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Why We’re the Best Retirement Community in Bradenton, FL

4 seniors having ice cream together

The internet makes it easy to research your senior living options. You can visit websites, read reviews and dive into community Facebook pages and other social media accounts. But how can you know what it’s truly like to live there? That’s why independent reviews and accolades are so important. Freedom Village of Bradenton was recently included on Newsweek’s list of best continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Here’s what that means and why you should take a closer look at Freedom Village.   

Why Newsweek Ranked Us Among Best Retirement Communities

To be included among the top 300 CCRCs across 25 states is a great honor. Here are the three data sources Newsweek and global research firm Statista based their rankings on:   

  • National Online Surveys: Medical professionals (registered nurses, therapists and physicians) and staff working in the management/administration, acquaintances of residents and residents living in CCRCs were given online surveys. The reputation score counted as 70%, visitor satisfaction score was 15%, an accreditation score counted 10% and Google review score was 5%. 
  • Quality Dimension Scores: For each recommended CCRC, participants were asked to rate the following eight quality dimensions – accommodation, commercial services, community services, financial factors, food, overall care, overall safety measures and overall staffing – on a scale from 1 to 10.   
  • Accreditations: The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) scores, which are accreditations relevant for CCRCs, were considered. For example, the CARF accreditation score covers a broad spectrum of care options, including adult day services, assisted living, long-term care communities and independent senior living. CARF offers specialized accreditation programs for dementia, palliative and end-of-life care, and evaluates nonclinical aspects of a CCRC, including food quality, menu variety, room service and restaurant offerings. 

An Award-Winning Community

Our recognition by Newsweek as one of the best retirement communities is another in a long list of recent awards. Here are some of our other accolades: 

  • The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval®: The Joint Commission is the nation’s leading and most widely recognized health care performance improvement organization. Their standards focus on important patient, individual or resident care and organization functions identified as essential to providing safe, high-quality care. The Gold Seal of Approval® shows our commitment to holding ourselves accountable to a high bar for quality and safety for those we serve. 
  • LCS J.D. Power Award #1 in Customer Satisfaction among Independent Living Communities: As a Life Care Services® community and part of the LCS family of companies, we’re proud they once again ranked highest in independent living resident overall satisfaction for the sixth year in row. The study is based on responses from residents of the largest U.S. independent senior living providers within the previous three years. 
  • U.S. News & World Report Best Senior Living Community 2024-25: We’ve been repeatedly recognized for achieving the highest possible rating for independent living in a national performance assessment. U.S. News evaluated such factors as community and activity, food and dining, caregiving, and management and staff for nearly 2,500 communities in the continental U.S. and Hawaii. 
  • Best Nursing Home for 2025-2026 by U.S. News & World Report: Nursing homes that have earned the recognition of U.S. News have a track record of achieving better outcomes for residents and maximizing the amount of care they receive from nurses and other staff. 
  • 2023 & 2024 Bradenton’s Best Winner by The Bradenton Herald: Every year, the Bradenton Herald awards Bradenton’s Best as selected by readers. We’re proud to announce that the readers chose Freedom Village as the gold medal winner in the “Best Retirement Community” and the “Best Independent Living Community” categories in 2024 for the second consecutive year. We also won a gold medal as having the “Best Memory Care” in Bradenton and earned a bronze medal for having the “Best Assisted Living Community.” 
  • Herald Tribune Manatee Reader’s Choice First Place Award 2021 Readers’ Choice First Place Winner by the Herald-Tribune: The Herald-Tribune recognizes the best of local community businesses every year by inviting readers to vote for their top choices in Sarasota, Manatee and Venice. We’re proud to be awarded first place in their Readers’ Choice awards in Manatee in their Assisted Living Facility category. 

See What Makes Us One of the Best for Yourself

Ready to experience one of the best retirement communities in America? Use our Community Assistant chat feature or contact us here to schedule a personal visit of our award-winning community today!