Assisted Living Communities in Buffalo, NY

"Dad has been here for about 3 to 4 weeks now, and he's doing very well. The moment we walked in the door we felt welcome, and we felt the warmth of the people that work there. We talked to some people that had relatives who lived there previously or were currently living there, and it was just a positive experience in general. Dad has met some nice men who has had conversations with and shared meals with, and they have a wonderful veterans group that has been welcoming to him, so he's getting settled in. I'm very pleased with them. The place was more like a house than an institution. It was warm; it has a living room, an aquarium, a bird cage, people watching TV, and playing cards. It was very nice. They have wonderful, home cooked food on-site. I had a couple of meals with dad. His favorite thing is the breakfast because he gets a hot breakfast every day. He's gone to the veterans group a couple of times, but he's not really a joiner, and he's a little bit solitary. So I don't believe he has joined them tin anything other than maybe watching TV or movie. "

"We have a good experience with Tennyson Court. The staff assists my mom whenever she needs assistance. The food is excellent, and the dining experience is wonderful. They have group get-togethers, singing, dancing, exercises, and outings. "

"The Amberleigh in Williamsville is not for my mother. It's more of an independent living and an apartment building. We visited their assisted living, but it didn't seem very assisted living to me. It was new, and the lady who gave the tour was terrific and super nice. A negative for me and our purposes would be that it was too spread out and very isolating. I feel like you are isolated in your own little apartment, and it's not what we need for my mother. She's already isolated in her house, so I would not send her there and have her be isolated in an apartment."

"My mom is at a nursing home called Elderwood in Wheatfield. Her condition is such that she can't do an enhanced assisted living, so that's where we are at. It seems to be fine, she says she's happy there. I haven't been able to see her, so I'm going with what I'm hearing from the nurses and social workers, plus my mother. She says she likes her room but cognitively she has some issues. What I'm getting from her is that she likes the staff and that they're good to her. She seems to be content there. I don't get as many updates, generally I call and I ask. It's not that they don't update, it's just that if I have questions, I always call and ask. For activities, they have many activity levels, but I don't know if she can participate in any of them. She has breathing issues and she's on oxygen, cognitively she's deteriorating. Physically, I'm guessing now she's in a wheelchair. Right now, she's happy, and they seem to be on top of what's going on with her. If I call they do answer my questions. They're probably understaffed and overwhelmed like everybody else today, but they seem to be doing well with her and she likes them. It's a very expensive place, it's $13,000 a month, but I have not been in there to judge the rooms sizes or the conditions. All I know is that I've been online to check them before and they seemed to have good reviews."

"Brookdale Niagara was very nice. They had a small, efficiency apartment with a very small kitchenette, a living room that you first walked into, and then a bedroom off to the side. I know. They had three different unit sizes, including patio rooms. They had a salon and a small entertainment room where they do recreational activities. The dining room was very nice and everything was very clean and looked updated. It's probably the best in the area."

"Elderwood Assisted Living at Hamburg is very nice and seemed very clean. Everyone seemed friendly. They have a library and a number of community areas with big screen TVs. There was a family dining room, an activities room, and an outdoor patio that actually faced one of the village streets so folks could see activities going on in the village."

"We had a good experience visiting Heritage Manor. It was a smaller facility and very cozy. The manager was accomodating and took us around. I made a second visit because I know a couple of the residents there, and they invited me into their living spaces. There were great activities for the residents, and we were there for a happy hour. I visited a couple of times and on one visit, they had live music, a guitarist, and a sing-along. It was not as luxurious, but it was very homey and very inviting. "

"Mary Agnes Manor is what I was looking for. It is centrally located and easy for me to get to here and the city. They have a private room and do not have to share a bathroom. There are plenty of activities and little stores where my mother can go and purchase things she needs. They have a dining room and a breakfast area, and a choice to eat either breakfast or dinner. They also have a solarium with a view of the lake. It was very nice. They had everything that I was looking for. They take them to their doctors’ appointments. Everyone that I met was friendly and helpful. "

"I visited my grandmother for two weeks in this complex. The complex itself is very beautiful. The grass is well kept and the dumpsters are contained in little houses so it looks very nice. The complex has the usual woes of any apartment complex: the windows are drafty, the appliances outdated, the HVAC needs to be cleaned, etc. There is, however, one HUGE complaint: my grandmother lives UPstairs. Who puts senior citizens in upstairs apartments? There are twenty five steep stairs leading to the second floor of her building that she must climb with groceries and trash. "

"I visited Oakwood recently and I have to say that I was impressed by the positive changes that have been made there. New owners took it over about a year or two ago and you can tell. I visited when the old owners had it and it was horrible. Now residents look and sound happier. The new owners are putting money into the building by replacing the elevator, polishing the floors, painting, etc. I was told that they have plans to remodel the dining room, activities room and lounges. They are noticable changing out older furniture in the rooms with more modern dressers, nightstands, beds and lamps. The staff is excellent. Three staff members really stood out to me. Amanda, Jeanette and Karen were extremely friendly and helpful. The dining room crew are accommodating and make homemade meals. This place has really turned itself around. If you need a place that takes Medicaid this is one of the few assisted living's that will. Check it out...you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"The best thing about the entire experience was the people working there. Everyone from the staff, to volunteers, to administrators was very kind, courteous and professional. They made you feel very comfortable and that your family member would be in great hands. You also felt like the care being given was top of the line. They were very quick to respond to each and every need. The facility itself was nice, nothing out of the ordinary but clean and well maintained. The room we visited was always clean and it was rather large for an assisted living room. The single units were an added bonus. One other nice thing was that there was always some type of free food or beverage available. Whether it was coffee, pop or cookies, there was always something to grab. But all of this comes second to the staff and volunteers. They are what makes this place special. "

"The quality of care and caring by staff is commendable. We are grateful for their help with grandpa. "

"My mom moved into Eden Heights of West Seneca in January. It's assisted living and seemed like a nice place. I was only there a couple of times. Since then, I've heard that the staff keeps changing they way everything is now. People quit, and they hire new people. Her room is basic. It's a little spacious, so it's more than enough room for her. It's a private room. The dining room looks good. They have tables apart. They don't sit people together. It's very spacious and very big. The cleanliness was good. Since they got a new maintenance guy, I don't know what it's like now. There's been a lot of changes. It's expensive, but I guess it's OK. She's getting her money's worth. They play bingo and all kinds of games. They have a T.V. room, where they watch football games and stuff. Mom was telling me that the last time I talked to her last week, apparently they don't have an air conditioner. I don't know how true that is or if she's going to get one for her room, but I can't imagine a building that size that doesn't have air conditioning."

"My wife grandmother was at Glenwell A DePaul Senior Living Facility. She was there until her estate was liquidated and was forced to go to an Erie County nursing home where medicaid picked up the cost. I remeber Glenwell DePaul to be a very clean and friendly facility that provided assisted living and care to middle class seniors. The several times we visited, I remember that my grandmother in law (who was like a grandmother to me was always helped with bathing and grooming. She was clean and well looked after. Also, I remember that the food they gave her was always presentable and looked and smelled great. I can't say anything about how the food tasted because I never tried it. they also provided activities and areas where she could sit with others who lived there for entertainment, friendship and leisure. The staff was always pleasant and "down to earth"; ready to address any concerns of the family and make you feel welcome. The staff would even sometimes wheel my wife's grandmother outside to sit in front and they would stay and chat a while with her. I was very impressed with the respect they gave her and the way they treated her. I have seen more upscale assisted living facilities in that area that had a "colder" atmosphere. My wife's grandmother was kept clean, treated with respect and built relationships with the staff and residents. I would recommend this facility to anyone in a similar situation that my wife's family had to face. "