Freedom Village of Bradenton had bigger apartments. The food was excellent. And it was restaurant-style. They also had smaller venues where you could go like at lunchtime in a smaller cafe or something. So, they had different options for eating. It was a big place. It had a lot of stuff going. They had lots of activities. They would supply transportation to cultural activities and doctor's visits, and that kind of thing, and parking.

Freedom Village of Bradenton had 450 residents, so they had a lot of things going on. The grounds were beautiful and the buildings were well-kept and attractive. I liked it very much. The only downside was their huge buy-in, plus there's a monthly maintenance charge. I probably could have afforded it, but I don't know if I would have wanted to pay it. Other than that, the staff was very good and very professional. There were a lot of clubs and activities. Pretty much no matter what your interest was, there was a group that was following it. There were plenty of on-site facilities like meeting rooms and things like that.

I toured Freedom Village of Bradenton. We started with an overview of what the community was, what I would be experiencing, and what I was looking for. We started through the foyer, and there was one section where it was the dining room with a little cafe and a breakfast area, and then we went to a possible apartment. As I was going through, there was a walkway that was closed in, and on both sides, I was able to see the outside and what I would be seeing every day walking back and forth. We had to walk through a beautiful foyer. We went to the elevator, we saw the apartment, and I went through everything in the apartment. It has everything. It's very fancy and very attractive. Then we went to see another apartment, so I saw two apartments, and they were very similar. One was a little smaller, and one was a little bigger. We went to the dining room, and she explained that it was right on the floor where I would be. The staff sent me home with some information and an estimate of what it would cost. I saw some of the activities while walking through right at the very beginning of the first building. There was a classroom, a sewing room, a group meeting doing a prayer group, and a Bible study. There was a hairdresser room, a swimming pool, and an exercise room. I was able to see it more on the second tour. I saw people doing the activities and even a woodworking shop for the men. They could bring their own tools if they wanted to. I was impressed because it wasn't just dealing with ladies, and that was very, very nice. The staff asked me what I was interested in, and so she the took time to find out why I was looking for independent living. And she invited me to an open house that they just happened to be having a couple of weeks later, so I went with that and met many people. Every table had a resident who was there to help us and answer some of the questions that we may have while we were sitting there, and the one I had was extremely pleasant. She gave her card, and she said, 'When you come, call me a couple of days before, while I'll make sure we will have much together, and I'll introduce you to some of my friends. That way, at least for the first couple of days, you have somebody that you could sit with.' Very, very hospitable. They take care of you and help you be comfortable. I took another tour, and I saw more people in the hallway that day, and they all said hello and everything. My sister came with me, and then she had gotten to a point that she couldn't walk anymore, and so she sat right there and two people came over to her. One says, 'Hello, how are you doing? Is there anything I can do for you? Can I get you a drink or anything?' This was a staff. The second person came over a little while later and he says, 'Hello, are you moving in?' She said she was looking at the apartments and she says, 'Oh, isn't this a lovely place? I have been here six years, and I have no regrets.' And she had a conversation with her, and I found that very impressive and she found it very impressive, too. I found everybody very, very helpful and very friendly.

We found Freedom Village for my mom. She will be moving in on April 1st. We primarily liked it because of the location to her family, like she's going to be four miles from me. She had lunch, which she said was amazing. She loved her lunch, and she met with a couple of residents who gave her such a glowing review of the facility. She met people in doctor's offices. Her new doctor recommended it. We met people that can't speak more of it. She likes her apartment. She has a lanai, so that was important to her. She has a full kitchen, and that was important. I think she's going to be happy there. We didn't try the food, but she did, and she loved it. She only had lunch, but she enjoyed it. The room had a washer and dryer, which was important to her. It has ample storage, and she got a nice-sized lanai, so she could sit outside when the weather is appropriate. The grounds are beautiful. They have these walkways where they're windowed, so they're enclosed, but it's a nice nature view. It's over the water, and you can see turtles and birds, so it gives a nice peaceful vibe.

I'm at Freedom Village of Bradenton. The management system here is so disruptive. Three years ago, memory care had 4-star dinners. Everything's good, but gradually they refused to pay their help. Then the help leaves, and now they have to cut back the dining. Probably 80% of it is in your own apartment, and that's about as much socialization as you'll ever get. They refused to address any of the residents' complaints. They are not planners in any sense of the word. The places we visited were somewhat more organized. It bothers me that they do not have line-item budgeting. There's no way to tell where your money goes or anything else. We're in independent living, and what they have done is they've taken all their money and put it into the memory care and the hospitalization rehab. They're giving bonuses to get nurses and stuff so they can stay certified, but then they screw them. They haven't changed our rate, but they're going to go up almost 6.5% percent on our next raise, and we don't get a thing extra. We get less and less stuff, that's why I want to get out of here. I cannot and will not ever recommend this place to anybody. It's almost like a prison. Their management thinks that everyone here is senile and has Alzheimer's. They don't think for themselves. There are people here that are 90 years old that are sharper than high schoolers. They need to improve their search tactics for people, and they need to improve their wage structure. It's way too low. The hospital next door is paying $18 an hour for beginning housekeeping. They pay $11 an hour here. They're depending on high schoolers to sacrifice and come here to work as servers under the guise of giving them scholarships and stuff. In October, they had the mandate for the vaccinations. I don't think that's right because I think that's a personal choice. The workers are good, and they try their best. The food quality has gone down markedly in the last two years. The activities are coming back. You pay for what you get. This place is like the Pharisees and the whitewashed sepulchers in the Bible. It looks great on the outside, and I'll drop it there.

I'd have to say that I would rate this facility pretty high. I have known about three people there, and all of them were very happy with it. Freedom Village has independent and assisted living, and I have known 2 people in independent and one in assisted. They have plenty of nice activities, and the building itself is very well kept and nice even for visitors to walk around in. Even before I knew anyone residing there, I would take walks with my family around the area because they have a very nice lake/park area with ducks etc. The person that I knew in assisted living was going blind and was also just becoming generally physically weak although his mind was all there. There were still plenty of opportunities for him to join those in independent living on trips etc. I was always impressed at how well everyone was accommodated. It was not gloomy like I'd always imagined such a place to be. Even though my grandmother is fine living in a condo on her own, she has said that she would have liked to move there if she could afford it, especially considering the many trips and all of the people she already knows who live there. That's the one thing, it is a GREAT retirement center...but it is only for the very rich. It's a shame that most people in the same position aren't treated as well. I have heard horror stories from some other places. Also, they have one of their dining rooms that's open to the public I've eaten there a few times, and everything was excellent like at any nicer restaurant.

They all seemed very pleasant, well staffed, and well coordinated. Everyone I spoke to was knowledgeable about dining times, medication passes, and knew each of the residents very well. There were also many activities available for each resident to participate in and many people always looking for new friends.