Schooner Estates Senior Living

    200 Stetson Road, Auburn, ME, 04210
    4.8 · 39 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    5.0

    Highly recommend Schooner Estates overall

    I placed my mom at Schooner Estates and overall we're very happy - the staff are consistently kind, professional and responsive, and she's well cared for. The place is spotless and welcoming, with excellent meals, lots of activities, roomy apartments and handy on-site services (labs, meds, laundry, transportation) that really save trips to the hospital. It is pricey and there are occasional concerns about staff turnover and limited skilled-nursing/admin coverage evenings, but for safety, comfort and community it's a wonderful option I highly recommend.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    4.79 · 39 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      4.8
    • Staff

      4.7
    • Meals

      4.6
    • Amenities

      4.9
    • Value

      3.5

    Pros

    • Professional, responsive, and caring staff
    • Staff treat residents like family and go above and beyond
    • Quick response to requests (often within 24 hours)
    • Engaging, extensive activities and off‑campus outings (bus tours)
    • Outstanding, varied dining with chef-driven meals and snacks
    • Comprehensive services included in monthly fee (linen, laundry, meals, light housekeeping)
    • Medication management and on-site medical services (blood draw coordination)
    • Clean, well-maintained facility and groomed grounds
    • Safe environment with daily checks and rapid emergency response
    • Multiple levels of care / continuum of care available
    • Transportation services (dialysis transport, free rides with notice)
    • Spacious, home-like apartments and welcoming common areas
    • Helpful front desk, attentive CNAs and nurses
    • Strong social opportunities and sense of belonging among residents
    • Convenient amenities (wheelchair loan, in-home lab draws, personal laundry)

    Cons

    • High cost; some reviewers say facility is expensive or out of price range
    • Occasional staffing shortages and high staff turnover reported
    • Communication sometimes hindered by low staffing or absent evening administrative staff
    • No on-site skilled nursing unit, causing concern for rapidly declining residents
    • Mixed opinions on food quality from a minority of reviewers
    • Isolated reports of medication administration issues for individual residents
    • Requests for improved emergency transport and ER companion services
    • A few unresolved individual care issues and occasional mismatch with resident needs

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment across the review summaries for Schooner Estates Senior Living is strongly positive, with many reviewers praising the staff, dining, activities, cleanliness, and the supportive, home-like atmosphere. The dominant theme is that staff are professional, responsive, and genuinely caring: numerous comments describe employees who treat residents like family, perform regular family check-ins, responded quickly (often within 24 hours), and went above and beyond during COVID. Reviewers repeatedly call out nursing staff, CNAs, the front desk, and resident services as helpful and attentive. Several reviewers specifically noted gestures such as window/phone visits during COVID, emergency daily safety checks, and a documented rescue after a fall that reinforced a sense of safety and vigilance in the community.

    Care quality and medical support are highlighted positively in many reviews. Medication management is available and praised, and on-site services such as in-home blood draws and coordination with hospital labs are viewed as convenient and valuable. The community offers a clear continuum of care with four levels of living, allowing residents to move up as needs increase; this was reassuring for families who wanted an option to stay in the same community. That said, a consistent concern is the absence of an on-site skilled nursing unit — a few reviewers were worried about rapid clinical decline scenarios and had to relocate when higher-level medical care became necessary.

    Dining and culinary offerings receive frequent accolades. Many reviewers describe the meals as outstanding, varied, and chef-driven, with some residents reporting weight gain and others calling the dining experience fine dining. Meals are served three times a day in a dining room, with snacks available, and multiple reviewers said the chef makes an effort to please residents. A minority of reviewers were indifferent or critical of the food quality, so while the general consensus is positive, there are mixed opinions among a few individuals.

    Activities, social life, and the physical environment are other strong positives. Reviewers cite an extensive calendar of activities, frequent bus trips and scenic outings, on- and off-campus events, libraries and game rooms, and a strong social culture in which residents make friends and feel valued. The facility itself is noted as very clean, new or well-maintained, and home-like, with groomed grounds, spacious apartments, color-coded doors and thoughtful layout. Several reviewers appreciated small conveniences such as wheelchair loans, linen changes, personal laundry service, and transportation to appointments (including dialysis), which contribute to a worry-free lifestyle.

    Operationally, many families commended communication and responsiveness from the care team and community relations staff, and described tours and move-in processes as simple and reassuring. Multiple reviewers said the monthly fee covers a broad range of services, and some called the community a good value for the price. However, cost is a recurring tension: while several reviewers called pricing reasonable or good value, others described the place as expensive or out of their price range. A few reviewers explicitly noted a cost/benefit gap between assisted living and memory care pricing.

    Areas of concern are fewer but notable. Staffing issues surfaced in multiple reviews: some families reported high staff turnover, low staffing levels that occasionally hindered communication, and administrative staff being less available in the evenings. A small number of reviews described medication handling problems or unresolved individual care issues, indicating that experiences may vary by resident. Reviewers also suggested improvements around emergency transport (including a desire for an ER companion service) and overall continuity when residents’ medical needs escalate beyond the community’s scope.

    In summary, Schooner Estates Senior Living is repeatedly recommended by reviewers for its caring and responsive staff, excellent dining, robust activities and social life, clean facilities, and convenient medical and lifestyle amenities. The community fosters a genuine sense of belonging and safety for many residents and families. Potential residents and families should weigh the generally high quality of care and services against the financial cost and consider the community’s lack of an on-site skilled nursing unit if they anticipate rapid, high-acuity medical needs. Additionally, prospective families may want to ask about current staffing levels and turnover, evening administrative coverage, medication administration protocols, and emergency transport arrangements during their tour and decision process.

    Location

    Map showing location of Schooner Estates Senior Living

    About Schooner Estates Senior Living

    Schooner Estates Senior Living sits in a serene spot with plenty of trees and green spaces, and the place offers several different living options like independent living, assisted living, residential care, and memory care, so folks can find what suits their needs and maybe even change as those needs change. The apartments and studios are roomy and comfortable, with safety features like pull cords for emergencies, and residents can get help from onsite nurses and staff who are around 24 hours a day. Schooner Memory Care is a separate, secured building for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, with 66 beds and systems like alarm bracelets to help keep everyone safe, and they even accept folks with significant behavior needs and provide care plans tailored to each resident. Folks living here get regular housekeeping, laundry help, and transportation, plus a chauffeur service for trips to local spots or farther out, so getting around isn't a worry.

    Meals are made by a professional chef and offered in the dining area or through room service, and staff can help with nutrition, medication management, and daily tasks like bathing or dressing if needed. The place has lots of common rooms, including a lounge, movie room, fitness center, library, cafe/bistro, billiards lounge, and even a beauty salon, as well as outdoor areas where people can enjoy fresh air or community events. Residents can use free Wi-Fi and cable TV, and there's always something to do with daily activities like music, crafts, games, movement classes, and educational talks, all coordinated by a full-time activity director. The community also holds events open to everyone and shares a newsletter called the Schooner Flash Newsletter that keeps people updated on news and activities.

    Religious services are held onsite and offsite, and cats are welcome as pets. Schooner employs RNs, LPNs, and visiting medical professionals like podiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, so folks can get extra care when needed, including home health services right in their apartments. Memory care and assisted living residents get custom care plans, including monitoring blood sugar, help with insulin injections, and assistance with using the restroom or managing incontinence, and staff manage light to medium levels of care, like cueing or hands-on support for moving around the home. Safety is built in with secured property and specialized technology, and people can choose their level of independence while relying on friendly, trained staff for help. The atmosphere tries to feel comfortable and homey, encourages socializing, and lets folks focus on their own comfort and well-being, all on a campus that's kept up for easy living.

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