Walnut Woods

Don't believe what the sales people tell you. If you move here, make sure all promises are in writing and part of the lease because they will deny even having had a conversation with you if the item isn't in the lease.. There are a lot of rules they don't tell you about before you move in: if you miss a serving cart, you have to ask permission from the director to get what you missed; laundry times are restricted so the housekeeping staff can use the machines; and so on. Meals are sometimes scant: one piece of toast with creamed chipped beef, for example. Not all activities listed actually happen: people don't show up and so no activity. Announcements are often made as if the speaker is addressing children.

The facility is set up for maximum ease of mobility. Living is independent, but all meals are provided. Residents are free to come and go as they please. Transportation is provided for shopping and appointments. Apartments are fresh and appealing. There are at least 5 activities each day for any or all.

Walnut Woods was nice and clean. We ate lunch with the residents, and the food was good. The place had a happy atmosphere. The grounds and the location were all good.

Walnut Woods looked fine. It didn’t have the old-fashioned nursing home look. They’re all apartments there. Most of it is in-house food, and there are restaurants outside that are within 10 blocks. If you want any culture at Walnut Woods, you have to travel.

My first contact with the Sales Agent - Crystal, I stated that Walnut Woods was a nice community but it was our 2nd choice. Our family always preferred my parents to be close to one of my brothers. Crystal was pushy from the start, she called my Step father and my brothers and lied to my brothers telling them my step father wanted to move to Walnut Woods. He made no such declaration. Next, after she visited my parents in the rehab they were in, she sent a vehicle to pick them up and take them to Walnut Woods. While there, on a Friday, my parents were told that the $4000 community fee would be waived but, they had to decide by Monday. In the prior weeks I had been communicating with Crystal, no mention was made of the "discount". Since my parents aren't able to drive, there was no one in the family who could drop their commitments to take them to the other location on a moments notice. Financially, my parents can't afford to not take advantage of a $4000 discount, but they still wanted to be able to see the community that would've kept them closer to family. The benefits of Chestnut Knoll was also pushed on my parents for the memory care that may be needed down the road. The only problem is my parents weren't told how expensive it is. End of the story - Walnut Woods was our family's 2nd choice, our family wanted to remain close. When a $4000 discount is pushed on seniors with a 2 day deadline, my parents lost their ability to choose. They never even had the chance to see any other places.

They bring in a lot of musicians, dancers, and that type of thing at Walnut Woods, so my mom enjoys going to those. She goes to Bingo a few times, and then they actually opened up a little retail store in the place, and my mom is working in there. She was in retail back in her working days, she enjoys the people, and it gives her something to do two days a week. It’s within the facility, so she doesn’t have to travel. She has a studio, so she has one of the smaller rooms, but for her, it’s great. She doesn’t need a lot of space. For her, the key part was the bathroom. She also has a handicapped-friendly shower that she really likes and has a seat in it, and she can just get around her place very easily. It’s small, so she doesn’t have to walk very far within her place to get to either her refrigerator or into the bathroom. And the other key part for her was she wanted it to be closer to the cafeteria, so she doesn’t have to walk that far to get there, and it met all her criteria.

We visited Walnut Woods. It’s a place where you could get a good apartment, three square meals, and do some activities together. The salesperson was good, and he followed us up. He was not pushy, but thoughtful.

Walnut Woods was really nice and clean. The people were pleasant and there were activities for adults. The dining room was nice, and the food tasted and looked good.