The Ivy Thornton

The Ivy Thornton counts a bowling alley, a putting green, a bocce court and a horseshoe pit among its amenities, all within a 95-bed community on Washington Center Parkway in Thornton, Colorado. The community offers independent living, assisted living and memory care, with floor plans that range from studios to two-bedroom, two-bath apartments. Caregivers and medical technicians trained in person-centered care are on duty around the clock, and licensed vocational nurses provide support throughout the week.

On the assisted living side, the team helps with bathing, dressing, grooming, mobility and medications, and services extend to oxygen management, continence care and mealtime assistance. Residents also have access to in-house rehabilitation and a concierge physician as part of the assisted living service list. Memory care is provided in Evergreen at Ivy, a dedicated neighborhood where residents follow the EverYou dementia care program.

That program is built around five elements, Learn, Create, Connect, Fun and Fit, and Evergreen residents head out on excursions twice each week. Apartments in the neighborhood come as Ellingwood studios starting at 286 square feet and San Juan one-bedrooms starting at 508 square feet, each with upgraded features and expansive windows that bring in natural light. Meals are served all day in the restaurant, where menus change with the seasons and dishes can be tailored to diabetic, heart-healthy and low-sodium diets.

The community also has a bistro, bar and lounge, a private dining room and a Superfoods Program, along with a weekly happy hour. The activity calendar includes group fitness, chair yoga, gardening, a book club in the library, guest lectures on history and art, mahjong, bingo and outings to live performances. Indoors there is a movie theater, a fitness center, a full-service salon and an activity room, while the courtyard, outdoor terraces, resident gardens and walking paths offer time outside.

Independent living apartments range from the Crestone one-bedroom at 573 square feet to the Elbert two-bedroom, two-bath plan at 1,076 square feet. Those residents receive weekly housekeeping and laundry, scheduled transportation, an emergency response system, an on-site maintenance team and basic utilities as part of their monthly rate. Assisted living floor plans run from the 416-square-foot Carson studio through the Belford one-bedroom and Belford Suite to the 900-square-foot Princeton two-bedroom.

Monthly rates start at $4,695 for an independent living one-bedroom, $4,795 for an assisted living one-bedroom and $6,895 for a private memory care studio, and current pricing is worth confirming with the community before a visit. The community suits pet owners, since pets are welcome and the assisted living team offers pet care and walking, as well as residents who want independent living now with assisted living and memory care offered in the same community.

Medicaid is not accepted at The Ivy Thornton, and residents pay the monthly rate privately across all three levels of care. The building sits in suburban north Thornton just north of East 120th Avenue, at the Northglenn line in Adams County, with straightforward access to the rest of the Denver metro. Target and Sprouts Farmers Market on East 120th Avenue are each within a quarter mile, and Bad Daddy's Burger Bar and Cafe Rio in Northglenn are each a little over half a mile away.

Eastlake Park and Nature Preserve offers walking and birdwatching nearby, while Pasture Park is about half a mile away and Wyco Park about a mile away in Northglenn. Saint Anthony North Hospital in Westminster is under 3 miles to the north-northwest, and HCA HealthONE Mountain Ridge on Grant Street in Thornton is under 4 miles to the south.