Overall sentiment across the reviews for Scandia Retirement Community is strongly positive, with recurring praise for the staff, grounds, safety, and range of services. Reviewers repeatedly highlight an immaculately kept property with beautiful landscaping and a gated, secure courtyard that features flowers and a fountain. The facility is described as peaceful, home-like, and well maintained both inside and out. Renovations and modern touches such as granite countertops, updated storage, and freshly remodeled common areas (including a theatre/movie room and community gathering spaces) appear to have made a consistently favorable impression.
Staff quality and leadership emerge as the most consistent strengths. Many reviewers single out the administrator/apartment manager CJ Swanson as compassionate, detail-oriented, and personally involved in residents’ well-being; CJ is mentioned by name in multiple endorsements. Staff are described as caring, professional, responsive, and active in residents’ lives — assisting with downsizing transitions, running errands, coordinating transportation, responding to emergencies, and organizing social activities. Several reviews describe the staff as going "above and beyond," contributing to a sense that residents are valued and that their quality of life is a priority. Long-term residents and family members alike report high satisfaction, describing Scandia as a ‘‘gem,’’ ‘‘home-like,’’ and a place where their loved ones are happy.
Service offerings are broad and often bundled: housekeeping/weekly cleaning, laundry, transportation/ chauffeur services, grocery and errand assistance, on-site coffee shop, meal plans with pickup options, and emergency call service. Multiple reviews emphasize the convenience of the central location — proximity to stores, restaurants, a library, doctors, and a church — and note the security features (gates, entry codes, secure parking/valet). Reviewers also appreciate locked-in rates and lifetime/inflation-protected pricing that include utilities, cable, and internet in some cases, which is frequently mentioned as an important financial advantage and a reason residents feel comfortable long-term.
Community and activities are another strong theme. Residents praise the smaller, close-knit atmosphere where people know each other, and there are regular social opportunities such as movie nights, pizza parties, dinners, tea parties, and BINGO. Some write that staff actively promote health and wellness and even organize specialty offerings (one review mentioned reflexology-style services), giving the place a ‘‘cruise ship-like’’ attention to lifestyle and comfort. The combination of social programming, attentive staff, and well-maintained amenities contributes to many personal recommendations and long-term tenures (several reviewers cite multi-year stays and strong endorsements).
Areas of concern are limited but noteworthy. Several reviewers report inconsistent dining service — while flexible meal plans and meal pickup are available, some experiences with dining were uneven. Apartments are typically unfurnished, so new residents must provide their own furniture; while kitchens are described as functional (small kitchen, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher), some reviewers note that bedrooms and living spaces can be on the smaller side, which may not suit everyone. A specific safety issue was called out once (a slick spot by a water drainage area in the courtyard), indicating that while landscaping is praised, there may be occasional maintenance or environmental hazards to monitor. Finally, while almost all feedback on leadership is positive, there is at least one report of a rude owner; this appears isolated but worth noting as an outlier in otherwise consistently positive leadership comments.
In summary, Scandia Retirement Community is presented in the reviews as a well-located, secure, and attractively landscaped retirement option with strong, resident-focused management and staff, a wide array of services and amenities, and financial features (locked-in rates and utilities included) that many residents find reassuring. The strongest and most repeated positives are the staff’s caring approach — especially the named administrator — the immaculate upkeep and renovations, and the convenience of services and location. Prospective residents should plan for unfurnished apartments and may want to assess dining preferences and apartment size during a tour; otherwise, reviews indicate a high level of satisfaction, many personal recommendations, and a community that supports long-term, comfortable independent living.
