Armour Oaks Senior Living Community
"I have such mixed things to say about this place. The best of it is the community of residents, the support staff, and the relatively pretty, park-like surroundings, which is mostly lawn, but does include a little pocket of shade and a flower garden.There are a lot of selling points that aren't there. The "gym" is a cold, dark room with a table full of free weights and an elliptical machine that few can use, and the group exercise consists of, one day a week, having someone on staff turn on a TV in a common room and tune in to a broadcast chair exercise program. The "library" is a cold room with people's book discards and a lot of proselyting material. The library and the gym both are sealed off by very heavy fire doors, with difficult access for someone using a wheelchair or a walker. Meals are constructions of ultra-processed foods, with too much fat and salt, and all of the vegetables seem to come from cans. If you like tater tot casserole, you will thrive here. The best "activities" include weekly Spark meetings, two movies, "show-and-tell" programs in which residents give presentations in their areas of expertise; and then there are also calendar-filling things like hand massages. You never see an Armour Oaks van taking residents to the art museum, the Kauffman garden, or any play, lecture, or concert, but there is a weekly trip to Wal-mart. There is an on-site salon that charges extra if you have hair that is not naturally straight. There is a bingo game, a few card games, and a communal jigsaw puzzle. There is no dietitian, no group exercise options other than that one day each week in front of the TV. My parent has lived there for a while. It hadn't been on the top of our list of places to move to after the first time we toured, when the building reeked of sewer gas which the woman showing us an available apartment claimed was simply coming up through the foundation and then she deflected blame onto the city. At the time, we were told that there were more than 10 available apartments, but the one we were shown had been empty long enough for the water to have completely evaporated from the toilet bowl (the source of the sewer odor), but not long enough for AO to have cleaned the last tenant's food from the freezer. We returned for another look after hearing that a new building manager had been hired and was running the place with competence and integrity. That person has since been removed, as was the person who used to be in charge of dining before the age of the tater tot casserole."
"Always & Furever is, on the surface, an animal rescue that primarily focuses on saving older dogs. In reality, Always & Furever is the most amazing community of animal lovers I have had the pleasure to know. They helped to clean up a local pound, take on cats and kittens and board younger dogs who wouldn't fit in so well at the barn - all in the name of making sure each animals knows love. I have donated, volunteered and fostered for them. It's a great place to do all three! I can't speak to adopting there because I have my hands full in my current situation. That said, I've referred several friends and family to do so. They have all only had wonderful things to say about their experience. Once I am ready, this will be the first place I look!"
"Great community service organization with a group of dedicated philanthropist, generous with their God given time and talents!"
