River Valley Retirement Community
Trumbull, Connecticut

I had a very positive impression of River Valley Retirement Community. I liked both the facility and the personnel, especially Rita (who is the director there). She took so much time with me. She was understanding of what I was looking for. She followed up promptly, and she actually went out of her way to find a room there that would fit my father's requirements. She's been following up with me and helping me answer any of the questions. The facility itself was wonderful. I can't say enough. It was beautiful. It had everything that you could want. The food was very good. The atmosphere was very nice. Even the individual rooms, really, really had good layout for people that are older. They had good choices. You had studios all the way up to two-bedrooms, which kind of accommodates a lot of different people. If it was my choice, he would be there. My father just wants a more hands-on skilled nursing place. They have a movie theater with comfortable seating, a library, and a meditation room or a quiet room (where people can meditate and pray). Not only do they have a washer and dryer in the units, but they also have a separate room for washer and dryer for big and bulky things, like comforters. The hallways were nice and wide. They had a hairdresser on-site. They had a place to get hairdressing and nails done. They had a little convenience store. You get your own mailbox. There's plenty of parking. They have a room if you want to have a private dinner with your family. They offer food 24/7, not just at mealtime. If you're hungry between meals or late at night and you want a hamburger or pizza, the grill is always available to you. The menu was excellent. They had a lot to offer.

River Valley Retirement was beautiful. I liked everything about it: the food, the layout, and the activities. It was quite expensive, but they're all around the same price. The staff was very good and very knowledgeable. The food was amazing. We had lunch there that day of the tour, and it was very, very good. They had a chef onsite. The only concern I have is I don't think they have special meals for special needs. I'm not sure how that one works. My sister is diabetic, and she has a kidney diet. I don't know if they have special diets because it is an independent living, not assisted living. The place is spectacular. It looks beautiful. The whole layout is very nice. Each individual unit has its own washer-dryer, which is important. They also have full kitchens. It's a normal-sized apartment unit.

River Valley has just opened this past week. It's brand new. In fact, they were still doing some construction when I was in there, and that was about two and a half weeks ago. The staff showed me this model studio suite, which was pretty big, and that was about all that I saw because of the work that was going on in there. Their dining room is more like a big restaurant. It's a resort retirement type. However, that might not be my lifestyle.