Dixie Lodge, also called Grand Villa of DeLand or Dixie Lodge Alf, sits in DeLand, Florida near other senior living places like Oak Manor, Woodland Towers, and Brookdale Deland, and has a long history as a former motel turned care facility with 34 rooms and 77 beds. The staff help with daily tasks such as getting dressed, bathing, toileting, medication management, help with transfers like moving from a bed to a wheelchair, and special care for people with diabetes or needing memory support. Residents can choose from assisted living, independent living, skilled nursing, memory care, and in-home care, and there are also services for people who need short-term respite care or help with serious illness or rehabilitation. The staff includes medical technicians, including one known as Santa Claus, and are there twenty-four hours a day to answer calls and keep people safe, with a full-time activity director offering daily activities including art classes, music, outings, and entertainment, and a mobile community program keeps people moving and social. Safety features include emergency call systems, ADA-compliant bathrooms, and a generator for power outages, though there have been times when staff didn't always know where residents were or when water temperature checks failed.
Residents live in mostly furnished rooms with private ADA bathrooms, cable TV, kitchenettes, telephones, air conditioning, and fast Wi-Fi, and there are shared rooms too, which makes things flexible for those needing different kinds of space, and people can enjoy a theater, beauty salon, fitness and wellness rooms, game and activity rooms, library, yard with walking trails, and an enclosed courtyard. The kitchen staff, including a professional chef, make three meals every day, with menu options for people with diabetes, food allergies, or other special diets, plus family or guest meals if someone wants to eat with loved ones, and the laundry and housekeeping staff help clean and keep things in order. Dixie Lodge lets people use computers and join Dakim/brain fitness programs, and there are community events, resident-led gatherings, devotional activities both on-site and off-site, and more spaces like a spa, salon, and an arts room, but the facility has also had some trouble, with multiple reports of low staff numbers, worn-out furniture, and bugs like roaches and bedbugs now and then.
Inspection records from Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration show several changes in ownership and some legal trouble, including a license that expired which led the state to shut it down, and there's a management office notice about a license denial. Some people living at Dixie Lodge have been there many years, some on Social Security or Medicaid, while others think about moving to different homes or nursing centers, and the place has a community feeling where staff try to treat everyone as individuals with care, compassion, and dignity. Residents get regular health checks, transportation, and parking, and move-in help if needed, plus a safe setting with help day and night even if the building has shown some age and needs from time to time. Overall, Dixie Lodge offers basic services and a familiar routine for many older adults, especially those needing help with health, memory, and daily life in a relaxed Florida setting.
