One major downside to transitioning into assisted living is that some communities don’t allow pets. If the thought of living without your furry friend is making you second-guess your decision to find an assisted living community, Five Star Residences of Fort Wayne might be the perfect option for you. This facility is pet-friendly, welcoming dogs, cats, and other small animals as community members. There are plenty of trails to explore with your pet, and pet waste stations are located on the grounds for easy cleanup. Dog walkers are allowed to access the community during work hours.

While pet ownership provides many important benefits for older adults, residents who don’t have pets can still benefit from animal companionship, thanks to the community’s pet therapy sessions. Studies have suggested that pet therapy, such as interacting with a therapy dog, provides comfort, helps reduce loneliness, lowers blood pressure, reduces physical pain, and more.1

» Learn more: Pet-friendly senior living

Residents can enjoy many other activities, including exercise classes, movie nights, worship services, happy hours, and scheduled outings. The community features amenities like full kitchens, a library, an activity studio, a beauty salon and barber shop, and a game room. While there’s plenty to do at home, community transport is available so residents can shop at the Glenbrook Square Mall, visit the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, or see a play at the Fort Wayne Civic Theater.

Five Star Residences of Fort Wayne offers independent living, assisted living, and respite care. Assisted living residents can access on-site speech, physical, and occupational therapy, as well as customized medical resources. These on-site services make it easier for residents to receive care without leaving the comfort of their homes. We also appreciate the inclusion of respite care, which can help prevent caregiver burnout and give loved ones a much-needed break.

Keep in mind this community doesn’t offer memory care or more intensive care for significant health issues, so if your health needs change, you may need to move to another community. If you want a community that offers specialized care for more significant health concerns, an option like Coventry Meadows Assisted Living might be a better choice.

Five Star Residences of Fort Wayne has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Many reviewers praise the community’s atmosphere and caring, responsive staff. Several adult children of residents noted they don’t worry about their parents, knowing they are in good hands with the community. One resident posted a negative review, stating that there are additional charges for nearly every medical care service. Another reviewer noted that maintenance was slow to address issues occurring in her mother’s apartment.

While Silver Birch of Fort Wayne doesn’t publish its prices, the community notes that it offers care services for residents of all financial backgrounds. We wish that Silver Birch was more transparent with pricing, but this is pretty standard with assisted living facilities. Community Eligibility Coordinators are available to answer questions about Medicaid, and assisted living residents can choose from one-bedroom and studio apartments. Amenities include a library and computer room, beauty and barber salon, and recreation room and theater. Residents can enjoy three meals a day plus snacks served in the dining room, and an additional private dining room is available for special occasions.

» Related Reading: A guide to senior apartments

This community is surrounded by nearby stores and services, and transportation is available so residents can go shopping, bowling, to restaurants, to enjoy a service at a local church, and more. There are six churches within three-quarters of a mile, and five grocery stores and shopping centers under a mile from the community. Tillman Park is less than 0.1 mile away, and the public library is 1.2 miles away. We love this centralized location! Other nearby amenities include an assortment of restaurants, banks, and a bowling alley. Residents can easily access the services they need or head out for a day of entertainment without having to travel more than a mile or two from the community. Such an ideal location can help residents maintain a sense of freedom, independence, and familiarity in their lives.

Silver Birch of Fort Wayne exclusively offers assisted living services. Staff are on hand 24 hours a day, and residents receive regular health and wellness checks, medication delivery and reminders, and help with daily living activities. Free weekly laundry and housekeeping are included. The community also has emergency call monitors to ensure resident safety. Fall prevention and safety measures, like emergency call monitors, are particularly important because falls are a major risk for older adults. In 2020, 3 million emergency room visits resulted from older adult falls.2 We always look for communities that include these safety features.

» More on Fall Prevention: Best medical alert systems

While the community specializes in assisted living, it doesn’t offer other types of care like respite, skilled nursing, or memory care. If you’re worried about your care needs changing over time, you might want to consider a community that offers more comprehensive care services, like Coventry Meadows Assisted Living.

Similar to Five Star Residences of Fort Wayne, Silver Birch of Fort Wayne has received largely positive reviews. Many reviews describe numerous active and engaging activities that keep residents involved. We love reviews like this, as staying engaged is essential for well-being and preventing isolation. Several reviewers state that the building is clean and spacious. A few reviewers who left negative reviews stated they felt the care provided was inadequate.

Georgetowne Place has received several awards for the quality of its assisted living services. The community’s convenient location is just outside of downtown Fort Wayne, so there are numerous hospitals, pharmacies, restaurants, and shopping venues nearby. The Wayne International Airport is a 20-minute drive, ideal if family members plan to fly in to visit.

Residents can enjoy a full calendar of entertaining activities, including therapy pet visits, book club, and activities like square dancing and chair yoga. The community features some fantastic amenities like a movie theater room complete with reclining chairs. A heated, in-ground pool and paved walking paths help promote exercise, which is so important as we age. In fact, the CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of activity per week for those 65 and older.3 Staying active and engaged is essential for older adults; these types of amenities and activities for seniors can support health and a better quality of life.

» Related reading: Senior living amenities

While the community has some great amenities, it also offers very affordable assisted living rates. It’s the most affordable community on our list, making it an ideal choice if you’re working with a limited budget but don’t want to sacrifice quality of care or amenities. We also appreciate Georgetowne Place’s pricing transparency, something you won’t find with other communities like Silver Birch of Fort Wayne.

Georgetowne Place offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, and respite care. Assisted living residents can access medication administration, reminders, and daily support. Additionally, nutrition counseling, incontinence care, and home health agencies are available to further customize care to each resident’s needs.

The community’s different levels of care and customizations make it one of the more versatile options on our list. Whereas communities like Silver Birch of Fort Wayne only offer assisted living services, Georgetowne Place is better prepared to meet residents’ changing care needs. That means if you need to transition to a higher level of care in the future, you won’t have to move to a new facility. Moves can cause added stress and frustration as we age, so we appreciate this continuum of care.

Most reviews of Georgetowne Place are highly positive. Many reviewers describe the community as beautiful. They frequently praise the quality of care and the kindness of the caregivers. The few negative reviews posted described different types of issues, such as dissatisfaction with the community’s phone service and frustration that a relative wasn’t accepted into the memory care program. As you consider reviews for a facility, remember to take individual reviews with a grain of salt and look for common themes throughout testimonials. Every person’s experience and feedback will be different!

Located just a 13-minute drive from downtown Fort Wayne, Kingston Residence of Fort Wayne offers luxury assisted living. Residents can enjoy a full calendar of activities, including a trip to the on-premises salon, exercise and wellness groups, cookouts, and more. There are also numerous excursions to local attractions and three golf courses within a 10-minute drive from the community, ideal for golf enthusiasts.

This community offers some fantastic dining options you won’t find elsewhere. Chefs prepare three meals per day, and the snack station is always available. Room service is also offered, and the private dining room is available for gatherings with family and friends. Residents can also make special food requests, or they can order food from their favorite local restaurants. Food is a very common theme we see discussed in reviews for assisted living communities throughout the country. It’s important to residents, and that means it’s important to us! We appreciate when communities offer a variety of dining options that residents enjoy.

While other communities have designated visitation hours, Kingston Residence of Fort Wayne’s guest hours are 24/7. This option to have guests at any time can be incredibly valuable, especially when residents are initially transitioning into assisted living; visiting with a loved one can provide peace of mind and help make the transition smoother. It also offers excellent flexibility to guests who may be traveling or whose personal schedules don’t allow them to visit during traditional visitation hours. Additionally, this community is pet-friendly. Since communities like Georgetowne Place don’t advertise a pet-friendly policy, seniors who have a pet may feel very strongly about choosing a community where that pet can move right in with them.

Kingston Residence of Fort Wayne offers independent living, assisted living, and respite care. Nursing staff is on-site 24 hours a day, and entrances are secure for resident safety. This community doesn’t offer any sort of specialized rehabilitation or memory care, so those who anticipate having increasing care needs might want to consider another community, like Coventry Meadows Assisted Living. Still, if you’re looking for a more luxurious community (with the price tag to match), Kingston Residence is a great option.

This assisted living community currently has a perfect five-star rating on Google, based on 28 reviews. Reviewers frequently describe staff as being warm, welcoming, and attentive. Several reviewers state that their parents thrived while living in the community. Many reviews state that the community is clean and the food is delicious. Five-star ratings are pretty hard to come by, so we were impressed by the feedback Kingston Residence receives!

Coventry Meadows Assisted Living stands out for its unique programs. This community values resident health, and residents can choose from several options to support their fitness. The New Energy Wellness program is a strength-building program designed to help provide residents with more energy. The program uses Nautilus 2ST equipment that’s designed for mature adults. Additionally, the community’s THRIVE program is a whole-person wellness approach incorporating thought, health, recreation, interaction, vocation, and expression. Enriching events and activities are designed to support this comprehensive wellness to support a better quality of life for residents. We love this variety of options to keep seniors active!

Transition into assisted living can be nerve-wracking. And the process of trying to downsize your belongings and prepare for a move is often stressful. Coventry Meadows’ SMART Solutions helps make these transitions as smooth as possible. This concierge-style moving consulting service can help with everything from deciding what you need to determining how to maximize your floor plan. Such a service can be a valuable way to reduce stress surrounding the move to assisted living. It’s something you won’t find in many communities, so it’s a big plus in our book.

If you’re still worried about what to expect from assisted living, Coventry Meadows offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee to further reassure you. If you’re not completely satisfied within your first 90 days at the community, Coventry Meadows will refund your application fee and security deposit in full. This is a very rare offering in the assisted living industry and speaks volumes about the quality living experience this community offers.

While this community offers some excellent services, activities, and a very unique satisfaction guarantee, it is a more expensive option. If you’re looking for an assisted living community that still offers plenty of amenities on a budget, you may want to consider Georgetowne Place.

This community offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, respite care, and outpatient therapy. That comprehensive suite of services means the community can meet evolving care needs, giving residents the peace of mind of knowing that they can remain with the community even if they experience health changes. Some communities like Silver Birch of Fort Wayne only offer assisted living, so we appreciate these various levels of care.

» Related reading: Physical therapy for seniors

Reviews of Coventry Meadows Assisted Living are mostly positive. Many reviews describe the facility as clean and inviting, and several reviewers praise the staff for their kind, caring nature. One negative review stated the community was understaffed and that the care their loved one received was poor. However, this review was not the norm.