Independence Village of East Lansing

My father moved into Independence Village in December of 2020. Like many people who have to make arrangements for elderly parents, I was nervous. Moving to Independence Village was the perfect place for my dad to live. I have been so impressed with the kindness and concern I have witnessed for the residents from all of the staff in every department. As an example in July the staff arranged for us to have a birthday party for my father. They served a meal and a special birthday cake for all of us to enjoy. There are lots of activities available for residents. Since my father is a bit of a loner, the staff reaches out to him to get him involved. I have even received pictures showing my 96 year old father playing a version of volley ball. Having my father at Independence Village has provide our family peace of mind knowing that the staff truly cares about him and has his welfare in mind.

My mother moved into the Independence Village of East Lansing. It was more convenient, literally right next door. It was almost like half assisted living, half independent living. The people were very independent. There were plenty of things to do for everybody. There was onsite therapy, a hairdresser, a little restaurant area, or a dining facility, and just very clean, very bright. Everybody seemed happy, and the food was excellent. Everything has been perfect with these guys so far. The staff was excellent and very attentive. Everybody seems to know what's going on, seems to connect very well, and lots of communication between one another. Everybody just seems to be on the ball. I've only had a few meals, but I mean, it was topnotch. Inside the rooms were great, but there could be a little bit of a touch-up. It was still a beautiful place, and it seemed to be very well kept, considering how many people were in that building and everything. There were two or three different exercise programs. There's a walking program; everybody gets together and walks around the building a couple of times. They have a coloring program, movie nights, popcorn night, wine and cheese, and social hour.

Independence Village of East Lansing was good, but they do not have a backup generator. We know somebody that's there. We ate lunch with her, and the food was good. The location was also good because there's a Meijer's across the street and our credit union is nearby too.

I'm still missing my home, but I think that Independence Village of East Lansing is a nice place. Everything is fine and everything's good. They have two outdoor areas that you can sit out in. And then we have all kinds of things going on during the day, not much going on at night, during the day there's quite a bit going on. In terms of activities, there's bingo, concerts, prayer meetings, religious meetings, and different things they do. They also do crafts and play cards. The people are very thoughtful and helpful. In terms of the food, there are things I don't care for, but on the whole, it's pretty good. You can always order something else if you don't like what's on the menu. Everything is very clean. We looked around, and I think this is a pretty good value for my money. The big difference here was, the people are out compared to other places.

My parents are living in Independence Village of East Lansing right now and they're managing there. They're doing quite well there at the moment. Our overall experience has been very positive. The tone of the place is very giving, loving, and happy. The director has been so excellent during COVID, and our whole family is very grateful with how they've handled everything. The room is nice. They've been good at maintaining the room. Their refrigerator was broken and they brought up a new one within a couple of hours. The whole staff, the custodial staff, and the desk staff, everybody joined in together for special occasions and things to do to bring a smile to the residents' faces. They're very caring, supportive, and positive.

We were moving into Independence Village of East Lansing, but the last step which included moving our beds, we were not able to get in because of the lock-down, but we're still paying rent there. We've been calling them for 3 weeks, but they're not calling back. We chose them because they provide 3 meals a day, I don't have to cook in the room, they supply all the linens, and they have activities. They go shopping once or twice a week, they have movie nights, men's coffee hour, and a walking club. The staff was nice, gave us the information we needed, and was polite.

Independence Village of East Lansing was a very nice facility, except Mother needed more care than they had readily at hand. She had an apartment, a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. She was allowed to have a microwave and refrigerator. They had a very nice dining room, and their location was good. If I had to go to a place, I would definitely go over there.

Actually my Mother(96) was a resident here for 3 years until her physical limitations required her to move where she would get more help. She remembers IV as a great place, with great entertainment, great people, great fun, great staff. There is always activity and the residents treat each other like family. The location across a quiet street from Meijers and an easy wheelchair ride to Applebees is unrivaled.