My mother-in-law has moved into The James Ferndale. I was very pleased with it. It is a beautiful place and extremely clean. They have a nice, brand-new renovated apartment. My issue, though, is that they've been having issues with their cook, so the people complain about the food. My mother-in-law does not eat that much down there because of the food. Another issue is I'm not hearing much about activities, but I know that The James Ferndale is an independent living with assisted living services. They said that they have transportation and that they offer lots of activities and meals three times a day. The apartments are pretty large. It's a big facility, so if you're old and you don't go down and get your meals, they charge you $10 for each meal they have to bring up to you. It's not $10 a day, it's $10 for each meal. If you want three meals a day, that's $30 a day for them to bring your meals up to you. If I'll come down and get my meals, but I want to take them to my room, they charge you for the containers that they put them in. The transportation service they offer, they said they will take you anywhere within a ten-mile radius. People need to know that it is only three days a week and when they take you somewhere, you might have to wait two to three hours for them to come back to get you. It's a beautiful community, but had I known all theis stuff upfront, I may have decided upon another place. I brought her there for assisted living, but what they do emphasize is that they are independent living with assisted living services. Some people can stay in that apartment as young as 56 years old, but the majority that I see are very elderly. The people are nice. Everyone that works there is nice. It's just that I feel that when you're supposed to be feeding somebody three meals a day. If there's a problem with the food, you need to get rid of the cook. They did get rid of one cook. They got a new cook, and we will see if it changes. They also have to hire a new activity director. The kitchen staff is just not desirable, but their office staff is a five-star. I have not tried the food because they don't welcome outsiders, even if you try to pay for it, so I never go down and eat the food, but my mother-in-law does not like the food at all. She's paying $2300 a month. I visited three other facilities and they wanted way more money for way less space. With the cost right now, it's very good for her. We may have just come in at a bad time because I think we came in where they were changing the cook and they didn't have an activity director. They are trying to address the needs of the staff because they did get rid of the cook and they did hire a new one, but he hasn't started cooking yet. The apartments have white quartz countertops, all stainless steel appliances, and full refrigerators. They all come with stainless steel microwaves, dishwashers, deep stainless steel sinks, beautiful gray wood floors, and big windows because they have high ceilings. The James Ferndale is beautiful. They just need to get their food together. They offer you a discount if you were a Veteran or your husband was a Veteran.

I toured The James Ferndale. They've got excellent transportation and outstanding food. I spent two hours in their dining room observing the residents and the kitchen staff, and I did not hear a single negative word from them. All were smiling and saying how much they loved it there. No impediments at the entrance. Their executive director is an occupational therapist with an understanding of keeping the residents safe as far as the physical environment. They have weekly yoga classes and an exercise room and a very large kitchen. I saw a two-bedroom unit. The master bedroom was spacious. The second bedroom was smaller and could easily be used as a den or a study. It had a large bathroom. We've had four residents (where we are currently) who have moved out or are planning to move out and relocate to The James Ferndale and all have had good reviews so far. It is independent living, and you have your choice of one of two companies that provide assisted living services if needed. The place was immaculate. I opened drawers and cupboards and they were immaculate. The staff during the tour was excellent. They have three floors with an elevator and they also have two generators, so a resident would be reasonably safe during a blackout. They have a fresh catch every day. I had their tilapia, which was excellent. I also ordered a fruit cup, which had very large, very fresh strawberries, red grapes, raspberries, and blueberries. It was out of this world.

The James Ferndale looked nice and clean, but it was not locked down. The upkeep was nice. I didn't see too many people walking around. The staff took us to about six apartments, so she had us going back and forth. The apartments were not as big as the ones at the other place, but they were nice. They had a library, and a movie theater, they said they have Wii games, and they had a pool table. It was nice; it just wasn't for me.