After heart surgery one of our uncles spent a number of months at The Village at Gordon House. This is one of Virginia's assisted living facilities for seniors and for us it was one of our first encounters with one of these residential centers. We were delighted with the home-like atmosphere and the positive attitude of the staff. My uncle had expressed concern that he would not be allowed to do things for himself. However we all soon discovered that while he did receive around the clock assistance, he was also encouraged to be as independent as possible under the circumstances. This independence helped keep him on the road to recovery and we will be forever grateful for the help and assistance everyone provided. We got to witness a few of his speech therapy lessons and we were so happy to notice the concern and professionalism on behalf of the therapist. Our uncle was not a model of cheer during those first weeks but the therapist was patient and helpful and it was not long before our uncle's attitude was reverting back to normal. There was a personalized plan of care that was designed just for our uncle. We were told that these care plans are created for every resident, regardless of whether they are planning to stay for just a short period of time or remain as long-term members of this senior community. With a full schedule that included wonderful meals, caring and dedicated staff members and lots of interesting activities it was no surprise that our uncle's recovery time surpassed even the most optimistic predictions that the doctors had voiced.