Independence Village of Oxford

Independence Village of Oxford is a senior living community on Market Street in Oxford, Michigan, where independent living and assisted living support share one building close to downtown and the surrounding lakes. Apartment homes have open-concept layouts that give each resident a private place of their own, while the shared dining rooms and common spaces keep neighbors close at hand throughout the day.

Apartments range from one-bedroom homes of about 629 square feet to two-bedroom homes with one and a half baths that reach about 1,010 square feet. Most of the floor plans include a private balcony or patio where residents can sit outside in good weather, and one two-bedroom plan adds a fireplace in the living area for cooler evenings. The open layouts make furniture easy to arrange, so a lifetime of belongings can usually find a place in the new home, and the two-bedroom plans leave room for a guest or a hobby space.

Independent living at the community suits adults who want to live without the work of a house, since housekeeping, maintenance and repairs, lawn care and snow removal are all handled by the team. Residents keep their own schedules and come and go as they please, using the shared spaces when they want company and their apartments when they want quiet. An enhanced living option adds personal support such as help with bathing, dressing, mobility and medication reminders, and the support can be increased or reduced at any time so that a resident pays only for the assistance needed.

That flexibility lets a resident stay in familiar surroundings and among familiar faces while the amount of help changes, which many families find reassuring when they are planning ahead for a parent or spouse. A resident can begin with independent living and add support later without leaving the apartment that already feels like home. Meals are chef-prepared and served in restaurant-style dining rooms, with menus built around fresh, locally sourced ingredients and the preferences of the people who eat there.

The dining rooms give residents a natural daily gathering point where friendships form over lunch and dinner, and the team plans the menus with the tastes of the community in mind, so regular diners can expect variety from one week to the next rather than the same few dishes. A calendar of activities is designed around varied interests, so there is usually something to join for residents who enjoy company and something quieter for those who prefer a book.

The community also has a beauty salon and barbershop, a library, a business center and on-site physical therapy, which means many everyday needs can be met without leaving the building. Pets are welcome in several of the floor plans, so a beloved dog or cat can often make the move along with its owner. The location is one of the practical strengths of the community, because the shops and restaurants of downtown Oxford and Centennial Park are only minutes away.

Boulder Pointe Golf Club, a 27-hole course, sits less than a mile from the front door, and Stony Lake and Seymour Lake are a few minutes by car. Henry Ford Rochester Hospital is about 13 miles away, and dial-a-ride service from the North Oakland Transportation Authority is available for residents who prefer not to drive. Because so many services sit within the building, a typical day can move easily from a morning appointment with a physical therapist to a visit at the salon, an afternoon in the library and a relaxed dinner with neighbors, while residents who like to stay connected to the wider area can step out to the shops and restaurants nearby.

Families visiting Independence Village of Oxford can walk through the apartments, sit down in a dining room and talk with the team about how independent living, assisted living and enhanced living fit together, and bringing a list of daily routines and support needs makes that conversation concrete.