Colonial Harbor Gracious Retirement Living

Reviewer#LD082023

My brother moved into Colonial Harbor. It is clean and neat, and it is very pretty. They take good care of him and they provide everything that he needs. They have a washer and dryer on each floor in each wing. Someone comes in and makes his bed, cleans the bathroom, cleans the apartment, changes the towels, and washes his towels. He has a studio apartment with a bathroom and a small kitchen. They serve 3 good meals a day in the beautiful dining hall, and they can choose pretty much what they want to eat. And then they still have stuff that they can eat and drink all day. The staff is quick to talk to you and they give you what you need. I just had one hiccup with something, but other than that, they are nice people. They have a pool table and a theater room, they had a little party one time, but my brother doesn't play bingo. Their price is worth it because they do everything that you need.

Juan

My dad moved into Colonial Harbor. We chose it because he needed something on the first floor. He needed a place that was pet-friendly. He wanted a social aspect, so he wanted a lot of people who shared his interests. He walked around and talked to people, and it was nice. The staff members have been great. My dad likes the food. They showed a lot of activities. They have a gym, a salon, and a pool table. They have aerobics classes and movie nights.

Jennie

Colonial Harbor was not cheap, but it was very nice. I'm kinda working on trying to get in there now. I have two friends over there and we took the tour. We had lunch and everything over there. I liked this place. Everybody I met was very nice. I've eaten there several times and I think they've had different chefs, so that's probably why there's a difference, but what I had was very good. You can travel to other places like down to Florida or something like that and you would be able to stay there for free, they said. They're hooked up with some other facilities if you were traveling, that you could stay at. They have a salon, they have an exercise program that you can do, they have some entertainment at times, and they have a big movie screen in the dining room. They play cards, bingo, and stuff like that, and you can have pets there.

Provider Response

Carla

We toured Colonial Harbor. It is great. From the moment you walked in the door, it was a very welcoming atmosphere from the residents to the staff. It was very clean. It smelled great in there. It was like walking into a five-star hotel, actually. The staff was very accommodating. She explained the services in detail. We actually spoke with the general manager. She took us on a tour. She talked about the different plans and left us with no question. It's no doubt that this would be a very appropriate place for my mother at this time. They have three meals a day, and each menu is different. It's like going to a restaurant. Your daily meals are different for each of your three courses. You are served using a restaurant-style serving with tablecloths, formal napkins and silverware. It's very nice. If you walk into this place, you would not know that you were walking into a senior facility. You would think that you're walking into a five-star hotel. The rooms were very adequate. We visited the one-bedroom, and it was very appropriately sized. We also visited a studio, and that as well was appropriately sized. The pricing is what drew me. The pricing is the best that I've seen so far. They're very affordable.

Provider Response

Patricia

I toured Colonial Harbor. What I like best was the environment; I thought the environment was nice. The manager who took me around was very informative and very friendly. I met the cook, and he was very friendly. He gave the place high standards because he had left at one time and then came back, and he just said he loved it. He spoke about how he interacted with the residents themselves and not just fed them. I just loved the place. The staff was very friendly. The place seemed to be accommodating for people who were independent living. The apartments were nice sizes, they had balconies, and they had laundry rooms.

Provider Response

Judith

Colonial Harbor was very nice. I wouldn't mind living there one bit. They were clean and everybody was pleasant. They had everything that you might need. They take trips and something is going on all the time. It's also in a nice environment with trees, benches, and so on. You have your own little kitchenette in your room, too.

Provider Response

Mark

Colonial Harbor was spacious. I like the way that it was open. The staff was great, very helpful, and answered all the questions. I like it better than the other facility. It was nice how their property backs up against woods, and the outdoor area is kind of nice. They have a kitchenette. The washers and dryers are in the hallway. Each wing had a room, and they offered cable TV.

Provider Response

Kellie

My father has moved into Colonial Harbor. It was the place my dad felt the most comfortable of our visit. I like the friendly atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and helpful. He hasn't skipped a meal and he's always told me when he's going to eat, so he must like it. They have lots of activities. They have a salon, a workout room, a TV room, an activity room, a library, and a chapel.

Provider Response

Kay

The way that Colonial Harbor was laid out stood out to me. It's two floors but everybody on the second floor can hear and look down and see the activities. When we were there, there was a guy there singing with his guitar, and all the people were gathered around singing. And the people that weren't down there, some were standing around the railing, looking down. And the people that were there were just friendly. I like everything except the public bathrooms, not the people's bathrooms, they were not clean and were dirty. That's the only thing about the whole place that I would not care for. We weren't allowed to have the food because of COVID, but we looked at menus. They offer you two menus that you can choose from. And if you don't like that, they have a standard menu you can have every day, so you have a little variety there. They had an art room, which my mother-in-law went to and looked at the stuff that they did in there, and she liked that. They have a gym for people that want to work out, they have beautiful flowers out in the garden. Their rooms have a second floor that you can go, open up the doors and there's a concrete area that where you can sit outside. The one staff lady that we met was excellent. The location was great for us because we live there. My mother-in-law was impressed with the rooms they showed us there.

Molly

My tour at Colonial Harbor went very well. I was shown the premises. They explained things about the apartment, financial needs, and the clients that were there. I felt comfortable walking around and talking to some of the clients. The staff members were very informative, caring, and interested in what I was looking at. They showed me a one-bedroom and a studio. They told me all the amenities that were included when you pay your rent and everything every month. They went over the recreation calendar. They gave me a menu that was presented yesterday, and I went over it. I was very, very pleased with their offering. They also went over the price. The staff who showed me around was very nice. Any questions that I had, she answered them. She was very informative about the area. She also gave me something that was really nice. She told me that they have a resident travel program. Residents that live in Colonial Harbor that travel out of town or out of the state can stay overnight at another one of their communities, instead of going to a hotel. I thought that was a really useful information. I felt very comfortable and good from what I saw and what I was told. Most of the apartments have little balconies and whatnot that you can go sit out on, and you have the view of the road. The property itself was well kept. Inside the building, I was looking very closely and my nose is sensitive for smells; the place was very clean.

Wendy

I toured Colonial Harbor two years ago, but they had invited me to come back and do another tour with them. I don't think I'm going to go because I think I know what they are about already. I liked the idea that they invited me to spend a weekend with them. The only thing I didn't like about their apartment was the 1-bedroom apartment. It was a reasonable size and I liked that. It was nice with nice closet space and all of that. But they don't have a stove in the kitchen. They had a kitchen, but there is no stove. You have to use the microwave. You must go down to the dining area to eat. I liked the fact that if you're going to go away, as long as you could find a Colonial Harbor close to you where you are going, they will accommodate you there. So, it would be like nothing extra. I like that setup. You don't have to pay extra to go to a hotel or anything as long as they're in the area or close by where you are going. When I went there, they had people that were in various activities because I went during the afternoon. Some of the residents there were doing various activities and some of them were into different games. They also had a reading program that comes in. You could get all the books you wanted like it came out from the public library into their facility. I liked that idea. You could choose whatever books you want and return them when they come back. That's along with whatever they have there in their facility as well. But that was the only place where I felt a bit uncomfortable at some point. It was only one person, so I can't judge them from that. But there was an older white lady, she was just looking at me and like rolling her eyes and stuff like that. I said, "Hello, how are you?" and she just turned her head. I told the tour guide and she said that that's just her. That turned me off. It turned me off because I was saying to myself, there's no way I'm going to make that my final destination or whatever, and then I'm going to be ill-treated or something like that. Again, I don't want to base that off on just one person, but it made me feel uncomfortable. That was the only place that I went to that I saw that made me uncomfortable. I wanted independent living and apart from the facility itself on the grounds, they have little cottages so you can rent your own place there. You can rent a cottage and they would still be taking care of you in the same way, it is just that you are in the cottage. You don't necessarily get to be in the big building with the apartment room or anything like that. So, they have that set up as well.

Carolyn

I had an in-person tour of Colonial Harbor. It was good. All the staff members were good. When you walk into the place, it's gorgeous. The rooms were nice and spacious. Everything seemed very nice for someone independent. They had exercise and bingo. Activities seemed pretty nice. I didn't really meet that many staff, but I met the housekeeping staff. The dining area was gorgeous. Everything looked excellent to me just on a short tour.

George

My mother seems to like Colonial Harbor, and we also like it. They have limited activities because of the virus, but in normal times they have a nice activity program. They allow limited dining now downstairs, but most of the meals are served in their rooms. They have to keep social distancing. They have limited church services in the chapel, and the hair salon is still not open. They're pretty limited in what they can do right now. She seems to like the staff that she has interacted with, and she seems to be OK with the food. It's a really nice facility. It's a good value for the money. They provide three meals a day and cleaning. She has a very nice sized room with a balcony, a nice sized bedroom, and a living room.

Bob

I loved Colonial Harbor. The food was good and the dining room was almost like a hotel. The rooms were nice and the people were great. It was a very nice facility. They had meals, transportation, several game rooms, a television room, a pool table, an exercise room, and a few places for socializing. Their activities change every day. The staff was great.

Fredericka

Colonial Harbor was great. The only drawback, which I discovered later is that it is independent living and not assisted living. My stepdad needs assistance. I love the place. It is fantastic. I love the size of the rooms. The staff is great, very caring and they're excited about where they work. The living atmosphere is very nice, too and I really like it. I was really excited about it until I found out that they didn't have assisted living. I have a friend whose parents are there, and her parents love it there.

Nancy

I visited Colonial Harbor, and it will be the one I'm going to move into. I saw one apartment that's ideal for what I want right now. They had a lot of activities, and what interested me was they go to the YMCA at least once a week. They had a library, billiard table, and chess tables. One problem was they allowed smoking in the Atrium, and as soon as I walked in, I could smell cigarette smoke.

Joan

I toured Colonial Harbor. I had dinner there. The food was good, and we enjoyed the meal. My daughter and my grandson went with me. They do three meals a day. The staff members were very nice and very helpful. They actually invited me to come back and take part in a couple of their activities. I took part in the art activities, which was painting that afternoon. I'm actually supposed to bring a painting that I made over there, and they're going to hang it up. It's not very far away from where I'm living now, and it's not too far away from my daughter or my grandson. That was a nice part. I was pleased with the number of activities that they have going on there, so you're not just sitting in your room. The place was really neat and clean.

Debbie711182

When I walked into Colonial Harbor, the layout gave me a sense that it was grand. It was like going into an amazing cruise ship. As we were walking around, the people who were showing me around were actively engaged with the people, knew their names, and stopped to talk. The amenities were great, and the people looked happy. They were actively moving about and doing things. The apartments with their different layouts were great, very clean, and very nice. They have recently switched over to instead of having call bells with strings in the room, they are now going to have pendants that they can wear. This one was really good.

Teresa115818150

Colonial Harbor was great. They made us feel real comfortable. The rooms were nice, new, and had lots of storage. They have a lot of activities like craft days and a crochet club.

Anonymous111652750

My girlfriend lives at Colonial Harbor. I love it; it is fantastic. I like the fact that I don't have to do anything. All I have to do is get up, and they take of care of everything -- weekend trips, three meals a day, and they clean the house up. They are nice, down-to-earth, and they make you feel so comfortable. I do not have any complaints at all. Every Friday, they go out of town on a weekend trip. They also have concerts once a week, bring in animals to pet, and the Girls and Boy Scouts come there, too. It is patriotic environmat, which is very nice.

Caring107332650

Colonial Harbor was smaller, and it was not a continuing care arrangement. It was independent living, so it was not going to work for us. We didn't dwell too long because we knew that it wasn't really what we were looking for, so we just took a quick look. It was nice, and the staff was very accommodating.

Linda104821050

We chose Colonial Harbor for my friend because the rooms were a lot bigger. They were a lot friendlier, and the food was excellent.

Patricia96182350

I'm living at Colonial Harbor. The atmosphere is very pleasant. They give us three meals a day and snack. We have lots of planned activities and usually at least two outings a month. We have lots and lots of activities here. We have a bus that is really old and it doesn't have a lift for wheelchairs or for people who can't climb. They need a new one. It is a nice pleasant atmosphere. Most people are really sweet. However, they need to improve on communication. We have activities scheduled up for the month, but a lot of times these activities change and if you're not at lunch at the particular day they announce the change, there is no way for you to know about it.

Nelson5

My aunt’s been in Colonial Harbor since July 2014. The staff is pleasant and as nice as possible. I know that they bring in musical artists from outside. They have bingo activities and games. They have non-denominational -- maybe even denominational -- religious services that they do there for those who want to participate. They have a shuttle system that will take the seniors out if they have medical things to do or go shopping. So there are things to do out there for sure. The area is good. It’s a beautiful place. One of the good things about Colonial Harbor is that it’s very well lit so the atmosphere was very inviting. If you have seen their website, I think it’s pretty accurate in terms of the pictures that you see. I think the housekeeping and all that comes along with the apartment that she chose; also she has an independent company that do a good job in keeping her place nice and neat. I enjoy every time I’ve been over there to visit. We have nothing but good things to say about the place. We've visited a number of places, but this turned out to be the right one.

Kim25

When my mom started out with Colonial Harbor, they told her that she will go to a nursing home, but she improved so much so they said she could go to independent living and that's why she chose it and she is quite happy and comfortable with them. She ended up saving hundreds of dollars amount over an assisted care and she can save that money so that when she needs help she can pay for them. Her room is nice, it looks out in the woods. It's in a convenient location. They have live-in staff that if someone didn't show up for the meal, they will come looking for them. They have the ability to bring in outside care. They also have somebody to clean for them and they got three meals a day. They have a full schedule of activities. They have exercise classes, they have a small gym, the have field trips and they have a bus who takes them to their appointment and shopping. It is a perfect place for her and I know she's being watched. I definitely recommend this community to others.