Sandpiper Courtyard Assisted Living

Sandpiper Courtyard Assisted Living is a small community. They also only offered studio style apartments; they didn't have the ones with the separate bedrooms. Once we saw that, we kind of lost interest after that. And right now, they're in the middle of a renovation, too, so there was a lot going on. Some of the rooms that we saw looked like they were fairly well kept up, and some of them have a small kitchenette area. The lady that gave us the tour was very nice. They had a beauty salon. There was a musician in the dining area performing, so we didn't get a real good view of the facility just because they were in the middle of an activity going on in there. Overall, the community wasn't as nice as some of the other ones that I saw.

I toured Sandpiper Courtyard Assisted Living for my friend. I'm kind of leaning towards it because they're all-inclusive. I know-how in one level, it's one price, and then they just keep increasing the level, and you keep paying more. I can feel that's the catch. They didn't include cable or their phone, but I can't judge them because a lot of places don't include the cable and the phone. I don't think that's a real negative because she can get that and it's just something she'll have to pay. The layout was really good. It was open and it was on one level. They have a front porch with rocking chairs. The staff was very nice. The menu looked good, and they had options. If she does not like what they had, they had other stuff she can have. It was very clean. They had carpet in some areas, which was fine, but all of the bedrooms had vinyl floors, which I liked. It was nice and they had plenty of light. It wasn't dark or dreary. None of them had a bad smell like urine or anything like that. Sometimes you could get that with older people, but none of that here.

My mother is in Sandpiper Courtyard Assisted Living. They make sure she's clean, they clean her bedding and her laundry, and they do it on a schedule, like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They're very attentive and they do little things, like they don't let her hold on to her cups, forks, or knives. They don't let her hoard these things in her room. They're professional, they check on her often, and they keep a schedule. They have activities. The facility is beautiful, it doesn't smell like old people, and it's easy for her to navigate. It's in a rectangular shape so it's not hard to navigate for somebody with Alzheimer's; that's really important. I'm paying half of what we paid in the other community.

I like Sandpiper Courtyard. It's nice and the director is dedicated to his occupants. However, my mother was without her therapy for several weeks, so she took a decline in her status. I was pretty unhappy about that and no one told me about it. It gives off a little bit more of a nursing home vibe, but it's pretty good. Her room is kept very clean. I haven't noticed any activities, which I'm not too comfortable with. They don't do much other than watch TV and pace. She finishes all of her meals, and she seems to enjoy them. The staff is sweet and they adore her. When Dad passed away, I had nurses running out to me and giving me hugs. They're excellent. It's a good value for the money.