Westminster at Lake Ridge

Right place. Right time. Although we moved in during the covid craziness and sight unseen by us personally ~ only Facetimed by a friend and viewed from the outside by a daughter ~ we are delighted we made the move when we did. The “cottage,” single story row house with a patio and garden space front and back, has ample room for two people with a complete kitchen with lots of storage, a good sized utility room with washer/dryer, attic extra storage space, and a staff that is friendly, accommodating, and prompt to meet our needs and requests. The views are great ~ a commons area off the patio and a wooded hill beyond the parking area ~ grocery and pharmacy are close, a trail through the woods supplements the walking paths through the complex and adjoining neighborhood, and the precautions taken during covid 19 ~ including providing on site vaccinations ~ are exemplary. The masked residents have welcomed us with front porch greetings and twinkling eyes which we assume assures in person smiles soon. Post covid time promises lots of activities when the new normal is reached. These two westerners are delighted to be here.

We've been independent living residents of Westminster at Lake Ridge for over 6 years and are delighted with our choice. We find the staff very professional and caring. We have made lasting friends in this community of warm and welcoming people. Under normal circumstances, there are a variety of activities and stimulating groups to enjoy, plenty of volunteer opportunities, and excellent meals to enjoy in the company of good friends. The relatively small size of the community - 300 independent living residents - means that you can know most everyone and feel like a large family or small town. WLR is unique in that we have 62 acres of wooded property, as well as cottages and apartment living which offers more living options than many places. We enjoy our walking trails, our cottage, our neighbors, and the staff. This is the place for us!

My wife and I moved to WLR 14 years ago and it was the best decision of my life. The staff is wonderful; most helpful, whether nursing, dining, maintenance, activities or administrative services. There are great activities (indoor pool, recreation/work=out gym, choir, trips) and dining venues. We lived in a cottage for 6 years (2 bdrm w/den) and then moved into an apartment (also 2 bdrm w/den because my wife has COPD and mobility was a problem. We have a great medical clinic as well as assisted living and skilled nursing units. Just a great place to live. Please don't wait to move in; NLT during your early 70's to get the most of what is available. There is resident representation on the Board of Directors, and we have a Foundation that provides funding to ensure you will never be asked to leave if you run short of money through no fault of your own. A home for life capable of caring for you, regardless of health issues or care requirements. Truly a wonderful place to live.

I chose Westminster for several reasons. It is the right size for me, about 400 residents. I also love the rural setting that surrounds Westminster but also permits access to urban areas. One can visit Occoquan, a quaint artsy village, or travel further to Fairfax or Springfield. Westminster offers not only apartment but also cottage living. I’m in a one bedroom cottage with a den which allows me to have a large living area with enough wall space on which to hang my many paintings. I don’t like to cook so I really appreciate having dinner daily in the dining room. Dinner is a great way to meet other residents and conversations are lively and interesting. There are plenty of activities to keep me busy and my mind active. Because I sang in a choir before moving to Westminster, I quickly joined the Westminstrels singing group here. I enjoy walking the many paths around Westminster. I am also able to continue teaching ESOL at my church. There is enough variety of activities that anyone could choose what interests them. The staff are so helpful and nice. I feel like I am on a continuous vacation!

Over the holiday I went to visit my aunt at Westminster at Lake Ridge. She is in the memory care unit that is called "The Neighborhood" - no idea why. When I walked in I could not find any staff. There was an elderly patient sitting in a wheelchair, slumped to the side, almost slid off the seat. This person obviously could not get out of the wheelchair, and did not have the strength to correct their sitting position. While I checked around for help, the patient continued to call out Help, Help. Finally I went to the person and said I would help, but the poor thing was obviously terrified. I made sure that a fall was not imminent. On my continued search for my aunt and some staff I encountered more people confined to chairs, in various places in the center. Someone was beating on the locked door to the neighborhood. Over the years my aunt has received good care in Assisted Living, and I have met very kind people working there. The problem is nursing care and memory care. There is not enough staff, and what they do have are barely able to keep up. They are severely understaffed and it is a chronic situation. Recently, it has become dramatically worse, there have been cutbacks, and I am very worried about her future. I also discovered that the Executive Director, head of HR and a significant amount of nursing staff are now also suddenly gone. The marketing department does a great job selling people on the amenities of this place, but I think if more people took an unscheduled tour of the assisted living and memory care areas, the last beds they will be provided there, they would be afraid to give control of their last days to these people. I was horrified and brokenhearted at the conditions in which I found my aunt and the even worse conditions in which I found her fellow patients. I honestly have no idea what to do. I need to share this, if only to remind people to dig deeper into the future of care here.

We decided several years ago that a Continuous Care Retirement Community (CCRC) was the best life plan for us. After reviewing many choices online and visiting a couple of locations, we selected Westminster at Lake Ridge. We wanted to live in an independent cottage with easy walking access to onsite amenities such as a gym, dining, and recreation, all of which we found at Westminster. The health services offered are varied and will provide us with care through any stage of our life. Once we made our decision, the administrative staff has stayed in touch with us and is always available to answer any of our questions. We like that there are opportunities to talk with those already living there as well as to meet others on the wait list through social events or informative sessions. That Westminster is close to family is an added bonus for us. We look forward to becoming a permanent member of the community when the time is right for us.

My mother was sent here after surgery to recover. When she needed to use the bathroom, she rang the bell and no one would come to help her. Most of the night staff seemed irritated when asked for help. There was one woman who was very helpful but only worked a few days a week. I spent the night with her some nights because she had some memory problems and was a fall risk. Once my mother went home she had internal bleeding from being given an extremely high dose of aspirin. I will never put her through that again.

I've been living at Westminster at Lake Ridge. It's pricy, but there's three levels of care. I'm still in independent living and I will either go to assisted living or the nursing center when I deteriorate more. It has been a wonderful place for me to live. I am the Bridge Director here. We also have bingo, mah-jong, dominoes, card games, bocce ball, pickleball, and book clubs. The people are very devoted and very loyal. The place is over 20 years old and many of the staff members have been here 16 to 18 years. We have daily meals, which includes lunch or dinner. We have a cafe that's very popular with the staff and some of the residents for breakfast and lunch, which is an extra cost depending on your living status. The assisted living is a lovely area and they have three meals a day and three levels of living depending on what your needs are. The staff is fantastic.