go there ourselves. They had a lot of things for the residents there. They had excursions, they had a movie room, they had a library and a craft room. They had a happy hour a couple of days a week and things like that. It was just very nice and I thought my mom would like it. The rooms were nice. This is a new place, it's only like seven years old. The rooms were a nice size, even the studios. I like the bathrooms, the bathrooms were nice and big that if she's had to be in a wheelchair, she can manipulate with no problem. I didn't have any food, but the menus looked very good. What's the most interesting with the assisted living was the fact they give her her medicine and she could do rehab or physical therapy there. They have all those facilities there. The staff who gave the tour was very nice, very informative, and she has done some follow-up calls. I like her a lot, she was very, very helpful."

"My friend stayed at Commonwealth Senior Living at Churchland House for respite care. I thought it was good. The majority of the people were there because they wanted to be there, not just because they had a job. They had smoking areas outside of the building that were pretty convenient. It was really nice-looking inside. I think the only complaint I had was they made you pay ahead. When the next person's coming in, you've already paid to have it cleaned, painted if it needed, have the carpet removed, or whatever. I thought that was a little steep for 30 days; but in long term, I think it would have worked out better. She was there to continue to build up her strength, and it was helpful for her. The halls were clear, so she could walk up and down the hall and walk to dinner. She could go sit outside and enjoy the day if it was a nice day. She got to know people and sit and talk with them. I think it was a pretty nice community. They had plenty of activities, if you wanted to participate. They had lots of arts and crafts. They had somebody that painted their nails for free at Easter, and they put little bunnies on them. They had bingo, devotions everyday, and monthly birthday parties. They were very active."

"We looked at Brookdale Virginia Beach. We were looking for my relatives. The wife has Alzheimer's, and the husband could be in assisted living. We wanted to keep them together, but the room was kind of small. The community was nice, and we liked it, but the cost was more than we could do. The staff members were good. The rooms were a nice size. The atmosphere was impressive and very nice."

"The Gardens of Virginia Beach is just down the street. My wife and I toured it and we're very happy and satisfied with it. She and I won't have to travel far to see my dad. The staff was very helpful. They didn't just wait for me to ask questions but I could tell from the conversation that they were looking for questions I might ask. We saw 3 different rooms. One room was big for what we were looking for. The smaller one was too small. But the middle one was just right and cozy. The most alluring feature of this facility is the general accessibility and the atmosphere of the whole place. I would absolutely recommend them to others. "

"Commonwealth Senior Living at Leigh Hall was very nice. It was very down the earth. I liked everything about it. It's just farther away and not really accessible to shopping. I was impressed with it. The building was older, but it had a good, friendly feeling. They had activities. The rooms were nice and the people were nice. I felt like they cared about the people. I met some of the residents. When you walk in it, there's a big rectangular room. It's like an open floor plan. The apartments look out on the center of the facility. You can see people walking upstairs from the second floor. The staff was impressive."

"The Waterford was nice. I was looking for memory care. The one I was supposed to meet wasn’t there. The location was very convenient, but the price was high. I saw the sections where they do activities. "

"Excellent care... staff is professional and very caring. You will have peace of mind knowing that your loved one is getting the best care. The resident homes are beautiful and well maintained. I am blessed to have found Ms. Ravenall and her staff to care for my father."

"The staff of Charter Senior Living of Williamsburg is very compassionate. They go out of their way to take care of my sister-in-law, and she likes them. They know her personality, and they know how to deal with her condition. She is in memory care and they definitely show her the compassion and the help that she needs. On the business part, it kind of took a while to get everything straight, but they've been very accommodating when we asked for extra papers, or when we needed to see them personally. The facility is closed and it's definitely clean. We can see that they make sure that it's clean and we have been there on different days and on the weekend, so they really don't know when we're coming. It's very modern and up-to-date although we had to buy everything for her room. We have enjoyed her stay and if we could, we would like for her to stay there longer but they don't take Medicaid. We have been there when she has food. She doesn't eat that much and it's not home cooking or anything, but I would say the food is fair and it looks good. They are on the second floor and they have activities there that we have seen my sister-in-law participate in when she wants to. They definitely try different things, especially on the holidays. I think a negative part is that they don't take the residents out of the community. I don't know whether they have a van or a bus, but as far as I know, they do not take them out. They do have a wonderful garden or a spring area where they can go out, sit, and enjoy the sunshine. I think that would be my only negative. I would want her to get out in the community, maybe just to walk or to do different things. When we go there and visit, we take her out in the community to lunch or dinner. Overall, I'm just sorry that she cannot stay there because they know her, they know us, and they're very respectful."

"My father has been a resident for 4.5 years. He is blind, almost deaf and his mind is slipping. As his condition has declined, he has needed additional care. He is now at the highest level of care in the memory unit. I visit him every day and have the resources to place him in any facility. I have never once, considered moving him to another facility. All facilities have rooms, walls, heat and air-conditioning. What keeps my father here is the quality of the staff and the attention that he receives. I have a white board in his room so that the staff can let me know, without tracking anyone down, his daily condition, did he eat, how much, what is his mood is, any other issues I need to know about. They do this EVERYDAY. I cannot more highly recommend this facility."

"King’s Grant House is one story, and you can have shared rooms. It was closer to where I live, and it’s in a good location and neighborhood. The employees were very nice. "

"It seemed very nicely laid out and had nice activities. The staff member was very friendly and helpful, and she was telling us about the calendar of activites and the things that went on. They had different activities each month, like Mexican month. The dining area was not really big, but the tables were formally set up. The overall layout was what impressed me the most. There was a nice garden area in the middle. "

"I visited Bickford of Chesapeake. They had the salon, the physical therapy, and the restaurant. They have all the things that you would think you'd need. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, very welcoming, very personable, and very good at her job, and we liked her very much. The issue was that it came down to making a decision, and she didn't have availability. The facility was very nice. I never went to anything that was nicer. It just had a nice warm feeling, a place where anybody would be happy to live, and it was well-kept."

"I went to Viva Senior Living at Chesapeake. Everything was memory care. The person that we met with and took the tour with was very personable, good, knowledgeable, and explained everything well. The facility was old, and it showed signs of age, and the rooms weren't appealing. The staff was very informative, and he followed up several times. He was putting the best face forward for the facility. Somebody comes in for the salon, nail, hair, that kind of stuff. They had a common shower. Bathing was like in a college dorm. You have to go down the hall to get your shower."