The Best Independent Living Communities in Washington County, OR

"I toured Calaroga Terrace, and I knew immediately it was not the right place for me. The person who took me around was the most vivacious and the most positive person. Debbie was wonderful. I think she was the marketing manager or the sales manager. She really was a dynamite person, but the place wasn't right for me. The sizes of the rooms were OK, but they did not have stoves. While I am 83, I still love to cook. They provide three meals a day, seven days a week. The place is older. It's a renovated hotel, but it looks tired. I wouldn't fit in there. It's the only high-rise that I toured. I noticed that there were birds that were using the windows on the ninth floor, and I wondered how often the windows got cleaned. Inside, the cleanliness was fine though. They had two libraries, a lounge on each floor, and a craft room. They had the typical amenities that almost all of these had."

"I toured Elms Retirement Living Center. There were many things that I like about it. I'm a stranger to that area, I don't know a soul there, but everybody said hello or good morning. They were all friendly, and the people that were working there, were extremely friendly. There's a library, there's an exercise room, and there're many, many things to look at. The apartments were very nice. It had a real refrigerator, not as giant as some of the homes do, but a large refrigerator. They had a small stove, a sink, and a walk-in tub. The carpets were all nice and clean. Everything was clean. It looked like it had just been painted, and it was very nice. They have a lot of things to do. They passed out a menu for us to see what the average month is like, and it didn't look too bad for me. I just really liked it. The staff who toured me around explained and answered all our questions. I took one of my sons, his wife, and their daughter with me, and that meant we had six extra eyes looking and three more people asking questions, and she answered everything that we asked. It is an older facility, but it was clean, and I didn't see anything wrong with it. If you like a brand new facility, then that won't be for you, but I thought it was great."

"Mom is at MorningStar at Laurelhurst. It is very clean. Most of the caregivers are very caring and loving. They enjoy what they do and care for the residents. There were a few issues at the beginning, but things are better now. No place is perfect. I was given a couple of opportunities to have a meal there, and the food is always very fresh because the memory care patients are always served first. It's nutritious and they have a really good chef. There's a good variety. There are a lot of coloring activities (they have adult coloring books). They also play music and then have movies after dinner. They have other activities that I noticed on the board, like going for a walk and trivia things, but Mom's not interested in any of that stuff. She's very picky. She's always just sitting there, totally bored."

"When I walked out the door, I felt good about the place, which is why I chose it. I looked around, and they showed me some apartments. I saw the apartment that I really liked, and I said this is where I want to be. The staff is wonderful, really nice, and helpful. The residents are so friendly and have made me very comfortable. They have a library and all sorts of activities, like card games and trips."

"We toured Brookdale Newberg. It's very good. They have a very friendly staff. Everything is very clean. The outdoors, the indoors and the dining room, everything is nice. The staff were very helpful. We didn't eat there, but the dining room was very nice. The waitresses and servers were smiling all the time and looked very friendly. They had bingo and an ice cream parlor. Everybody looked really happy."

"I liked Brookdale Wilsonville because they are working with me. I have a condition that no one will take me, but these folks are working with me, and that's why I chose them so quickly. They would support me in any way they could. I talked with the doctor and he was very kind and wanted to do anything he could to get me in there. It's a beautiful place. Andy was so kind and so willing to help me. She's just wonderful. The one bedroom seems perfect for me. I do not plan to use the kitchen because I don't want to do any cooking, but I'm going to use a lot of the kitchen cupboards and pantry for storage of my items. I saw the menu and it looked like a nice choice of entrees for each meal. The dining area looks nice and pleasant. There's an outdoor barbecue (I'm not sure if residents use that or if the kitchen uses it). There are walking paths, which are wonderful, and a lot of greenery around. I found this community to be perfect in that there are things close to the community that are of value to me. For instance, grocery shopping. There are two major grocery stores. The post office is within walking distance. The Goodwill, my favorite store, is close by. The library is close by. It's just ideal."

"The team at the Forum is amazing. Joy is very caring and the caregivers are very sweet. The rooms are large and the residents are busy doing crafts and things. Wouldn't choose anywhere else. They've been able to keep everyone safe during the pandemic."

"I moved into Somerset Lodge. It is a nice place and very comfortable. It's owned by the Seventh Day Adventist. So you get turkey ham, turkey sausage, turkey bacon, and stuff like that. You don't get shrimp. However they eat, that's the way we eat, but we don't go hungry. We can do whatever we want to do. I have a car, so if I have to go someplace, I can go. They take us places if we want to go, like to the store. We've got some good staff people here, and no problems with them. Sometimes I like the food, sometimes not, because they have all different kinds of it. But most of the time I like it. The rooms are all good. We got sprinkler and alarm systems in all of the rooms. Mine is a studio, so it's not really big. But you get your three meals a day. They clean the room every week and clean your shower. We have showers which I like. They are glass doors. The layout of the community is big. It's like a hundred and twenty rooms with two or three floors. They have stuff going on every day here. They have exercise. They have a TV room where they show movies every day. We have a bus, and every Friday they go someplace. And a couple of times a week, they go out for breakfast or lunch. From what I understand from other ones, the other places are more expensive than this place."

"I'm currently at Glenmoore. It is a very nice facility. It is very well managed. They have excellent staff. I would surely recommend this facility to others. Their food is better than most. "

Hazel Dell Assisted Living offers seniors and their families a range of senior living and care services from our inviting community. We give you the freedom to enjoy the activities you love most without worrying about the hassle of household responsibilities. From our restaurant-style dining services that offer an ever-changing menu of new and familiar meals, to a full calendar of events and activities that let you choose your desired level of activity, you're in control of selecting the care and services that are right for you. Here are just some of our Services and Amenities: Diet & Nutrition Communal Dining Room Service Guest Meals Respite Care Cable/Satellite TV in Common Area Personal Care Meal Preparation Staff Training & Qualifications Staff trained in Medication Management Garden Games Hobbies & Recreation Arts & Crafts Activities/Programs Educational Activities/Programs Music Activities/Programs Horticultural Activities Tabletop & Other Games/Programs Facilitated Field Trips/Outings Health Services Hospice Care Medication Reminders Guest Parking On-Site Services Religious Services Veterans Affairs (VA) Aid Assistance Transportation & Shopping To learn more about this provider's license and review other available state reports, please visit: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services Long-Term Care Residential Options

"Kamlu Retirement Inn-Vancouver was older, but it was clean, and everybody seemed really happy. The staff member did really well with the tour. They were very helpful and answered lots of questions."

"I live in Brookdale in Scappoose. In the four years that I have lived here, there have been 3 different ownerships. Brookdale is the most recent. Because of the budget limitation and what-not, there is a continual shortage of staff, and what we see is burnout because they have to work a lot of overtime and double for other people and what-not; it is a very tough situation that way. But they have concentrated a lot on the food, and they have tried to go more as if you were dining out in a fine restaurant. Brookdale is a small place. We have 15 independent cottages, and those are very nice with good floor plan -- e.g., 2 beds and 2 baths and a single car garage that feeds right into the kitchen so when you bring in your grocery, it is very handy. Even though the maintenance man is very efficient, he has a lot to take care of. Up in the main facility, there are at least 60 people plus the 15 cottages to maintain and only one man to do it. Of course, when the room changes or the cottage changes residents, it has to be all completely gone over -- e.g., re-cleaned and all of that. It is really an extreme load. Now the rates on the cottages are going up the first of the month, and that will be an extra $150 per cottage, so I'm hoping with that increase in income that they will be able to hire some more people. Brookdale is the most reasonable in price. It has less amenities as far as exercise facilities or golf courses or swimming pool. It is a pretty basic place. They have a good activities director. "

"Parkrose Chateau is very nice, and when you drive in, there’s an open atrium. When you walk in, there’s beautiful carpeting, and chandeliers up in the hall. They have very nice people. The room was a bit smaller, but it had a big window, one big wall to wall closet, a nice big bathroom, and a lot of cupboards. There was a theater there, some activities, and a sale going on. "

"Van Mall is a fabulous community. The staff would bend their backs to do anything; they are great. They are very caring, and they know my step-mom's first name, who she is, and where she belongs. We have eaten there several times, and it's great. Their dining room is like a restaurant. Their menu changes daily, weekly, or monthly. She has an apartment, and it is beautiful. They do have all kinds of activities -- anything from going to the symphony to gong to the mall to shop. My stepmother has early Alzheimer's, and she is in a specific group aimed at activities for her needs. There are four other ladies in that group, they have one staff member who does memory exercises, and that kind of thing with them. She spends at least two hours a day at that group, and it's wonderful. "