Independent Living in Lawrence, Kansas

CM

I visited Arbor Court Retirement Community at Alvamar. They were very helpful. The day that we went my sister-in-law was not feeling well, she really got dizzy and could hardly walk, and they got her some lemonade and let her rest and brought her a wheelchair so they could push her around and she could still see the place. That facility is the only one that has a tornado shelter, and my sister-in-law really liked that too. One of the reasons that we didn't choose it is because they only clean the rooms every other week. They bring sheets and towels then, and the pricing I thought was a little bit higher than others. The pricing was actually lower, but it didn't include an evening meal, so you had to pay extra for the evening meal, and you had to pay extra for some other things. They are only cleaning and doing laundry every other week, and to me it was not as good of a value. They had a variety of rooms you could choose from: studios or one- or two-bedrooms. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

CT

Arbor Court Retirement Community at Alvamar is very nice and has a home-like atmosphere. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. The little apartment looked like home and was quite nice. They told me that they will take you grocery shopping, and there's also a place that will deliver your groceries to you if you desire. They'll also take you to the doctor and have these excursions where they take you to various places. Once they brought ponies inside. They laid tarps down, brought the ponies inside, and gave them pony rides. The room that we have chosen there seems fine and a good size, the kitchen had full-sized appliances, including a stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. It was something that nobody else had. The provide exercise for you and take them to watch movies and have popcorn. We're vegetarians, so they're bending over backwards to accommodate that. Their layout is the best that I've seen.

Billie

My grandmother moved into Brandon Woods. They've been wonderful, they have a lot of activities, so she's active and has a lot to do. They have wonderful food, a great staff, and everybody has been friendly and welcoming to my family. They made us feel included in everything when we all sat down, and worked as a group to find out the best health care plan for her. We really enjoyed it. The food offers a good variety, everything I tried was very good, and they even had menu options. The staff was amazing, very interactive, and on top of everything to make her comfortable. I was most excited about the activities, they have activities every two hours, all different kinds, and that's what grandma seems to enjoy the most. They even have happy hour on Fridays, where they play music, and have some snacks.