Mennowood Retirement Community

Mennowood is very warm and very homey. There are lovely woods on the property. It's gracious, lovely, and clean but not sterile, and there's lots of sunlight. My sister's friend's mother lives there and is very happy. They provide three meals a day for assisted living and memory care. For independent, it's one meal a day. The price is reasonable. An advantage they have is that they don't take Medicare or Medicaid. It is private pay, but if you run out of funds, they will not dismiss you. They have their own endowment. I absolutely recommend them. However, their activities are much quieter, like Scrabble, bingo, and knitting, which are things my mother has no interest in at all. My mother is a more active person even if she is not very strong.

Mennowood does not have nearly as many amenities as the other two communities I saw. We had a meal there and toured the place. Their apartments were not nearly as large as other places. Other places have multi-room apartments, but Mennowood apartments only had a single room. They do not have a buy-in, so it is not nearly as expensive to get in there, but they don't have the facilities and the amenities either. We have pretty much discounted them. Dining was served, not a buffet, so everybody got the same thing, which is not my choice. I would prefer to choose what I would like to have buffet-style. The food was good, but they pretty much had their menu established, and it was take it or leave it. They had transportation, but did not have a pool or weight room. The only amenity that they had was a piano, and since my wife is a piano teacher, that stuck with her. And as far as the transportation, they take you to doctors' appointments.

My family was pleased with Mennowood. All the staff, doctors and support personnel we helpful and compassionate. My father became quite ill at the end of his life and refused to eat. Several of the nurses sat with him and us daily providing great comfort during a very difficult time for us all. We visited several times per week when my father first moved in. He really enjoyed the facility and quickly became friends with many of the other residents. When he moved to the area that provided around the clock care we appreciated how quiet it was compared to the area where the more active residents lived. The food and the recreational services we experienced were also good. There seemed to be a good variety and many choices of both. Overall, we were pleased with Mennowood and while we miss my dad terribly, we are grateful he had a safe and comfortable home when he could no longer be in his home. We looked at assisted living facilities in Virginia Beach and in Williamsburg. Mennowood was the best choice for us. The quality of care was excellent.