I liked everything about Sedgwick Plaza in Wichita. I toured their independent living. It was nice, clean, and actually pretty big. I was surprised that they were able to furnish quite a bit of stuff in it. The parking seemed to be a little scarce, but they assured me it wasn't. The staff I met there was very nice and very helpful. I wasn't totally prepared with all my questions. After I got home I had a couple, but they were certainly very nice and very willing to answer anything. The one that showed me around was nice. She showed me everything. I didn't eat anything there, but the dining hall was very attractive. It was a big area, well-spaced, and had plenty of room to get around. The inside of the facility is quite attractive. It's an older building, but it was fixed-up very nice. The halls were wide for wheelchair access. There was an elevator too. Both the inside and the outside were pretty nice. It looks like their landscaping looks pretty good, and there were benches around to sit on. They have a salon, and they have a fitness room too. It appears they also have plenty of staff. I think, all things considered, this might be the best place for me. I'm not sure I'm quite ready though, but it suited me pretty well. I'm not sure I could find another one for the price, that I would like any better. I liked the location and everything about it.

I toured The Village at Northrise. The first thing I noticed was that it appeared to be clean. The people were friendly. I walked in unannounced, and they were willing to show me the accommodations that they had available. They didn't have a one-bedroom available, so I looked at a two-bedroom. It did need to have some maintenance done, but the staff said that before anyone moves in, it will be painted, cleaned, and all that. They didn't appear to be trying to hide anything. They took me right up, they showed me the room, they told me what was right and what was wrong, and they said they would fix the things that were wrong, like the paint and a few other maintenance issues. I went into the dining room. It wasn't time for a meal, so I just had the opportunity to look. They were in the process of cleaning it, but it appeared to be adequate. They have a beauty shop on site, and they have a video room. I did not have an opportunity to speak with any of the residents, but there were four ladies sitting and playing some kind of a domino game; they seemed to be enjoying that and content to be there. The atmosphere was pleasant. So they have friendly people and a pleasant atmosphere, and overall it appeared to be clean. They were forthcoming about things that might need to be repaired in the apartment I toured. The one thing that was of concern to me -- even with it being independent living -- was the fact that all of the rooms are on the second floor. There are no resident rooms on the main floor, so you have to get on an elevator and go up to the second floor where all of the rooms are. While it's independent living, that seems a little odd to me.

My mother-in-law was at The Village at Northrise for five years. It was always clean and very welcoming when you entered. The ladies at the front desk were always so nice, too. If I needed a wheelchair or some help bringing my mother-in-law out, they were always right there. They're just all so friendly. When she was supposed to be at the end of her life, somebody was always checking in on her. That was amazing. She met a lot of friends, and she even got to use the exercise equipment in the exercise room when she was in really good health. She wasn't a craft person, but she loved to sing, play the piano, and play the guitar. She loved movie nights, too. She would get in on the bus when they had a reservation to go somewhere or when they all went to the church. They had everything she needed. Sometimes it was hard to reach her because she was enjoying herself so much. I had lunch with her in the dining room sometimes, and then when she could no longer go to the dining room, they would call up, check on her, and bring her food. My mother-in-law loved to cook. She would give suggestions on how they could make the food a little bit tastier, because some days she would say the food was a "five" and that it was amazing, and other days, she would say it was a "three." The facility itself was kept up. When she would call that something wasn't working, they were there immediately. When I go there, there are always some activities going on.