Dallas Retirement Village Dallas, OR

This past February we relocated during the pandemic from Milwaukie, Oregon, to Dallas, Oregon, which is about 15 miles west of the capitol, Salem. The move itself was fairly uneventful; however, the transition from one senior living facility to another was dramatic. Our social knowledge / recognition dove from 200 people down to about four. Meeting other residents was further hampered by the requirements of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. Those made it difficult when all that you could see was their eyes. Fortunately, the staff had programs to keep us occupied with day trips into the countryside, physical exercise classes, bingo, line dancing classes, movies, the woodshop, and assorted craft projects. Coming from a highly regarded retirement community and having researched the residential market for six months, we had grand expectations for this adventure. We even assembled a spreadsheet to make sure we did not miss anything important to us. We finally chose a Garden Home in the Dallas Retirement Village (DRV) with two bedrooms and two baths that has ample storage and a large single-car garage with additional storage. The food at our new home is good. Portions are large, and the pricing is reasonable. This is an issue that you need to check out very carefully if you are planning to move to this type of living accommodation. You should look at several weeks’ worth (months would be better) of menus. This will be your diet for the next few years, so pay attention here. Most residents have favorites, and every dinner has a special, so there is a variety of food to choose from. The staff is very friendly and go out of their way to make accommodations for individual preferences. You get housekeeping services twice a month, and your yard is maintained for you. The front desk is staffed 24/7 and can always be reached by phone. There is a garden plot where you can get your hands dirty if that is of interest, and pets are welcome. The city of Dallas has approximately 15,000 residents and is the county seat for Polk County. There are several walking trails and parks nearby. DRV has two libraries of its own, and the Dallas Library is a long walk or a short drive away. We are still exploring the restaurant scene, but we are only about 30 minutes away from some great food in Salem.

We toured Dallas Retirement Village for my husband, and it's a beautiful facility. I did not get a tour of the skilled care or assisted living, so we're only talking about the independent living and their new lodge. They're finishing some new units, and they're beautiful. Everything we've heard from people who live there are positive experiences. I've met some of the residents that were out and about. They all have good things to say. The staff is very accommodating, very gracious, and we felt very welcome. They have various sized units. They have 1 and 2-bedroom units (and I'm not sure what they call them in the lodge) that they call condos. The units were 1-bedroom, 2-bedrooms, or a bedroom and a den. They have smaller apartments for people who need subsidized facilities. They also have individual cottages on the campus. They have all kinds of activities. The most recent addition is in progress, but they will have a small swimming pool. They have a gym. They have sundry activities, crafts, a weight room, and a library.