Summerville Estates Gracious Retirement Living

We are delighted with our experience living at Summerville Estates Retirement community. It is very well managed by the two couples who live here as Managers and Assistant Managers. There is always management on the premises, with very little trouble that I am aware of. The food is very good, and there are at least several options at each meal if you prefer one thing over another. They offer a variety of dinner entrees including international favorites, very good soups and desserts, and also salads, sandwiches, stuffed potatoes at lunch and dinner, and eggs to order at all 3 meals. Maintenance requests are answered promptly and professionally. The movie theater is awesome as are all of the many activities, which take place in large variety of rooms. The library is pretty special with seating in the large room with a beamed ceiling and a two-sided fireplace in the middle. There is a billiard table as well as ping pong and poker tables. There are at least 3 pianos on the premises as well as a chapel and a variety of services on Sunday and throughout the week. There are 2 beautiful ponds out back, well supplied with ducks, geese, turtles and fish for fishing in one. The ponds are a peaceful place to enjoy the outdoors with some benches, chairs, a picnic table and a porch swing with great views. But the residents are the best part. It seems everyone is friendly and polite. Newcomers are warmly welcomed as this is a caring community. There is a culture of acceptance and inclusion and a variety of faiths are represented without being pushed on anyone. There are wonderful weekly outings planned with the bus. And so on and on. We can’t say enough. Check it out!

Very “glamorous” but that is IT. If your loved one is not 100% able to care for themselves do not waste your time taking them here. This is a retirement home that is it. Lets start with Lisa. (the person over sales) I explained in great detail what my loved one was going through as to why I decided assistance with living was necessary . She assured me this was the place for them and that there were other people there with the same issues and they are thriving there. She was very nice and seemed so caring at first. I should have seen the red flag when she asked me if my loved owned any property then proceeded to pull it up online in front of me to check its value then told me to sell it. She also told me that I would not be able to afford anywhere else for my loved one because everywhere else is extremely high. (Crazy that she knows my finances) She assured me that my loved one would have a mentor the first week so that they could adjust and learn where their room was and times for eating etc. That was a lie. They expected me to be there everyday making sure my loved one made it to breakfast lunch and dinner and back to their room. The ONE TIME my loved one missed lunch( because i couldnt make it up there in time) the owners wife chewed me out because “she had to take them their food up to the room”. Mind you, this is my loved ones first week there and still needed to adjust. The movie theatre is never open nor is the church. They mention it and show you so that you are sold. After realizing this wasn't the place for my loved one, I decided we needed to move on and keep looking after one week of my loved one being there. I told this to Lisa and the owner (that it just wasn't going to work out this wasn't the place for my loved one and I apologize it wasnt them ) Lisa then proceeded to tell my loved ones physical therapist to call adult protective services on me!!! I was so SHOCKED. I was doing everything in my power as the only person caring for my loved one to do what was best for them and for someone to do that because they weren't getting my money was so CRUEL. DO NOT GO HERE. There are so many more places where your loved one will thrive and you will get the comfort you deserve knowing they are safe and happy.

My father and his wife have lived here for a few years now, and overall, it's a great place, but I had to take one star off. --at least. To me, one of the most important amenities offered at Summerville Estates was the meals, which are really very good. I had worried so much about them getting the nutrition they required to maintain their health because they were no longer able to prepare meals. They were struggling to even make coffee and toast so full healthy meals were not happening, and increasing weakness for both of them was the result. I was so relieved and happy when they were finally in a place that could reliably provide, not only healthy meals, but delicious ones as well. --BUT... as their health has continued to decline naturally, it has become a tremendous struggle for them to get to the dining room for meals. Summerville Estates does provide delivery to residents' doors - but for a fee - and not a small one. It's five dollars per person per meal; that's $30 each day for them. For a place that already charges them close to $5,000 dollars each month, that seems EXTREMELY out of proportion. I understand an additional cost, but not THAT much. I complained (as have many) and have been told that the fee is there to encourage the residents to keep moving for daily exercise, to discourage just sitting around. My father and his wife are not lazy; they are disabled. In fact, she can barely walk now so my father has to struggle to go pick up their food to avoid the cost - as often as he can, anyway, but it exhausts him horribly. To me, this doesn't seem helpful to the residents at all. It smacks of price gouging vulnerable people; and honestly, even with all of the other lovely attributes of Summerville Estates it makes me a bit angry and it's a shame. UPDATE (response to the manager) If this has changed, then there's no reason to fault the starred review. I will check back in with my father about it and edit as necessary after that.

The staff is so warm and welcoming. Truly a comforting place. Very clean, exciting activities, wonderful food fulfill your experience of daily living.