The Veraden

I will be moving into The Veraden. There are multiple things that they can offer either independent living or assisted living, and that's a plus. They have the facilities. It's a very nice-looking facility and looks like a five-star hotel. They have shown me the rooms, that's why I have already selected an independent living area. They have a refrigerator, microwave oven, and stove. They also have a washer and dryer, both in a big percentage of the facilities. The staff was very nice and very helpful, her name's Mary. She was an outgoing type of individual and had shown everything in detail; she wasn't just skipping over it either. I even got my haircut there. I set up an appointment about two or three days before I was going back over there, and I got my hair cut and my beard trimmed. They offered me some food, I didn't take it, but it looked fine. The people in assisted living, have a different area where they eat versus the ones that are in independent living. They have an underground storm shelter . So, you just walked down the slope, and then it is a Mall Theater, you can watch movies or whatever in that area.

I like the amenities option of The Veraden and the flexibility for assisted and independent. I didn't do a scheduled appointment, I just walked in. They have meals, transportation, and nursing care. They also have housekeeping.

We visited The Veraden. We went in person, but they had most of the place closed, so they couldn't show us everything. The room that they showed us looked good. It's a 2-bedroom, and I liked it, and it had a full kitchen. The person that accommodated us was good and knowledgeable. She just could not show us everything they had to offer. They did the best they could though, and it looked like a really nice place from what we saw.

This was written in early Sept., 2019 I have been an IL (Independent Living) resident since the facility opened in January 2017. The decorating is especially impressive. The IL Dining room makes the place. The IL activities director is full of energy and provides many activities. The courtesy car for those who don’t drive is excellent. By far the biggest, and for many IL residents the only, problem is with food and food service. No one is starving go death, but there is unhappiness. If you arrive at the end of dinnertime you may find the featured item is no longer available. Occasionally they are simply out of something they should NEVER be out of. Happily many items are still available. Normal accoutrements need to be requested and are often forgotten. Experienced residents learn, over time, what is prepared to their liking and what is not. Food service time routinely can be up to an hour in IL. The servers vary from excellent to the opposite. If the dining room were a restaurant, it is unlikely you would ever return. But then, who would go to any senior living facility specifically to eat! It is a great opportunity to show your sense of humor and enjoy your new friends! There is a lesser problem which bothers only some of us, and that is with the way information is conveyed (or not conveyed) to and among IL residents. The grapevine is active, but not all residents are in the vineyard, and the information gets distorted as it spreads. A bulletin board for use by residents was requested but it became a bulletin board for management, and it is located in a hall where few routinely go. Residents are allowed to post there, if approved by management, but that just doesn’t happen. Neither the food nor the information shortcomings are reasons for not joining us. Just be prepared for things being the way they are. Would they be any different somewhere else? It is a great place to be, for the price.