4 Independent Living Communities in Shelby County, Alabama

Johnny

I am currently living at Robinwood, and it's a beautiful place. I think it is a great place in many ways. We have many wonderful people here, the facilities are good, and the people are good. The room is great. I was in a more expensive room, but I moved down to one that was a little lower priced, and this helped me a great deal. It is a good thing that we can come and go as we wish. We have three meals a day, and the food is good. I have fallen a couple of times, but I press a button and people come to pick me up, put me on my feet, and help me. We need this type of help. If someone is interested, they could just come in, take a look for themselves, and make their own determination. We do not have a swimming pool, but we have an exercise room, and we have many activities. They have a great library, but I have my own library with me -- and I just gave away over 300 books. It's a great place. We have different kinds of activities where we participate with each other.

M.H.

We had a good and very well-planned tour of Robinwood. I liked the fact that they had the cottages; that attracted me to it. I was given information regarding the amenities. The staff was very informative and answered the questions that were asked. They have a dining room with three meals a day and a snack portion. They also have a library and an exercise room.

Joan

I went to Somerby At St. Vincent's. It was a wonderful reception. The lady that I had planned to meet got tied up, but apparently they were two there who did tours, and the other staff was great. He and I had a lot in common; we've been into a lot of the same places. That made me feel real at home. The rooms were well done, they were very open. It's also a newer place. It is more expensive, but it is very lovely. Everything was lovely there. Everything was great. I had a meal there. They were thoughtful enough to do that, and that tells me that they really care about everybody. It was fresh fruits and it was their recipe for chicken salad. It was very good, but the cheesecake was not good. They have all of the amenities and a free membership to what's like a health club. They are also across the street from St. Vincent Hospital, which means if you ever have an emergency you'd be right there at the hospital. I like the way the rooms are arranged circularly. I can look out and see the street on one side and something else on another. I didn't feel at all shut in. They have a lot of interesting activities that I might like.

Jerry

The staff at Brookdale Germantown is really nice and cordial. I can't go in there because they're locked down since last January. When my dad needed supplies, they'd call me, and I'd bring the supplies to the front door. They're being so cautious and just staying in house, taking care of everybody and just keeping everybody safe. The staff members that I met were pleasant and as helpful as they could be. They have activities and three meals a day, and they do all the things to take care of him. However, I got a notice from the mail that they're going to raise the rent. They're trying to ask for more and more they can get, so that's a problem.

Brenda

My friend lives in Bellevue Woods. She showed us her apartment. Her apartment is a one-bedroom. It is very big. It's like 790 square feet. It's a little bit big for me, but she loves it. It has a kitchen, a dinette, a large living room, and a decent closet space and floor space. It's one level. It's just nice. The place is very nice. It's beautiful. However, because of COVID, we didn't see anybody. They were not doing tours. They don't provide food because it's strictly independent living. It's a nice place. It's large, new looking, and well kept. It feels homey.