Ashton Gardens Gracious Retirement Living

Almost 5 stars. Good food,service, staff friendly. Van to Drs great. If anything negative for me is there are so many people over 90.

Ashton wants to be a great place at which to live out your years, but its missing the mark and several levels and I feel sad about those omissions. For example, we have had 2 fire calls in the last 2 months and there has never been any instructions of exactly where to go or how to get there, especially considering how many residents who live here use walkers. The announcement says don't use elevators but what should folks on the forth floor, for example, use to exit the building? We have gotten no instruction. Even tiny little kids are drilled as to what to do in as emergency! Service in the dining room is challenging. The young people working there have often been abrupt in their rush to leave, snatching food and plates away from diners in a thoughtless and gruff and noisy manner. Many of the people here have traveled extensively and eaten well and the service at Ashton is often shockingly coarse. I think they feel they are paying a fair price for this food service and they do not want to be upset at so many meals. The recipes for for the meals often present as a dog food selections, overly salted and often spiced heavily. Cream soups are tastely but frequently indigestable. Another observation is that there is no reception at the front desk and anyone can walk into the complex and wander anywhere. Someone recently came to visit me and didn't know where to go to find me, so she wandered all over all the floors then gave up. So, little or no security or instructions for guests and delivery. I like the activity offerings, the gym, movies and the chapel offerings and I appreciate that the mangers are willing to clean off peoples cars after a snow storm, but couldn't there be designed young person for that job? I like the building well enough and the plantings have great promise; I understand there will be a major redecoration of the lobby but I'd rather I'd rather see the money spent on better service and better food.

Lovely facility. The staff is welcoming and helpful. There seems to be significant staff shortages and turnover, however. Also, they represent having an outside vendor providing assisted living services. I learned after-the-fact that the vendor is not insured or bonded. I found this concerning and moved my loved one elsewhere.

Ashton Gardens offers a relaxed, reliable option for independent living in Southern Maine. It’s not assisted living—but it is living with assistance. The environment is casual, the services are thoughtful, and the focus is on ease, not pressure. For older adults looking to simplify without sacrificing independence, Ashton Gardens continues to be a steady, well-run choice.

For the most part, our experience has been positive. The staff is friendly and efficient. The residents are welcoming and friendly. The one negative is the time it takes to get your meal. Aston gardens tries for a fine dining experience. The resident population are not fine dining people. A buffet service would be much more appropriate and would not consume the time the present service consumes. We’re happy here. I only wish the meal plan was more flexible and better suited to the existing population.