The elegant gray and white facility that houses Sunrise Senior Living features numerous windows that, once inside, showcase breathtaking views from atop the Oakland Hills. Residents enjoy the comfortable rocking chairs that line the front of the home. A long pathway meanders almost entirely around the facility, leading to an outdoor patio with a gazebo and rugged wooden furnishings. Visitors enter through a lovely sunroom. The vaulted ceilings, exquisite paintings and a sweeping staircase made us feel as though we were touring a mansion! One charming common area features plush rose-colored furniture, a fireplace and a computer. Large skylights brighten the second floor common areas, which are furnished with patio chairs and tables topped with shade umbrellas. Four dogs and six cats share the assisted living area.Our guide began crying at one point during our tour. A resident had just passed away that morning, and our guide expressed regret that the resident had spent so many years alone in her home before moving to the facility, where she had lived happily. We noted limited interaction between the reserved residents throughout our tour. In one common area, a woman read beside the fireplace while others, who had just attended a story reading, waited patiently for lunch. The activity calendar boasts trivia and flower arranging in addition to a number of socials offering diverse selections such as milkshakes, ice cream, champagne, martinis, beer and pretzels, and wine and cheese. A handful of residents finished a late breakfast in the attractively appointed dining room as we peeked in. Meals include hearty favorites such as meatball and philly cheesesteak sandwiches, chicken primavera and tuna casserole. The bistro near the home’s entrance carries coffee, tea, cookies, sandwiches and other snacks. Assisted living residents enjoy large studios; the one we visited was furnished with a sofa, armchair, coffee table, bookcase, TV and twin bed. The apartments consist of a large room separated by a bathroom; single occupants often use half as a bedroom and the other half as a living area. The layout creates a measure of privacy in the shared apartments. We also visited the room of a very sweet gentleman who had helped create the atomic bomb; he proudly showed us a book entitled “The Bomb!”The secured Alzheimer’s unit is somewhat dark. A number of residents awaited an exercise class in one common area while others napped or sat quietly. The area seemed cramped with so many wheelchair users among the furnishings. A fireplace, homelike decorations and intimate seating areas add coziness to another common room. “Life Skills” stations adorn the hallways; one has a baby theme complete with a carriage and a list of questions meant to stimulate memories and conversation among residents and their visitors. A friendly cat roams the Alzheimer’s unit.
