Assisted Living Recommendations Please
 

Can anyone recommend an assisted living facility that they've had fairly recent experience with? Any that should be stayed away from? Thank you for taking time to respond.

Recently I visited a person at Sumter Grand on 466A, and it was lovely. Seemed like great living conditions. The resident was very happy there and said they researched quite extensively before making a decision. I am sure it was quite pricey to say the least.

I highly recommend that you reach out to Josephine from Your Key To Senior Living Options. She can help match you with facilities that would best meet your financial, social, medical needs. Her services are completely free. The company has helped so many families in The Villages! Her direct number is 352-973-2729.

I recently visited the Sumter Senior Living independent section (not assisted living) and the Watercrest facility on Rt 466. At both of those facilities, you will pay about $6,000 per month for an independent living 2-bedroom apartment. To me, even though it included meals, I thought the cost was way too expensive. Also, you need to provide your own furniture and you do not get a lease. It is on a month-to-month basis only. The one thing that I liked about these facilities is that you can get a Villages resident ID card so you can use the Villages amenities. If that is important, to you need to verify it, because at some local assisted living facilities, you will no longer be a Villages resident.

That is good to know that the resident is happy there, that is a place I am considering. Thank you.

Almost all I've looked at are on a month to month basis and I've not found anything lower than 3800.00 and that's just for a tiny studio in pretty iffy surroundings. Also, the furniture some provide are just left over pieces previous residents have left when they passed away.

I would expect an assisted living facility to be month-to-month, but an independent living apartment should provide you with at least a one year lease, especially if you furnish it yourself.

Have you also considered Freedom Pointe? It requires a large buy-in fee, and you pay for a lifetime care contract, but it is very nice. The lifetime care contract is what bothers me.

From the "been there/done that" perspective, if you have elderly parents who start out in assisted living, then their needs become more intensive, it's nice to know the progression of care is available.

Call Josephine Cirrinone at Your Key to Senior Living at 352-973-2729. She is a Senior Living Advisor that will assess your needs and help you find an appropriate facility. Her services are free to you and she has about forty years experience in the field. Give her a call. She will not disappoint..

Great care at BC
 

Buffalo Crossing. Mother lived there for over 2 years .

New facility on Rainey Trail
 

Check out new Hearthstone on Rainey Trail. Think they still have some Grand Opening specials.

Sumter senior living on 466a and watercress on 466 next to sprouts are both great options. That one has a large parking garage which is included in the price. 3 meals a day, snacks, all utilities and all units have washer dryers. When they give you a price that can be negotiated. If they have units available they will come down. Month to month so no lease. Talked to many residents and they were all satisfied.

Buffalo Crossing has a rehab center, but behind it is a 3 story building with apartments for residents to live, assisted living situation. Check it out.

I asked a similar question a few months back as we were moving my Mother to this area — I think you can find it here:

For what it’s worth, we choose Mission Oaks on 301 just south of 466 and I’m very happy with the attentiveness of staff, quality of food, number of organized activities, overall cost/value and medical/physical therapy care provided. Feel free to e-mail me at jdburns11@msn.com if you want more specific info or to talk.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ptions-342261/

Please let me know if the link doesn’t work or you can’t find it — if you search posts by my username it will be one of the only ones.

I looked at and generally liked Sumter Senior Living and Watercrest but they are spendy and somewhat bigger, more commercialized.

Assist Living Info
 

I suggest you call or email as I know her as both of my parents needed assistant living. She can recommend everything you will need to know and can be your representative to make sure you get the correct place.

Janice Martin
seniorliaisoncfl@gmail.com
Senior Liaison Of CENTRAL FLORIDA
(352)4771866
• Mobile

Thank you! I just read through your post. I will take a look at Mission Oaks again. I have two parents I'm looking for and if I remember correctly the rooms were small for two people. I'm glad you found a place you are comfortable with for your Mom, this is such an incredibly hard decision.

I've heard amazing things about Freedom Pointe. Excellent food, activities, setting.

Here's a real cut the mustard look at 3 of them -

Sumter Senior Living. Looks nice, but it isn't all that. The medical staff is severly lacking in knowledge and care. They are quick to judge and make things easier on themselves and they do not listen. This one fell apart within 4 weeks before we moved her to a different facility.

Trinity Springs. Very nice place, decently handled. one issue is the head of nursing is only a LPN (typically know squat about anything) This did work for about a year, but then they wanted things easier on them. Which amounted to sticking her ina corner room down at the end of a wing that no nursing staff ever goes in on a regular basis, and again lack of listening.

Heidi's Haven. Small and 'close knit' for 1 flat fee everything is taken care of. It's a house, care is right there, meals are home cooked and tailored to the residents, etc. We found it quite nice and more attentive than the rest. All medical was top notch.

I have friends in Trinity Springs assisted living and they are happy there. It is bright and cheery and the staff are so friendly. I was able to eat with them one time and the food was excellent.

Buffalo Ridge Rehab Center:
 

List is a serious issue, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to ensure that consumers are informed about their choices. The facilities listed below have been cited for Abuse based on the findings in their annual Health Inspections. In order to qualify for this designation, a home must have had either a serious abuse deficiency on their latest inspection or consecutive less-serious citations on their StarPRO Risk Assessment

RED FLAGGED - Severe Abuse

“BUFFALO CROSSINGS HEALTHCARE & REHABILITATION - The Villages


"Red Hand" Abuse Designation
This facility has been cited for serious or repeat resident abuse on its recent surveys.”

Freedom Pointe!
 

My Aunt is also at 466A and I visit her often. Very y nice facility and Cart accessible.

Long term care ombudsman
 

Reach out to the long-term care ombudsman in your area. I am a long-term care on ombudsman in my state of Idaho; their services are free and they will help with how to choose a local facility.
The long-term care ombudsman program was founded in 1975 as a result of the federal older Americans act. The ombudsman program operates under the authority of federal and state law.
The contact phone is 352-620-1797

Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond, I appreciate all your comments and will take all into consideration.

I do agree the rooms would be small at Mission Oaks, especially for 2 people — but my limited experience is that the large majority of the AL rooms everywhere seem fairly small for me… some of it may be layout as well.

Sumter Grand is independent living, Sumter Senior Living is the assisted living.

My dad is living at Sumter Senior Living for the most part they are happy there. He has gotten better with his walking.
I have friends in High Point they are very happy there.
I also have a client that lives in Watercrest in Spanish Spring and is happy there.

To clarify, "Sumter Senior Living" is the name of the overall facility. It includes 3 sections: independent living, assisted living, and memory care.

Sumter Grand is the name of the independent living building within the Sumter Senior Living facility.

I do not recommend Freedom Pointe for way too many reasons but I have a few friends who have been ripped off by them (buying into the independent living), personally experienced the assisted living to memory care for my Mom and can't find much positive at all! Promises...Promises..Promises. sad!!