The Village of River Oaks

Life at The Village of River Oaks is a pleasure. As I near my first year here, I can honestly say I can't imagine a happier place to be. Every day is a treat, largely thanks to the incredible VORO team. From the Executive Director and Management to the front desk concierges and the valets, housekeepers, and dining staff, everyone is always cheerful and kind. The community itself is warm and beautiful. I love my apartment, and the public spaces have an elegant, comfortable feel. Sharing chef-prepared meals in the dining room with friends is a highlight of my day. But what truly makes this place special is the residents. I'm surrounded by an active, friendly group of peers—many of whom I now call dear friends—and our Life Enrichment Director keeps our calendar so engaging that there’s always something for everyone to enjoy. We laugh a lot! I love it here!

I've been a resident in Assisted Living at the Village of River Oaks for over a year. Before I moved here, I had been in and out of hospitals for two years with emergencies. The last visit entailed 50 days in a hospital bed on a powerful IV antibiotic. When I was discharged, I was too weak to walk, prepare meals, or bathe by myself. I needed help - more help than my family could provide. Extensive searching in Houston led us to the Village of River Oaks, and we are forever grateful. I quickly regained my appetite, being offered a wide variety of well-prepared, healthy food. I made it a point to learn where and how the meat and vegetables are sourced. The standards are high enough to meet my own. I got to know the Resident Assistants who tend to us daily and know what we need before we do. (I call them my Resident Angels.) They’re willing to tackle any task and do so pleasantly. I have taken advantage of Physical Therapy (covered by Medicare) and personal training, available on site, as well as the free group classes, offering chair yoga and various exercises daily, modified to suit seniors. I gradually started walking, safe and cool in the Village hallways, knowing that if I fell, someone was always in reach. I now walk a mile a day with only my cane to assist. I go out to lunch with my family and friends again. My son was adamant that I find a place with a generator for the elevators. He was surprised to learn that The Village of River Oaks has generator capacity for the entire building, assuring we will never be without power during Houston summers. He was also pleased to learn that the Village is a designated Shelter-in-Place facility by the City of Houston, lessening the potential for forced evacuation. Seniors often must move to access more care as they age. It can be daunting. My experience here has proved to be a blessing; one I would wish for all those challenged by growing old.

I moved to the Village of River Oaks three weeks ago to be near my son. I highly recommend it. The building is only 9 years old. It's 3 minutes to the grocery store, post office, bank, Walgreens, Office Depot, and an array of fine shops and restaurants. Everything is well maintained. The meals are excellent with creative dishes by a fine master chef. They change the menu every night with 3 entrees. If you don't see one you like, you can order from another one of the foods always available, including wonderful salmon. There are about 8 different activities each day and a movie every night in a small theater. There's a swimming pool and fitness center. They offer various excellent fitness exercises each day. The social coordinator came up with unique ideas such as live readings of plays where you can act a character's part, poetry appreciation, music presentations, creating your own video. There's a movie every night in the theater. Each Friday at 4:00, there's a wine down. They hire a professional musician for us to dance and enjoy ending the week. The staff is very pleasant and does all it can to accommodate one's needs. The Village is in River Oaks, considered the finest neighborhood in all of Houston. I'm 2 blocks from the Bayou which has lots of walking trails and 4 from MEMORIAL PARK, the largest in Houston. I hated leaving all my friends in Sun City TX, but I have found new ones here. The wide variety of activities and meals in the dining room have given me an opportunity to interact with very interesting fellow residents.