Apartment & Housing Complexes for Seniors
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Apartment & Housing Complexes for Seniors
May 2004
My parents want to move to either the San Jose area or up here to
be nearer to their kids/grandkids. They are in their seventies,
very fit, play golf/tennis and socialize a lot. Are there any
places besides Rossmoor to look at? Any suggestions are greatly
appreciated. Thanks.
Stefanie
My in-laws moved out here from Baltimore last October. They also
looked at Rossmore and another-type community up east of Santa
Rosa. They ended up purchasing a home in the Del Webb Community
in Lincoln (about 30 mins NW of Sacramento off I-80.) It's a 55-
plus community with lots to do (rec center, golf, tennis
organized trips, etc.) Though they're farther away from the Bay
Area than they'd like to be, they liked the community and
affordability of the housing so much better that it made the
distance worth it for them. Having looked at houses in their
community and in Rossmore, I can attest that the difference is
significant and makes Lincoln worth considering.
jc
January 2005
I have been looking at senior housing for my 86 year old mom. She is in pretty
good shape, but 86...not ready for assisted living, but needs more socializing and
transportation. She currently lives in Rossmoor. I have looked at Chateau III in
Pleasant Hill, Claremont Gardens, Lake Park, Piedmont Gardens, Strawberry Creek
(too hip) the Berkshires, (too fragile). I live in West Berkeley and would like her to be
within 15 or 20 minutes, but will compromise if the place is great. I would love to
hear from someone with some current first hand experience at any of these places. I
am glazing over. They all seem OK, but nothing says YES absolutely... Wish there
was another option, like the communal living of our younger years.... Any advice
appreciated.
Signed: Janet
My mother-in-law spent five years at Byron Park, the Independent
Living facility on Tice Valley Rd. in WC. (If your mom lives in
Rossmoor you have passed Byron Park a million times: It's the big
grey buiding on the left as you turn onto Tice Valley from
Olympic.) It was a good place for her. Each resident has their
own apartment (studio, 1 or 2 BR), with a functional kitchen.
There also is a dining room that serves lunch and dinner daily.
There is a pool and a hot tub, the place is clean and airy, and
there is a pull cord in every apartment for emergencies. A bus
takes people to appointments, shopping, etc., and there are some
interesting excursions for those inclined to explore. It really
is independent living, however; no one there suffers from
dementia or needs more than periodic assistance. For someone
with all her marbles, in search of a senior community with just a
bit of support, it is a good place.
When my mother-in-law was no longer able to live independently
(dementia and mobility problems) we moved her to Aegis in Moraga.
It is an assisted living place with sliding scale assistance:
the more you need, the more you pay. But it does not feel
institutional the way most AL places do. Each resident has a
room with a private bath and small refrigerator/microwave. The
dining room serves three meals a day. It is bright and clean in
the same way Byron Park was (one reason we chose it). It is just
a block from shopping, and right near a beautiful walking path.
There are some sharp seniors there (alas, my mother-in-law is not
one of them) and staff is nice and helpful.
Good luck with your search.
Leslie
Jan 2003
Does anyone have a parent or loved one at St. Paul's Towers in
Oakland? My 70 year old parents are looking into it, and I'm just
not sure whether it will be right for them. They're used to a
very quiet suburban neighborhood life in Northern Marin, and I
wonder whether the very urban setting of St. Paul's could be a
difficult adjustment. They have lived in one big city for a few
years, Honolulu, which they enjoyed thoroughly, but Oakland might
feel even busier and noisier to them?
They are in fairly good health. My mother enjoys taking walks
and my father rides a recumbent bike, both of which they could do
around Lake Merritt. My mother would enjoy going to the museum,
walking around Chinatown, etc. Both of them are afraid of traffic
so I think they'd try public transportation. One thing's for
certain, it is much more affordable than the options in Marin!
I'd be grateful to hear from anyone with recent experience,
Natasha
The best thing about St. Paul's Towers senior community in
Oakland is that your parents will get health coverage at the
Towers as they age, including assisted living and skilled
nursing care (in very nice facilities in the same building).
It's a ''Life Care'' facility (CCRC), which means that once
entrants pass a physical and meet basic financial requirements,
then follow-up care is guaranteed. That's big. (Wherever your
parents move, they (you) should ask about the transition from
independent living to assisted living and skilled nursing,
should that become necessary).
The community, a tower on the shores of Lake Merrit near
Fairyland, has recently been rehabbed,and the apartments are
very nice.
You and your parents can talk to the admissions staff to arrange
to talk to current residents, to see what their experience is
like. If your (your parents') concern is about the Towers ''urban
environment'', I'd tell the admissions staff and ask for some
formerly ''suburban'' residents to visit.
The Redwoods in Mill Valley is not expensive, but has a long
waiting list. My mom's friend recently moved there and could
only get a studio because the wait list for 1 and 2 bedroom
apartments is so long.
Good luck.
Merry
Inexpensive or subsidized apartments for my mother
May 2000
My mother is looking to move from Santa Clara to Berkeley this summer. She'll
be retiring in a couple of years, and moving back east at that point, so isn't
looking to buy. So, I'm trying to find out what's out there in terms of
cheap/subsidized housing for older folks (she's almost 63). I'm not looking
for
assisted living or anything, just a place that might be less costly. She very
much wants to be in Berkeley, to be near her one and only grandson. And we
could use the babysitting. Anybody know anything about this, or where to trun
for more info? Thanks. Chris
Re elder care: Four years ago we researched retirement communities for my
mother-in-law, then 76 and healthy but a bit physically frail. There are
three categories: independent living (one's own apartment for
self-sufficient people, but with some services), assisted living (help with
dressing, feeding etc.) and nursing home care. We didn't find any place
that offers what a hale and engaged senior needs now, but also has full
assisted living for the future. Places that offered real assisted living
tended to cater to more frail (read: out of it) people and were depressing
for my elderly but independent mother-in-law. We opted for a place that was
predominantly independent living with limited assisted care in case of
illness or injury. She ended up in Byron Park in Walnut Creek and has been
very happy. It is a large building with individual apartments -- real
apartments, with real (if small) kitchens, unlike many we saw. There is a
dining room that provides lunch and dinner (the rent includes one meal a day
but residents can opt for two), lots of activities for seniors, a shuttle
that takes people in and out of town and to medical appointments, and pull
cords in every room to get emergency help in case of a fall or something.
There is a check-in system (opening the door for the newspaper in the
morning triggers an "okay" signal to the front desk, I think) so the front
desk knows to check up on someone if they have not checked in by 9:00 am or
so. There is a nice pool which is heated to about 90 degrees and a spa. It
is not cheap, but manageable with her pension and savings. I'm sure she
would be happy to speak with your mother about it, and give her a guided
tour. We also liked the Claremont House in Oakland (near Piedmont Avenue),
which has an interesting mix of residents, including many retired Berkeley
professors, but is more urban.
Leslie
I believe that Piedmont Gardens off of Piedmont Ave. in Oakland is quite
well thought of. It's well located for seniors near lots of amenities
(minimizing driving) and public transportation, too. Worth checking
out, anyway, and they might have other information about other options
for you, too. Wendy
Call the Alameda County Agency on Aging for a list of all senior facilities in
Northern Alameda County. The list includes brief descriptions. You can also
ask them
to be put on the mail list for their next Information and Referral
Roundtable, which
brings together 50-100 reps of senior agencies in the area; then you can
request
suggestions from them. Also check the local AARP chapter for resources.
In Berkeley, Strawberry is modest cost, independent living, long wait list.
In Oakland, St. Paul's Towers is high-end "life care." You pay $35,000+
(depending
on the size of the apt you choose) 'buy-in', then $2000+/month, including 3
meals,
maid service, transportation, all medical care, and guarantee of assisted
living,
skilled nursing care and hospitalization (including alzheimers care on
site) for the
rest of your life. Active social calendar.
In San Leandro, Baywood Court. Independent living apts, separate assisted
living
units, pool, gardens, very active social community run by residents.
Merry
Strawberry lodge has a good reputation for senior housing, but I don't know if
they offer "assisted" living. You should avoid the Berkshire House.
Although it's
a nice physical environment, I found that the only administrator who had a clue
about my mother's well being was the owner, Ms. Arndt. The other people were
completely oblivious to her needs.
It was quite unsettling. There is a really nice place in El Ceritto named"
something
Royal" (I think). There is a very handy booklet called "Lifestyles" that
lists a lot of
housing for seniors.
Toby
We've just spent the last few weeks looking for senior housing for my mother.
She's 87 and lives independantly but may need help as the years pass. There
are many places in the area. I recommend stopping at a local senior center
and picking up a booklet called "New Lifestyles. An Area Guide to Senior
Residences and Care Options for SF Bay." This booklet has every possible
type of situation you could need throughout the area. The phone number to
call is 1-800- 869-9549. It was very helpful to us.
My mother chose a place off of Lake Merritt called Lake Park. They invited
her to stay a night or two (she stayed one night and one day) as their guest
and she fell in love with it and can't wait to go back. She lives in northern
N.H. in a lovely rural town in a big house but is very isolated in the winter
and can't afford the continued upkeep on her house, taxes, etc. She's healthy
and sharp but getting a bit frail.
Some places have what's called Life Care where you buy in and then pay a
monthly fee that never changes even if the care you need changes. Other
places charge monthly rent only. We found some places to be really expensive
and some places to be very depressing and dumpy. Then we found some places
that felt really nice and were willing to do "creative financing" such as
Lake Park.
I suggest you pick up this booklet (free) and call places and go see some of
them.
I know there are a few supposedly really nice places in Berkeley.We
didn't look at any of them because we found Lake Park and didn't need to look
further. Good luck.
June
Claremont House on 51st Street has nice apartments and different levels of
care. It's
across from the shopping Mall and therefore very convenient for Seniors.
Piedmont
Gardens has a great reputation. For unassisted living: Berkeley Town House has
condo's to buy for seniors only: Dana and Parker. My mother lives there and
likes it.
also, close to Andronico's and restaurants. If you call Jewish Family
Services I
think you could get a full list of places to look at. Good Luck! Dorothea
I recommend Strawberry Creek Lodge at 1320 Addison ST. 510-841-8330. It is
an older building but it is well cared for, has good management, an active
resident population, and an ownership board that cares about the residents.
They have some section 8 slots but there is always a waiting list. check it
out. If they can't accommodate you, they can recommend other senior
buildings in the Oakland area.
Mrschilly
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