Holiday Hidden Lakes

Stand-alone cottages and apartments, many of them facing a lake, make up Holiday Hidden Lakes, a rental community in Salem. The community is at 400 Madrona Avenue SE and offers independent living only. Holiday by Atria, the independent living rental brand of Atria Senior Living, operates it. The setting suits active adults who like to walk outdoors and want the housework, meals and driving handled for them.

Residents choose among several floor plans at different price points, from apartments to cottages, and some cottages face the lake. Monthly rent covers the home, 3 meals a day, housekeeping, laundering of linens, scheduled local transportation, building and grounds upkeep, basic utilities, and a daily schedule of events. In short, the staff handles cooking, cleaning and driving.

Outdoors, a walking path runs through the grounds, and a deck and common areas give residents places to sit and take in the view. Rent does not include personal care or medication management, and phone, cable or internet may be billed as extras. A specific apartment or cottage is held only after a deposit is paid.

Families choosing between a cottage and an apartment should ask whether meals, housekeeping and transportation work the same way for cottages as for apartments. Also ask whether outside home care is allowed later, and how the deposit works for a cottage. Families can compare this option through senior living in Salem before booking a visit.