Gardens of Gainesville is very clean and very well taken care of. The caregivers are very friendly and they are kind to the residents. I noticed the first time I visited how calmly they talk to their residents. Mom is already playing games because of the encouragement of the caregivers. The food is wonderful, and the place is well laid out. The activities director is engaging and she encourages my mom to participate. Tiffany was very helpful and the other staff members were very good. They answered all of our questions and were very friendly.

Dogwood Forest was nice, clean, and beautiful. They were really nice, but it didn’t fit with my dad because he felt it was too snooty, and it did not have a family atmosphere. It felt more like, "This is your home, and that’s where you’re going to stay.” They didn’t say it that way, but that was the feeling we got. They need to have more residents visible for when people come to visit. I didn't see any residents at all. It looked empty, but I know it's not because I know a lot of people whose family is over there. It was just barren and not a warm, inviting atmosphere. They were clean, but they weren’t warm.

Dogwood Forest of Gainesville was very nice, fancy, professional, and organized. It seemed to have tons of activities going on. It was pricey but very nice. They did not have a room to show me, and to me, it's important to be able to see a room. That’s the only drawback I had. Also, it was out of my way, 30 minutes from where I work. Nevertheless, the people were very nice and explained everything. It was a very nice facility. It just wasn’t what I was personally looking for, but I would recommend it to anyone.

Dogwood Forest is probably the favorite of all the places that I visited. I find the staff to be very friendly and very caring. They were one of the only communities that took the time to introduce me to some of the residents, which gave me a feel for the place. I was looking for my father, and they actually have a decent male versus female ratio. It is a beautiful facility and fairly new. The rooms were of the large type compared to some of the other places that I have visited. My dad is diabetic, so in evaluating their menu, they have a good variety so that is a positive for me. In a lot of the places that I have looked, the menus were extremely simple carb heavy, which is not a good idea for a diabetic. The dining room setup is comparable to most everywhere else I visited. It was clean and attractive. It was easily accessible by wheelchair. My father is in a wheelchair from time to time depending on pain level. They do regular outings to restaurants and grocery stores. I kind of understand why they do it, but their care charge system was a little bit more complex compared to some of the others. Theirs was a point based system which is perhaps more relevant because you are only paying for exactly what you need, but it was kind of complex and hard to plan for exactly what the cost might be down the road. They do have a cap on it. One thing that was important to us in looking is they were licensed as an assisted living and not just a personal care home which meant that he will be able to stay there through a much higher level of care.

My mother-in-law was a resident of the memory care area-Inspirations. The staff was very helpful and kind. My mother in-law received excellent care all the way through end of life. We are most appreciative.

I'm pleased with everything at Dogwood Forest. The staff, the accommodation, the food, the services, they're all good. It is a dog-friendly facility, which is very nice. The rooms are just beautiful and they look like a brand new apartment with a little balcony/patio thing. They have good appliances and good space. They're all good, nothing bad. It looks like they also have a nice schedule of activities as far as I know, and they're also good.

This facility is very nice, but it's located on the main road"”which is very busy, and can be rather noisy next to the four-lane highway. Dogwood Forest looks like a brick two story house, and is made to look like a home environment inside, with fireplaces and other nice touches. The look and feel is not at all institutionalized, and the whole place is very well maintained. There is a friendly receptionist who greets visitors at once. It is small, with about 36 regular assisted living rooms and about a dozen memory care units. Inside the assisted living portion, there are several different sitting areas equipped with recliners. The dining tables feature family style eating"”offering residents several choices daily. Offsite activities are offered"”including fishing trips, movies, and shopping. The memory care is in a secured unit. Residents there have no meal choices, but do have snacks and offer good hydration throughout the day. The set-up here is open"”with a main big area, where residents do activities during the day. The activities offered are a drawback; there's a bit of music therapy, but nothing too creative; it's an area that could be improved. The staff is very friendly and very well trained. The nurse is smart and on her game, with a good knowledge of every resident's condition. The staff is very hands on, not condescending. I never saw a resident there who was not happy "” although the staff is rather cliquish with one another. The cost is based on needs and varies accordingly.