Round Barn Manor

So, we recently discovered that my mother’s house was full of black mold due to a negligent landlord. On a number of inspection visits my siblings and I consequently paid, we learned that my mother was living in total squalor. In addition to the mold, she had broken gutters, dead trees in her yard, and faulty wiring that actually caused a fire in her house last week. Sometimes, when parents age, they grow isolated and don’t want to worry their children/​loved ones and, therefore, do not report said squalid living conditions. Horrified at the mold induced state of her health and at her general isolation, our family unit leapt into action. Something had to be done — mom needed something more than an apartment, but something less than a full blown retirement community.
After careful research by my younger sister, we found the Round Barn Manor, a very attractive apartment complex for the active, but essentially retired, set. This is such a nice building that they have a waiting list — a community garden, beautiful and well maintained apartments, lovely grounds, access to transportation, community activities, and a plethora of security/​health alarms throughout the units make this a very attractive housing option. Most importantly, it does not scream «Retirement Home,» instead exuding a warm and welcoming apartment building vibe for independent seniors.
Moving mom was urgent due to her living conditions and the lovely office managers at the Round Barn, Marcie and Lois, guided us through the process to get her in ASAP. They were also kind enough to alert us to the opening of a highly coveted ground floor unit with a patio, and double timed the process to get her in as quickly as possible. Both of them were beyond helpful and I suspect that they are as experienced at looking out for and reassuring their resident’s children as they are for the residents themselves.
We moved mom in yesterday/​today and, honestly, could not be more pleased. The apartment is lovely, with just enough room for our mother’s books & mementos and plenty of storage for those «I can’t part with this although I never use it» items. There are safety features throughout, lots of windows and closets, a spacious bathroom, an enormous bedroom and living room, and a kitchen that has nice features like a garbage disposal and well maintained and current appliances. Furthermore, the units are wheelchair friendly, so if your parent’s mobility changes, they unit is already equipped for them. Marcie and Lois helped ensure a smooth move by walking all of us through building rules and procedures and checking in, unobtrusively, to make sure mom was comfortable. Bunnies and squirrels bounced by on the lawns, and several unofficial «welcoming committees» dropped in to introduce themselves and invite our mother to various activities. Everyone we met was thrilled with the building and absolutely welcoming.
If you live in the area and the time comes where a parent needs a somewhat supervised situation but are still fairly independent, I cannot recommend the Round Barn Manor highly enough. Rents are based on income, so it is very affordable for those on a limited budget. The staff is great, the residents are lively, independent and social and the building and grounds are well maintained and beautiful. Moving a parent into an assisted living community can be scary and heart wrenching. That being said, instead of feeling as though we had put mom out to pasture, it seems as though we’ve given her a new lease on life instead.