8 Independent Living Communities in Jackson County, Michigan

Melanie

When looking for a community for my mother, I found The Fountains to be heads above any other facility. The activities, security and safety were key issues for me. What ended up impressing me was the atmosphere. When walking through, almost every resident said hello and had a happy demeanor. The staff as well seem to be genuinely happy. My mother, who was not keen on leaving her home, spent a couple of trial nights. She loved the experience, and chose to move in. She commented as well on how happy everyone was, and that she felt safe there. They truly seem like a family. In talking one evening during the trial with the administrator and other residents, the administrator took a resident’s tennis shoes home to wash them. The interaction between the administrator and the residents speaks volumes. If you think a senior community is for people just biding their time, you’ll find this place to be the opposite. The residents are vibrant, interested in many things and as engaged as they choose. Safety, programs for health/security and the atmosphere made our decision easy. I wouldn’t have my mother just anyplace, and I feel she couldn’t be in a better place.

C.C.

I had already been to Tamarack before so I knew what was there. It was very clean, very professional, awesome staff, beautiful rooms, and well laid out. The thing that I definitely want to emphasize is that it was clean, and that's important. The food smelled good. It didn't smell like a cafeteria food or nursing home food. They take the residents out as needed and also on field trips. They were just great all the way around, better than some that I've seen. It is a wonderful place. If anybody else is looking for a place, that's where you need to go.

Kim

My mother is in Weatherly Inn. The care is very good. The staff is very friendly and very caring of the residents, at least all of the interactions I've had. Her room is good-sized. It's hard because she came from a quite bigger home, so it's been an adjustment for her, but I think that the layout is good. It was in good quality when she moved in, and it's very clean. There are times when she really enjoyed the food, other times she doesn't like it as much, but she appreciates the effort that they put into it. They have some groups playing games and they just started up with their drives weekly. She hasn't been able to take advantage of that yet, but primarily it's just daily activities that they have for the residents. They have a workout room.

John Ross

Would you like your loved ones to get jerked around constantly and be harrassed for having meetings with other residents, to the point \"leaders\" send out letters disparging their efforts to improve their own living arrangement? Come on down to Twin Creeks! Maybe you are more into situations where loved ones go to the hospital and are then told they cannot come home, to their paid for apartment because of half baked \"plans\"? Come on down, they have done this as well, a resident was forced to stay at a hotel already. The doctors involved were mortified at the decision made by TC. They apologized after the fact for what that is worth. They are not informed, lack basic planning skills and are proud of it. You can and will find better places. It is a nice facility visually, but past that, it has serious problems as mentioned above. Beware, while the above may be comical, these things have already happened and you too may be forced from your home if they are left unchecked and they continue to achieve new levels of incompetence but now with a dramatic flair with letters mocking the group of residents. Pathetic.

AG

My mother was at Brookdale Wornall Place. She started in independent and was moved to assisted. That's pretty much where my frustration as next of kin began. She moved from assisted living at another facility, and my mom took a not next of kin person because she wanted out of the other place so badly. They accepted her into independent living with support, which on her file it was clear she belonged in assisted living. It's a struggle because I'm getting calls for falls and things like that which if you're an independent, you don't do. She is still her own medical decision maker, but still had they looked at her file, there's my signature and not the friend she took with her that day. I'm surprised I didn't get a call or anything when everything else has my name on it. She moved in and only a few months later, she got seriously sick like close to death and was admitted to the hospital. They said she needed to be out in 10 days and I went off. I'm like she never belonged in independent and why are you saying she has to leave instead of offering to move her to your assisted because they had assisted living, too. All I'm told is, "We legally have the right to do it." I'm like, "You know what you're doing is shady whether it's legal or not." The fact that you keep repeatedly saying "we're within our legal right," that means you consulted a lawyer. You can't put someone out when they're in the hospital fighting for their life. I will support a move to assisted living because that is where she belonged all along, but you're not just gonna kick her out because she got sick once. I wanted to move her then because I just felt if you're the type of place that will do that, she didn't belong there to begin with. It's a pretty nice facility. They moved her to assisted, but jacked up her rent so much it was no longer affordable, so then she had to move. She thought the food was okay, she thought the activities were okay, and she made really great friends. There's a lot of turnovers, so she would get attached to a CNA or certain caregivers, but they were never there long.