We toured Ellen's Home of Port Washington and it looks like a newer place. It's in a beautiful subdivision. Sonja, our tour guide, did a fantastic job of touring us. They call it a senior assisted living, but I would say it felt more nursing home. It was the very first place that we went to. The rooms were more like studio apartments. They were not bad, but in comparison to everything else that I've seen now, they were my least favorite. They were clean and you have some space in them, and I liked the fact that it was ranch-style, and everything was on one level. But they weren't as nice as the other places if I was to compare. The dining area was very nice. It seemed homey. It was spaced out so that if you wanted to eat with or dine with a friend, you could, and if you wanted to eat by yourself, you could do that, too. It seemed like they have an activity director or somebody who was in charge of activities, but I didn't see it in action. They seem to take a lot of photos of the residents doing stuff, and they had plenty of offerings according to their folder. I just wasn't there long enough to get a good feel. It sounded like you do some shopping trips, and they bring in some people to do tea time and bingo. Sonja was wonderful. She's worked there and worked her way up to a leadership position. She is very proud of their facility and there was a lot of kudos to them for it because I do think they take good care of it. However, it reminded me more of a nursing home and not assisted living. I felt like the age of the residents was more nursing home. I think my mom would have felt like I was dumping her up there to die rather than it being like the next phase in her life. But Sonja was energetic, answered any questions that I have, and was very professional. She met us at the door. She couldn't have done a better job of the tour in trying to explain their facility and what they could offer. She was great. I'm scoring based on assisted living and what I was looking for. To me, I was touring because I wanted an assisted living place, and I didn't feel like that's what they were.

Ellen's Home of Port Washington is nice, small, and clean. The staff is very attentive and keeps the residents very busy with lots of activities. The food has been good. My father is eating three meals a day and is never hungry. The dining area is nice and a little older but has nice tables and chairs. People sit at different tables, so it is more like a restaurant.