My mom has been in Homestead of Topeka for three months now. She's in assisted living. It's a clean and very open place. They were nice when I talked to them. They were concerned. She is pleased with the food. She gets her hair done whenever she wants, and there is a person that clips and takes care of her toenails (which is nice). They go for rides to different places, and there's lots of different activities like bingo and singing. There are several activities. In fact, it's daily that there's some kind of activity.

I actually did not have an appointment to tour this facility, but rather passed it on my way to another today and decided to walk in. The staff was very friendly and accommodating of my request for a tour. This is another secure, memory-care facility and my guide said it is a small one, with only 37 apartments. When I walked into this facility, I instantly felt that residents seem more comfortable than usual in using the common areas of the facility. Several were walking through the halls for exercise and socialising together, while others were reading the paper in the front living room, napping on a hall sofa, or reading a book as a group in a casual sitting area. The facility seemed livelier than some, and residents seemed more likely to interact socially than in some places I have seen. There were several secure outdoor spaces for residents, and my guide seemed very interested in accommodating my grandparents' specific hobbies. While the facility does offer a full activity calendar, I also felt that the staff would go out of its way to make sure new residents were able to have their preferences addressed. For example, when I asked about opportunities to garden my guide suggested the facility would be happy to buy some pots and plants and set up a gardening area for my grandmother since there isn't a designated area at this time. The facility does have several turtles living in its courtyard though, and residents seemed to enjoy watching them dig around in the beds and eat their breakfast before it got too hot. During my tour I was informed that this facility only accepts private payment or long-term care insurance, but not Medicare or other forms of financial assistance. Prices varied by room size, but the only layout available appeared to be a single bedroom with a sitting area. I had the impression that couples who want two separate sleeping rooms would need to lease two apartments. This might present a financial concern for some residents, but otherwise this seemed to be a very nice facility.