St. Anne's Retirement Community Columbia, PA

Colette

I went to St. Anne's Retirement Community. It's a beautiful residence and lots of real personality. One of the staff had done beautiful murals throughout the building. They care about making it feel like home. There were folks sitting outside when I came who lived there. They looked happy, and there was just a nice vibe when you walked in. They had less amenities than I expected, to be honest. They had social rooms, a beautiful chapel, and a nice cafe where you could go and you could dine with your family member as a guest; however, it looked like it was a cash restaurant (so it wasn't included in the meal plan). They had an activity room, and when I came they were about to start an activity. It looks like they've gotten people out of their rooms, and that was good to see. They have a policy where you have to eat two of the three meals in person each day. You can't just sit in your room; you really have to be part of the life of that place (at least that's how it seemed). I was disappointed in the rooms. It kind of almost looks like a nice studio setup where you have a little fridge and some even have sinks in the rooms, but then I realized that they did not have any staged rooms. They were just showing an empty room with a hospital bed in it. Each room had its own flat screen TV, and the landline was all ready to go. All you had to do was plug in the phone, so you didn't have to worry about TV and phone. I saw some of the actual residence rooms as I walked by, and they looked so cute. They looked like apartments, and I thought they were a different layout. It was because they live there and they were personalized, so I think that they need to pick a room and stage it. Otherwise it looks a little dismal, but they really can be adorable. They have a beautiful facility, and yet there wasn't a lot of worth from the admission staff. I think the staff who work there are probably fantastic. It was the admissions staff. I just wish they had been more enthusiastic about selling the place. It might be they don't need to because it's so popular, but that was concerning that they're not showing off how great it is. They had beautiful grounds; but for residents with higher needs, they don't have places to walk around outside. They had limited guest hours so that would be challenging.

Christine

St. Anne's Retirement Community is a wonderful caring community. It's mostly run by the nuns and originally was a Catholic convent. They're not going to move the people out when they run out of their funds because they have a benevolent fund where people donate money. The staff is very caring and has been there for over 15 years. There's no turnover. They love what they do, they have good working conditions, and they care about the people that are there. It's a beautiful place. The rooms are great. They're very personable. They have all the different levels of care, which we needed for my brother-in-law. They have a service dogs that lives there, which he loves. We like the hominess of the place. The cooks make a lot of homemade items, which look delicious. They have a gym, a physical therapy room, spa, shower room with a Jacuzzi, murals on the walls, which were even painted across the elevators, so the people that live there don't notice that it's an elevator or a place to try to escape. The personal care section is locked. It's very lovely and comforting, and everything is new. He has a single room. It's like a mini apartment room with a kitchen countertop that's built-in, a mini refrigerator, cabinets to put snacks in, and you can bring your own furniture. They have activities for each level of care. They exercise, they have programs for guys who like to make things, and they play cards.

Deborah546157

My mother is at St. Anne's Retirement Community for the rehab part of it. They have very good care there. She got all the help that she needed. They take very good care of her. We are happy with the care that she got. They do really well with what they have to work with. Obviously, it could be better, but it could be worse as well. If you don’t care for what they've prepared, you can pick other things that they will make for you, so that’s very nice.

Anonymous115952150

St. Anne’s was really nice. I liked the religious aspect of it, as well as the fact that it allowed pets. It seemed really friendly, clean, and in a nice location.