Essex House

Tracey Krick

I was shocked at just how great this place is! My friends mother just moved here and she loves it! So many activities for the folks here too! Staff is very friendly and care about their residents!

Sharon A

I lived here. I also lived at their other Holiday Retirement place. It off Linglestown Road. Known as Oakridge Manor. I preferred Oakridge. Essex house was more aloof. The people were wonderful. Managers at that time ignored me. Oakridge Manor the managers and I got along fine. I helped with the dinning room. You are allowed at least Oakridge to help. I helped with the menu board also and if I wanted I could do more.Essex house was so quiet. People wanted to do more. Essex had no wifi bowling, golf. They could play cards. A few did but it was basically people trying everything to not be bored. Oakridge We had tournaments with wifi bowling golf and had a huge turnout.Essex house let us alone to fend with our boredom. 2011-2013 oakridge. 2014-2016 Essex. Clean at both places. Food then was not as good as people wanted.

Linda Harris

Clean. Friendly people. We use their activities room for a Bible study. They make us home made cookies and provide coffee and water.

Ruth Hower

Mother has been at Essex House for 18 months now. Overall, she is relatively happy with it, except she does complain about the food frequently. Be aware the published menus are NOT WHAT IS SERVED as a rule. Residents will get a menu for the day when they go to breakfast. To be clear - living at a Holiday facility is akin to living in a nice hotel. Very nice rooms, weekly "light" housekeeping, 3 meals a day, snack bar always open for beverages, fruit and pastries. No one keeps track of the residents coming and going. Staff are not available after 7-8 pm. Residents are given a 24-hour call button for 911 services etc. Rent is raised every year unless you choose a "lock-in" where you pay a buy-in fee and then your rent remains the same as long as you are there. Communication with residents caretakers is not good. Caretakers have to make a point of contacting the management to find out what's going on if the resident is a little forgetful. It is a great place for someone who is in fairly good physical health. Any extra assistance - laundry, dressing, etc. - must be hired out. Independent rehab and care services do have offices within Essex House, but again, it is up to the caretaker to coordinate everything. The new manager is a good improvement, however, the ratio of staff to residents seems a bit low. Its very clean, well-maintained, gorgeously decorated and has transportation during the week for doctors appointments and shopping. Again, a fine place for those in relatively good health. For someone on the verge of needing personal care on a regular daily basis it may not be a good fit.