Givens Highland Farms sits on 215 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, right along Tabernacle Road in Black Mountain, North Carolina, and it's been home to residents since 1971, with almost 375 folks from all sorts of backgrounds and places around the country living there now. This nonprofit Life Plan Community-also called a Continuing Care Retirement Community or CCRC-works hard to keep people safe, including efforts to stop viruses from spreading, and the staff, which numbers somewhere between 51 and 200, really show care and knowledge every day, making sure residents are comfortable and supported, whether they're in independent living, assisted living, memory care, or using the health center for rehabilitation after something like a joint replacement. There's a rest home available with incidental health care for those who need that bit of extra help, plus a clinic right on site, and for those wanting to keep moving and learning, you'll find exercise classes, college-level classes through the McCall College program, a woodworking shop, a crafts studio, a large library, a dog park, walking trails, a community garden, beauty/barber shop, and even a greenhouse for winter.
Residences come in different shapes and sizes, with apartments, condos, cluster homes, standalone cottages called Meadowmont, bungalows in Twin Oaks Neighborhood, larger homes for those needing more room, and the Vista Ridge and Vista Ridge South neighborhoods, the latter getting new apartments finished in 2025, all looking out across mountain views and natural wooded areas, and all including help with things like maintenance, weekly housekeeping, utilities-even telephone and internet-plus an emergency pendant system and 24/7 security. There's a big focus on folks being able to recover within the same community if they need more help, since the health center has 60 skilled nursing beds and lots of rehab services, so you don't have to go far for care. People there often take part in professional engagement, volunteer work, and spend time with neighbors, trading stories and experiences from around the globe, which makes for a place full of camaraderie and interest. Givens Highland Farms has a strong record too-it's got an A- rating from Fitch Ratings, has held accreditation from CARF continuously since 1993, and stays in good financial shape with solid leadership behind it, plus a partnership with Aldersgate Living to help with long-term growth. The community stays focused on quality, comfort, and support, letting people lead purpose-driven lives in a beautiful mountain setting, and all in all, it's a place that simply puts people first and gives them what they need for a comfortable, active retirement while the staff stays committed to helping every day. The facility is currently led by administrator Kristine Hoke and is part of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association. If you want to read more, their website is www.givenshighlandfarms.org.
