Rosemark at Mayfair Park resides at the corner of East 8th Avenue and Jersey Street, two blocks south of Mayfair Park and a short drive from Rose Medical Center. It offers a great balance of tranquility and busy city life, with a safe, secure community just minutes away from downtown Denver. Thanks to multiple care options, Rosemark is a good choice for older adults looking for short- or long-term accommodations.

Along with excellent, restaurant-style dining experiences, Rosemark at Mayfair Park offers residents an on-site beauty salon and barber shop, a movie theater, a library, a media center, and a snack bar. These are fairly standard amenities for the best assisted living communities. We really like that Rosemark goes the extra mile to care for the safety and wellness of residents with services like medication management, on-site physical and occupational therapy, and a property-wide emergency response system. These features can help make family members feel more secure about a parent or grandparent moving into the community.

Unlike The Granville Assisted Living Center (No. 3 on our list), Rosemark at Mayfair offers multiple types of care. Rosemark has assisted living, memory care, and respite care. Assisted living apartments are separated from memory and respite care units, so each has different room layouts and prices. For example, assisted living residents can access the second-floor verandas, while memory care residents have more secure, first-floor patios. We appreciate this attention to detail and safety for residents with memory loss who may be more prone to wandering or falls. Since memory care often requires more comprehensive assistance, starting costs are about $2,500 more per month than assisted living.

Having assisted living and memory care together is ideal for residents who may need to transition from one to the other if they begin to experience memory loss in later years. Additionally, respite care is a great option for families who need a backup plan to care for older family members for a few days or weeks.

Rosemark at Mayfair Park generally receives positive feedback from family members and staff. Many reviews mention the warm, inviting atmosphere and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the Wellness Director is a Registered Nurse. However, some detractors have mentioned that administrators have changed multiple times over the years, resulting in a decline in overall care and attention. In one instance, a reviewer claimed that it took a long time for anyone to show up when they pushed the button on their family member’s medical alert pendant.

» Learn More: Best medical alert systems for seniors

Sunrise at Cherry Creek is one of over 270 Sunrise senior living locations in the country. From the outside, the community looks like a well-kept apartment building, sitting just off South Colorado Boulevard. It’s a short walk from the coffee shops and stores of the Glendale Entertainment District, and it’s only a few blocks east of beautiful Hyde Park. We love the location, as it’s ideal for seniors who like to get out and enjoy the neighborhood (and the rest of the city) regularly.

Residents can enjoy beautiful sunrooms and shared patios, and many rooms have private porches to take in the surrounding nature. Getting outside is essential for wellness and health as we age, so we’re big fans of these different opportunities to experience nature! The best part is that seniors can choose from three room layouts, all of which are less expensive than the rooms at Rosemark at Mayfair Park. Sunrise at Cherry Creek makes it easy for residents and their families to estimate how much their stay would cost and know exactly which services and amenities come with their personalized plan.

We really liked how Sunrise works to keep family members up to date on resident health via the family engagement app and SunRise CareConnect. These tools help staff, residents, and family members coordinate care together. This is something we don’t see with all assisted living communities, so it earns two thumbs-up from us!

Sunrise at Cherry Creek offers assisted living, memory care, and accommodations for short-term stays. Like Rosemark at Mayfair Park, Sunrise provides the standard level of care we would expect from assisted living, namely help with activities of daily living (ADLs). The community’s memory care also costs more than standard assisted living, with prices starting at $6,688 per month. We like the availability of versatile short-term accommodations for temporary residents, as they make it easier for seniors in Denver to recover after surgery or receive extra support while their family or primary caretakers are out of town.

Like Rosemark, Sunrise at Cherry Creek is a good option for older adults who want multiple living options that can adapt to changing needs. While Sunrise is not a full continuum of care facility with skilled nursing and hospice care, it does offer enough diversity in its care packages to allow residents to age in place during retirement.

» Compare Your Options: Assisted living vs. skilled nursing

Most of the reviews for Sunrise at Cherry Creek are positive. Many reviewers say they have had family members happily living in the community for years. One review even mentioned that the nurses were able to help resolve a medical issue that the resident had been struggling with for years. However, the community has received some negative feedback, with several reviews citing unhelpful management and staff shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remember that this was a common theme during the pandemic for communities countrywide.

The Granville Assisted Living Center is a family-owned and operated assisted living community in Lakewood, a major suburb of Denver. Located just blocks from the Lakewood Country Club and less than 15 minutes from downtown Denver, The Granville is in a perfect spot for seniors who want to enjoy the natural beauty of Colorado without living too far from the city center. The community is also just a short drive from multiple parks, including Crown Hill Park and Sloan’s Lake Park.

What impressed us about The Granville Assisted Living Center was its affordable pricing. Prices are all-inclusive, with studio apartments and assisted living care starting at just $3,000 per month. It is $2,000 less than the starting prices at Rosemark at Mayfair Park and well below the average for Denver. In addition to the low prices, we like that The Granville offers some practical perks like hearing aid assistance, ride scheduling, and concierge services. These extra services make it easier for older adults to receive assistance with daily tasks from the comfort of home.

The Granville Assisted Living Center is the only community on our list that doesn’t offer care options beyond assistance with activities of daily living. While this means that the staff can focus exclusively on residents requiring help with things like bathing, eating, dressing, and walking, it also means that residents who need other types of care have no choice but to move to a different facility. In some cases, seniors with changing needs may not be able to stay at The Granville for very long. However, it’s important to note that The Granville accepts Medicaid and is one of the most affordable assisted living communities in the greater Denver area. It makes it perfect for those on a tight budget who don’t anticipate needing higher levels of care.

» Helpful Resource: Medicaid and Medicare assisted living coverage

The Granville has received mostly positive reviews, thanks largely to the value it offers seniors on fixed incomes. Many family members praise the extra attention caregivers provide to each resident, as well as the quality of the food. Multiple reviewers mention that The Granville staff performed admirably during the COVID-19 pandemic, even getting ahead of government regulators to ensure residents were safe. However, some reviewers have complained about rude and disrespectful front desk workers.

Village at Belmar is situated in the heart of Lakewood, between various shopping centers and public parks. While the Village of Belmar doesn’t technically have a Denver address, it’s still part of the greater Denver Metropolitan Area and is only a short drive from downtown Denver. Though the community is more expensive than The Granville or Sunrise at Cherry Creek, it makes up for it with luxurious accommodations and amenities, including high-end dining (indoors or outdoors) and terraces that overlook the Rocky Mountains.

» Further Reading: Luxury retirement and senior living

One thing we truly appreciate about Village at Belmar is its unique approach to senior health and wellness. Bridge to Belonging is the community’s program specifically designed for seniors who are beginning to deal with memory issues or cognitive decline but are not yet ready for memory care. The program includes multiple stimulating activities, from group conversations and learning sessions to music and dancing. This program is excellent for slowing the progression of memory loss and helping residents stay sharp for as long as possible.

While the Village at Belmar offers a well-rounded experience for seniors at different stages of life, it comes at a steep price. Studio apartments start at $5,000 per month, with two-bedroom apartments starting at $9,200 per month. This makes Village at Belmar far more expensive than The Granville or Rosemark. Fortunately, Village at Belmar is one of the few assisted living communities in Denver to offer an “a la carte” pricing structure, which means you only pay for the services you need. This could be great for seniors who are willing to pay more for luxury apartments but don’t need help with more than one or two ADLs.

Village at Belmar primarily offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care. It’s one of the few communities on our list to include independent living, making it a great choice for older adults who are fully or semi-independent, but still like having help nearby if it’s needed. Having these three options in one place also makes it easier for independent seniors to transition to assisted living or memory care as they age without leaving their community. Building relationships and staying social is essential for avoiding social isolation, which has many health risks for seniors.3 That’s why we love facilities that allow residents to maintain their communities throughout different stages of life and care.

Village at Belmar also offers respite care and outpatient rehab for seniors in need of short-term assistance. Compared to places like The Granville (which only offers assisted living), Village at Belmar takes a more holistic and comprehensive approach to senior care. Outpatient rehab stays vary based on the needs of residents, but respite care can vary between 30 and 60 days, with rates as low as $165 per day.

Village at Belmar receives high praise from residents and family members. Many online reviews mention the quality of the apartments and the layout of the facility, which encourages easy interaction between residents and caregivers (another way the community prioritizes building relationships!). Alternatively, some reviews have complained that the staff isn’t always up to the task, with many caregivers being hired from outside agencies.

Balfour Senior Living operates nine locations in Colorado alone, but Balfour at Riverfront Park is perhaps its most iconic and popular senior living community. Located across the street from the beautiful Riverfront Park and South Platte River, this community is perfect for seniors who want to wake up to a beautiful view of nature on one side and the bustling city of Denver on the other. It’s just a few steps from downtown Denver, making it even more convenient for older adults who want to take advantage of the city’s many shopping and entertainment options.

» Learn About: Activities for Seniors

Balfour’s higher starting costs can be justified by its luxury amenities and extensive activities calendar. If you’re looking for an upscale community, it’s a great option! Refurbished from the historical Moffat Train Depot, Balfour at Riverfront Park is a symbol of luxury and stunning early 20th-century architecture in an otherwise modern neighborhood. While Balfour is the most expensive community on our list, even outpacing the cost of Village at Belmar, we love that it offers more affordable housing options to eligible seniors. However, it’s important to note that these accommodations are only available to fully independent seniors.

Balfour at Riverfront Park offers independent living, assisted living, and memory care. Its independent living is ideal for seniors with varied budgets, while its assisted living and memory care options tend to be far more expensive. Nonetheless, Balfour has won numerous awards for the quality of its care, and both residents and family members have shown appreciation for the level of attention provided by both assisted living and memory care unit staff.

Balfour at Riverfront Park receives very high reviews for its quality staff, beautiful property, positive work environment, and easy move-in process. One staff reviewer mentioned how much they love the working environment, specifically stating that the Executive Director is always willing to step in and help caregivers attend to the residents whenever the need arises. However, a few reviews have mentioned that steep rate increases occur every year and have even criticized the community for charging more while providing fewer amenities than in years prior. Price increases are pretty standard for assisted living communities, but since Balfour’s starting rates are already expensive, this is important to note. The community will be best for those with plenty of wiggle room in their budgets.