University House Issaquah

Peggy

My mom has been living at University House, which is an assisted/independent living facility, for almost 1.5 years. The staff are very kind, helpful, friendly, courteous, caring and professional. The front desk is staffed 24/7 and responds promptly to any issues. I am surprised at the variety of meals the dining room offers. Each day the choices are different, and the food is delicious. My mom knows ahead of time what lunch/dinner meals will be offered that week since the weekly menu is delivered to each resident’s apartment. In addition, there is a menu with fixed choices from which she can order as well. The dining room is beautiful. The facility offers a great variety of group fitness classes, such as chair yoga, balance fitness, and water exercise (the facility has an indoor pool). There are a variety of events throughout the month, which are published on a large event calendar each resident receives monthly. Event flyers are also posted on the elevators, along with all the daily events and classes. The facility offers weekly van rides to the different grocery stores and to outside events. The entire facility is very clean. Each apartment is cleaned once a week and includes a change of towels and bed sheets. Each apartment has a small kitchen that allows residents to cook, if they want to. My mom prefers to cook her breakfast and lunch. She gets her dinner from the dining room. We selected this facility because it has a kitchen with a stove (many facilities don't), because of its convenient location, friendliness, menu choices and overall positive feeling.

Provider Response

Patricia

University House Issaquah was very pretty. It was very esthetically appealing. The ambiance was nice. The rooms that we saw were nice. They had a variety of floor plans, which were all really nice. My dad also liked the place and all the amenities that they had. It was close to shopping and stuff, and he could have his car there. The staff members were really great. They gave us complimentary lunch, and they gave us food to take home as well, and it was delicious. Everybody we met was nice and very helpful. I saw they had an exercise room and I saw they had a pool. It was a nice indoor heated pool.

Provider Response

mrsright

Caring staff. Always ready to offer a helping hand when needed. Positive and friendly. They give 100 percent and bring joy to senior living. I am grateful to be part of this community.

Provider Response

Sarah

We had lunch at University House Issaquah during our tour, which was wonderful. We worked with Dionne who was also wonderful. They had a beautiful workout room, a pool, and incredible art and they had speakers. We loved it. The food that we had there was excellent. They gave us a sheet of all of the activities for the month, they had speakers, movies, music, and education, it was excellent. They had fewer outdoor areas, it was more of a high-rise so the facilities are indoors.

Provider Response

Honey

Hello, Please bring back a nurse who used to visit to do the INR testing on site. That was a major benefit of University House which you no longer offer.Please provide the quality food that you used to have. Please increase the staff in the dining area. Please provide more ride options for residents. These are all the things that we moved our mother to University House for and are still paying for, but you no longer offer. Huge disappointment for family and residents. Please make an effort to bring these important things back. So sad.

Provider Response

Jan Jones

This is a caring place where we feel our mom has people who care about her, look out for her health and safety and create numerous opportunities that bring her socialization, mental stimulation and the chance to get out and enjoy our community. Each week is packed with a wide variety of activities from games, to music, to continuing education and academic presentations. She moved up here 8 1/2 years ago from her prior life of independent living in her home. It took us several years to bring her to this decision and she's never looked back. She is now almost 95 and is doing as well as she is in no small part due to the care and professionalism of University House leadership and staff. When she has needed more care at times. the in-house Assisted Living Services have met these needs. We're thankful to have her close to us and are grateful she is as happy as she is being a part of the University House Community.

Provider Response

VPatel

My Dad is a new resident of University House - Issaquah as of September of this year! He has been welcomed by residents and staff and already feels so at home! He loves his new one bedroom apartment and all the amenities! I still speak with him daily and he has been so happy with the food and service and connecting with new people. He has started to attend more of the classes and presentations along with going on an outing last week to Rattlesnake Lake. Every time I speak with him he has new exciting things to share about being there. Best decision ever!!! And I know he gets to maintain his independence but has caring people looking out for him when needed!

Provider Response

Verdad

UH is close to stores, medical facilities, restaurants etc. However, the building is next to two roads with heavy traffic at times and it can be very noisy as some cars crank up their engines to climb the hill. There is not much space for outdoor walking on the property itself but the huge parking lot of the next door office building provides a nice walking area when the office is closed. UH’s ground is well maintained with lovely landscaping. My apartment is pretty nice, spacious with updated appliances. There is no central air for apartments except for those on the top floor. UH does provide window a/c units for other floors during the summer. But they are pretty noisy. As to the food, I would not say the cuisine is exquisite or fine dining. The quality of the food is hit or miss. As I understand it used to serve better food but with food prices rising, it has adjusted its menu to serve less expensive items. Still, some dishes can be prepared better without incurring additional expenses. The staff is always very kind, accommodating and helpful. However the staff high turnover and/or shortage is a problem. All the residents I have met are also very nice and friendly. It is indeed a welcoming community. UH has a wonderful Life Enrichment Department that offers lectures, social activities, outings etc. The lecturers are all are very good. The department also strives to come up with new programs and activities to meet the interests and needs of the residents.

Provider Response

EBLjr

Well-run community. Responsive management and friendly staff. Nearby shopping and amenities.

Provider Response

Go Dawgs

UH management is pleasant and quick to respond. They has done an excellent job with their Covid risk mitigation plan. Featured meals and overall food quality used to be exceptional. This area has declined over the past year. Looking forward to UH restoring staff to pre-pandemic levels. The UH facility is safe and well maintained.

Provider Response

Brandi Cohen

Moving my mom was not easy. Every single employee at University house has made it the best it could possibly be from our tour, to getting her situated, to providing the best activities and always making sure everyone feels valued there, university house is one-of-a-kind and I am a huge fan! Thank you for making our whole family‘s life better by knowing my mom is safe and loved with you.

Provider Response

Operagirl

I was interested in an affordable price as I am on a limited income as a single retired teacher. I also needed a pool for water exercise due to my spine problems. I was especially interested in the college level classes and emphasis on art and music. A complete health facility available to me was also a draw, but I have not needed it much!

Provider Response

Craig Alan

University House Issaquah has been a wonderful home for our Mom since moving there at the end of 2015. After some health issues, we were looking for a home where she could be "safe and this facility provided that in all respects. Our Mom did pass away recently at the age of 99, but the past two plus years of assisted living provided the best possible care, with a large variety of services and levels available. We, as family, always had a great working relationship with the entire University House staff. The dining room is tops in all respects: environment, servers and, of course, the food itself. Amenities are many and varied. All in all, my highest recommendation for families looking for a retirement or assisted-living home for themselves or a loved one.

Provider Response

Jeri Kim

In 2019 my parents moved from their home of 60 years in California to University House Issaquah. My mother says every day how much she loves living there. We are all so happy they made the move. The staff are friendly, kind, caring and always willing to help. The apartments are lovely, spacious, quiet, and the safety features in place gives us peace of mind. The landscaping is beautiful & meticulously kept. University House Issaquah offers something for everyone and the entire staff does their best to meet the needs of the residents. Before COVID, there were many activities offered including lectures, movies, concerts, yoga, outings to local stores. The amenities include a dining room with excellent service, a salon, exercise room and a garden courtyard. Residents can participate & be active in the community, or just enjoy the peace & quiet and homey atmosphere.

Provider Response

Lida

My friend moved into the University House Issaquah, and so far it has been great. They've been very helpful with the move in. It is a bummer that it is COVID right now and she is pretty isolated, but that is no fault of anybody else. She has a full apartment with two bedrooms, a den, full kitchen, and two baths. They also have options of two bedrooms or one bedroom for their apartments. So far, the food tastes good.

Provider Response

Charles and Kristy

University House has been a terrific place for my mother-in-law to live. She wanted comfort, security, good dining and an attentive staff. She got all that with the great people at University House. She enjoys bridge and other social activities. And she loves the food. University House is ideally located near stores, shops and the many medical and dental offices in the Issaquah/Sammamish area. It has all worked out wonderfully well.

Provider Response

Gerri

University House Issaquah was my favorite. I liked that it was on a hill and there were some rooms with views. It was a very good location. It was within walking distance to shops. The facility was really nice, clean, large, and modern. They had a lot of activities, like movies, and it was connected with the University of Washington, so they had a lot of lectures if you choose to go. The staff member during the tour was nice, and we liked her a lot.

Provider Response

Anita123

Our family moved our Mom into University House Issaquah 3 years ago. Our experience has been wonderful. The entire staff greets all residents by name and with a smile! The building is well maintained from the beautifully landscaped grounds to the well appointed and clean community areas inside. The beautiful restaurant style dining room is very relaxing and a great place to visit with family or friends over lunch or dinner. The front desk personnel are very friendly and always willing to help answer your questions. The planned social activities are varied and plentiful with the residents interests in mind. The Wellness Center can provide assisted care, if needed. Services are provided in the residents own apt. so the residents don't have to move. We found the nursing staff to be very responsive to our mom/family needs or concerns. They were very helpful in developing appropriate care plans. Our family loves to visit our mom here!

Local family member

We moved my Mom and step-Dad from out-of-state into University House Issaquah 4 months ago, and are thrilled with the choice!! Staff are friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and calm!! Our experiences, both resident and family members, have been great! The activities and events offered are varied, and provide an excellent opportunity to engage in life, whatever your interests may be. My Mom loves her apartment!!! The dining room, salon, and local shuttle are great amenities.

Judy001

We moved into University House Issaquah from out of state. So it was very important to choose carefully. We are so pleased with our decision and so comfortable here. Everyone on the staff really strives to make this a warm experience – and especially the executive Director and the Directors of each of the departments.. The whole place is beautiful and clean and the Dining room provides good, tasty and hearty meals. The in-house swimming pool is an added plus. We are very pleased with our choice of University House.

Greg671210

University House Issaquah and the staff were very nice. They had a swimming pool, exercise programs, gatherings, a piano, and tours. The dining area was elegant, and the food was very good.

Patti483168

University House Issaquah was very nice. It’s probably 5-star all around. However, my father-in-law thought it was a little too fancy for him. Nevertheless, they’re very nice and very helpful. Everything went very well. It’s very nice, but my father-in-law is just kind of a simple person. Everything about the place is perfect for him and for us to put him in there. It would have been our first choice, but he is going downhill, so he is not very clean, and he is not keeping himself up so he is noticing the difference. They did have activities, but they had them in a different room. At the time we were visiting, we decided not go in and bother them, but it looked very comfortable. They looked like they were having a great time. We went into the dining room; I was very happy with it. It would fit my father-in-law perfect because they had lots of foods that he likes. The dining room was beautiful.

Lynda548107

My mom is in University House Issaqua. The staff is very nice, and she seems to be getting the care that she needs. They have little outings that they can participate in. She goes to exercise class and walks around the building. They go on outings if they want to in a van, and they go shopping. They serve 3 meals a day. There are laundry services, and they can do their own laundry. There is an exercise room and a hair facility, and they do crafts.

Dean287837

If I were going to move into something right now, I’d probably move into the University House in Issaquah. I liked the way it was laid out. I liked the rooms much better than some of the others, and they seemed to be a pretty nice group of people that I was introduced to and had lunch with, and I liked the location.

Alice100024

University House Issaquah was not as expensive as the other places and a high rise of at least three stories. They had a lot of activities. I only spoke with one person, and she was very helpful. If you had to go from independent living to assisted living, you didn't have to move to a different apartment. You could stay in the same apartment and just get the extra services, and I thought that was nice. Their rooms were quite nice, large, and had a newer style.

Sammy3

This place is nice, clean, well maintained. The apartments seem to be spacious and well planned. The facilities average age is about 84 and many have dementia. Food seems to be good though not highly creative

Caring89830350

We went to University House very briefly, and I like the facility, but my mom needed a higher level of care that they weren't able to provide. The facility is very nice. It's very well kept, and it's kind of a higher scale facility. The decorations are nice. It's more focused on independent people, and they donÕt cater to dementia patients. Their apartments are lovely, and the dining area is very nice. I saw the staff, and I thought that they were good, but I feel that they weren't being realistic about what they were able to do when you need higher care. My mother should not have ever been left alone, and that wasn't something that they insisted upon. I feel my mom needs to have a caregiver, and they were resistant to have her needing that. They weren't realistic about how much help she needed.

Mitzy

If there's a place I would want to be, it's definitely in this facility. They seem to have everything here. The amenities include: an entry area that looks like a fancy hotel, saltwater swimming pool, a salon that opens more often, a large dining room and larger variety of rooms configuration. It also has a broader mix of people; active seniors and some using walkers or in wheel chairs. This place has a unique policy, a policy to be actively friendly. If someone is new, one resident acts as a mentor to show the new one around. They also try to match up similar interests and likes. For instance, a woman started a painting group. They meet on their own every week to do some activities.