Heisinger Bluffs covers all three: a retirement home, assisted living, and nursing home. They're like apartments, they have their own stove, microwave, and a shared laundry. There's always somebody coming in. I have a friend who plays the guitar and drums with his buddies, they have bingo, and social things going on. They have a beauty salon, a book exchange, and a puzzle exchange. The food is far superior than the other place. The staff is the greatest, they really care for the residents, for those that don't need assistance, they still check on a regular basis, and they call them by name, whichever the resident prefers. I will end up there some day I'm sure.

My great-uncle is a resident of the facility and he has dementia at 87 years old. One reason we chose the facility is because they keep the residents locked in, but there is a large open area within the facility with benches, greenery, and even a resident garden. The residents are able to bring in their own furniture and decorations so we were able to bring my uncle's own items to make him more comfortable. Any time the staff is concerned about my uncle, they immediately call our family. We have been able to visit outside of regular hours when necessary and all the staff are very conscientious and friendly. My uncle did not want to become a resident of an assisted living facility, but he likes it and has made many friends. The facility has game nights, and meals are family-style with a large variety of choices. The only complaint anyone has had is that the staff allows my uncle to have bacon, which my mom advised against. I think, though, that after the full life he has lived, he should be able to have bacon if he wants it. Other than her dissatisfaction with the deviation from her diet guidelines, which is why I give this facility four stars, it is a wonderful place for loved ones to reside.

While driving through Jefferson City to visit friends, we decided to stop in and visit St. Joseph's Home, since we were looking for an assisted living facility where our uncle could live. We were impressed that they could accommodate our last-minute visit. The area is convenient for our uncle, who has many friends in the area. The main area seemed clean and well tended, but we weren't blown away by the décor "“ which seemed like it could use a little updating. The staff was very nice and seemed to treat the residents kindly "“ many of whom were not ambulatory. They seem to be able to accommodate most senior circumstances with a variety of living options available. We thought our uncle would like the little park area outside, which was close to the main door. We also thought it looked as though the staff could easily manage all of the residents, which is important to us. Our uncle has a tendency to wander off at times, so his safety is a concern for us. They have a variety of the typical activities that assisted living facilities usually have "“ plus a card game tournament that looked interesting. The food looked well-prepared and appetizing, though we didn't try any. The rooms we saw were all nicely decorated "“ and better looking than the main room we first saw. The exercise room could have been a bit larger, but it seemed adequate in any case. The book selection, which is important to our uncle "“ was quite nice. Overall, the facility looked like a nice place to live "“ we just weren't that impressed with it "“ compared to others we've visited recently.