The Mennonite Village of Albany in Albany, OR.

The Mennonite Village of Albany is considered one of the most respected and longest-running facilities in the Albany/Corvallis area. While it has been in business for over sixty years, it still never ceases to amaze me how much caring and work that goes into a place like this, and right now I am going to give you my own experiences with the campus and tell you all about this great company!

The first thing that I want to tell you about is the campus itself. The Mennonite Village is one of the largest in this city, and its campus sports residents in the thousands from the homes that are owned within the Village itself to Quail Run, its assisted-care facility and the nursing home itself, the Mennonite Home. The campus itself seems to stretch out for miles, and the groundskeepers have really been hard at work to make sure that the place feels extremely homey, with lanes of trees that have been properly cared for and flower bushes in just about every corner that one could think of. One of the things that I was most impressed with was at Quail Run itself, where in the back and the front they had running fountains that trickled water with its pleasant noise as well as a small gazebo that had potted plants hanging from the sides that gave the whole scene like something that one would see in a Thomas Kinkaide painting of a country cottage set against the backdrop of greenery that only he could capture. The streets and walkways were always clean, except for the small bit of barkdust here and there, but overall, a very tidy place.

Inside of Quail Run when I first walked in, I was amazed at how good the room felt. There were glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a polished oak banister that led to the upper floors, where the Activities Kitchen, Quiet Room, and other apartments that lay just beyond the stairs. On the bottom floor, one could see the elevators that allowed for easy access to apartments for residents that were either scooter, wheelchair or walker-driven, as they would never have to climb the stairs again to get home. The facility even had its own laundry room and beauty salon, where residents could go and have their hair done or perhaps do a load of laundry or two if they so wished. If that was not possible, there was also laundry staff who were more than willing to lend a hand at washing clothes if the need arose. Also, there was bus service three days a week if anyone needed to make a trip to the store or a doctor's appointment, and the buses ran every hour on the hour, which to me was an excellent touch.

Looking into the restaurant that is known as Quail's Landing, I could see that there was a lot of care given to not only how the dining facility looked as it was dressed in table linens and cloth napkins, but also the demeanor of the staff that worked there. To them, it wasn't just a job or something that they did for a paycheck. These people were hard at work from the early hours of the morning to the late hours of the evening, preparing sumptuous dishes that one could only find at the best of resorts in places like California, Vail, or even maybe Martha's Vineyard. Let me tell you, for the price that you had to pay for the food, it was well worth it, and the service was impeccable even compared to the standards of today's fine dining establishments! The price was well below what you would pay for a restaurant, say such as the Outback Steakhouse. It was reasonable, extremely affordable, and the food tasted fantastic!

As I walked around more, I noticed that the services in the form of recreation and activities were a great and fantastic scene. Mennonite Village spared no expense in this department, as they have their own nine-hole golf course, billiard halls, and even a library in each facility as well as in the Village for those that like to read in the quiet hours of the day. Also, there are facilties that can be rented for families who have come to visit, such as the Oak Creek Guest House, which is made exclusively for that purpose. Then, there is Lakeside center, which is reserved for special events, such as birthday parties, meetings, and other events, like the Mennonite Village's coveted celebration, Older American's Day, which is held once a year to celebrate our past generations with free lunches, lectuires on health, finances, and other topics that may be of interest. There are also concerts, fitness walks, and anything else that may suit your loved one's fancy, no matter what the taste!

As far as activities are concerned from within where your loved one should choose to live, I can say one thing...they will never be bored! There are visits with friends, walks, Bible studies and discussions, movies of the week, men's and ladies' social groups, and just about anything else that they can think of that would give someone a reason to hop out of their chair and head straight down to check out what was going on. The holdiays are even better, with choirs coming in to sing, special activities such as Christmas-tree decorating, Labor Day BBQ's, fireworks for the Fourth of July, Halloween dress-ups and trick-or-treating with the local kids and family members. The list is endless!

As for the staff that work for Mennonite Village, I can say nothing more than great things about them. From the receptionists all the way down to the people that work the nursing floor all the way to dietary staff, these are people that go the extra mile for those that they care for! I have never been more impressed at the way that they treat their residents, as they don't treat them like a bed number. These are people that actually love what they are doing, and they show it in everything that they do. To me, that is a sure sign of finding a great place for someone to live, if you ask me.

The only con that I see for this facility is the pricing, as it can be a little steep compared to other facilities that offer the same care, but with less amenities. But, on the plus side, with them being a non-profit organization, it is well worth the money that your loved one will be paying for the services they offer. If you are looking for a great place to put a loved one where you know they will be cared for, I would highly recommend this facility. After being in there for a few minutes, you will see what I mean, and I can be very certain that you will be pleasantly satisfied!

If you would like to know more, go to http://www.mennonitevillage.org and see for yourself. Good luck and good hunting!