The Vintage Retirement Community and Health Care Center

Valerie

We went to Vintage Retirement Community Assisted Living , they took us right in, showed us everything, and gave us everything we needed. We felt good about that. It used to be a hospital, and they turned it into a home, and it's just awesome. They have different divisions. When you walk in, you're immediately addressed by somebody. The people were just very, very accommodating. Right off, even some of the people that lived there were sitting in the lounge room and were like, "Oh, hi." And we're like, "Wow, so these people are really happy to be there." They don't have a garden and hoopla like that, which is fine. I think we're going to go with them because we went by a few times and they invited my parents up to go to bingo, and that made it a familiar area. And that was all their suggestion, and I thought that was cool. It's the way to go. They have different floors for different needs so that people can go anywhere, and their apartments are just totally conducive. They have all the right equipment and it's very much home. It is pet friendly. They have a memory care apartment, or in case the wife is not memory care and the husband is, she's allowed to stay with him in the same apartment with all the services. This place is totally amazing and I was very pleased that they didn't push anything. It did not look institutionalized. The lady that took us around was informative, totally patient in answering my questions, and she just made it a warm feeling that my parents are happy there. They tried to make sure that everyone was active, and if they're not, they find them a match, like if there's another lady like my mom in terms of personalities they encourage them to engage. I went there several times, and one time I went there during dinnertime. The only thing they didn't like was that they have constant seating, but I understand that. The food was awesome. They also have an overnight apartment, so say you came in from out of town and you're going to want to stay with your mom, you can come and stay in this apartment, which is cool.

Lyn461176

Vintage seemed well-organized and clean, but it seemed more like the employees where there for their paycheck and to practice whatever occupation they had but not endearing to the residents. I was looking at independent living, and first of all they discouraged me from coming in the first place because I wasn't old enough. I inquired about the dining room because I had been there for an Alzheimer's lecture. We did eat there, and it was more of a cafeteria-type style. I said "Well, I'm blind. Is there someone who can assist me to the line?" and they said "Oh no. No, you'd have to go to assisted living for that." That was kind of a turn off. But it was alright. I know a lot of people who go there, and they're happy. No one discussed anything in an upbeat manner about "Oh yeah! We have this, and maybe if you're a little older, in a few years you'd like to come here and visit us." It was like "No, no." It wasn't inviting or encouraging that way. It just felt like it had an old feel to building, which doesn't necessarily have to be negative, but it didn't feel like it had been kept or spruced up -- almost a sterile feel to some degree. I think I was sensing that from the non-friendliness. There didn't seem to be a lot of happy people walking around.