Assisted Living
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Feb 2012
Does anyone have any experience with continuing care
retirement communities in the area? I am beginning the
process of finding a place for my elderly parents, as they
plan the big move from their home in Florida to the Bay Area
to be close to me. Any recommendations or advice would be
most welcome.
My personal experience is primarily with Piedmont Gardens.
My father lived in the nursing home section of Piedmont
Gardens 2002-2008. They are located adjacent to Piedmont
Avenue, have a active community, van rides to museums, even
cultural events like luaus & concerts on-site. I felt it
was a very good placement for him overall; I saw that the
nurses there stopped to visit with him & gave him personal
attention, which had a major impact on his quality of life.
I also toured Mercy (Catholic-oriented), Salem Lutheran, and
the Jewish Home in San Francisco (not sure if it's a CCRC) &
was impressed, but don't know anyone who lived there.
You'll find that your own involvement will make a difference
no matter where your father goes.
--Good Luck
July 2011
I am trying to bring out my elderly parents, and have been looking at
assisted living places. Dad needs more help with daily care such as
bathing, foley catheter, etc. Mom is more mobile. I have looked at
Sunrise, Aegis Living, and Monarch Place so far. Does anyone have any
experiences with any of those, or recommendations for any other places
in Oakland? I have been on a short timespan, and its hard to sort out
all of the variables so fast. Lisa
My mother-in-law was at Aegis (the facility in Moraga) for several years
before her death. It was a nice place, and the staff was very competent
and caring. There were activiites for her when she was able to enjoy
them. They helped arrange her transition to the dementia unit as her
needs changed, and hospice when the time came. It was expensive, but
was a good place for her when she no longer could take care of herself.
Daughter-in-Law
Feb 2010
I am interested in bringing my 85 year old grandmother from
New Jersey to live close to me and my family. She is
currently living independently and just can't manage
anymore. Bringing her into our home might be too much to
handle, and she does/will need medical care as well. Does
anyone have recommendations for excellent assisted living
facilities in the East Bay? She does have resources, so
cost is not a big issue. Thanks so much.
Sarah
Hi
I don't know where you live but Diablo Senior Homes has two residential
facilities. One in Danville the other in Clayton.
Here is the website:
www.diabloseniorhomes.com
Best of luck to you!
Heather
Greenridge Senior Care is a lovely assisted living
facility- clean, beautifully decorated and the people are
very warm and treat the seniors like their own family.
They are located in El Sobrante with easy access from I-
80. The rooms are large and the facility has a cozy
atmostphere. There are plenty of activities to provide
stimulation and therapy. There is also a skilled nursing
facility next door where seniors can be moved in case they
need additional care later.
You can check out their website at
www.greenridgeseniorcare.com or give them a call at 510-
681-4771.
good luck in your search!
Avril
Check out Rhoda Goldman Assisted Living in SF. My Mom was
there and it's a wonderful place. Great staff, lots of
wonderful activities, a beautiful facility, etc. I really
can't speak highly enough about it.
reva
Nov 2009
My mother is way past ready for an assisted living situation. The
problem is that all her money is tied to her home and to sell the home
would take a lot of money getting it ready. Does anyone know if
assisted living facilities have low income placements? I could help
out paying for this for approx 6 months, but my concern is that the
house won't sell in that time frame and I will have to pay beyond
that. Someone told me that facilities have low income criteria for
lower monthly payments but I haven't come accross this. Anyone?
We are just moving my mom to Assisted Living. We haven't found low-income
subsidies for Assisted Living but there are Adult Day Care programs and similar
programs to help people stay in their homes that are targeted to low income
seniors who would otherwise need Assisted Living level of care. You would need
to contact your county's Area Agency on Aging to find out what's available where
she lives. For example Sacramento County has a home caregiver program for low
income seniors. Senior independent living facilities may have some low income
designated apartments but there is often a waiting list. For both independent
and assisted living we have found that the non-profit facilities (often run by
churches) are better. They may not have chandeliers and designer paint on the
walls, but they have dedicated staff and the rates are lower. If your mom is a
veteran or the spouse of a veteran, look into pensions and 'Aid and Attendance
Benefit' through your local Veteran Services Organization to help with assisted
living/caregiver costs. Good luck to you and your Mom.
Kathy
Oct 2009
My mother will be moving to the Berkeley area sometime next
year (my father has aggressive pancreatic cancer and was given
just a couple of months to live). She and my father have agreed
that my mother would like to live in an assisted care facility
in the Berkeley area.
I have perused the previous listings for assisted care but I
wanted to find out which facility is best for young seniors. My
mother is 65, can still get out for a short walk every day
(using a cane), has a few cognitive issues (typical for MS--
memory issues), but is generally with-it, interested, social
and bubbly. I think that being 20-30 years younger than
everyone else in a home might depress her a bit. My sister and
I would like her to live with us, but we have 5 small children
between us, and the energy of young children just exhausts our
mother's nervous system.
However, she does need someone to at least be within hearing
range (in case she falls) 24 hours per day.
Do you have any recommendations for us? Thank you.
Worried Daughter
I cared for my Alzheimer'd Mom in my home for 5 years, until her
death @ 91. Before she died, I looked at (and liked) the Salem
Home in Oakland: www.salemlutheranhome.com and also the AgeSong @
Lake Merrit (N.B. they have a sep. facility for dementia
residents, not to confuse the two)
http://residencesatlakemerritt.com/community_Nearby.html
Good luck
--''been there, done that'' (well,almost had to)
Try Greenridge Senior Care in El Sobrante. It is in a very
convenient location, has a lovely view, and the care givers are
wonderful. It is also very reasonably priced. They have an
assisted living facility as well as a skilled nursing facility
on another wing which is nice in case your mother needs any
more specialized care. The place is cheerful and lively and
there are activities for the seniors everyday that they can
choose to attend. They also go to the Center for Elder
Independence and other outside trips. The phone no is 510-681-
4771 or you can also check out their website at
www.greenridgeseniorcare.com
Avril
April 2009
My family is in the process of choosing an assisted living facility
in the east bay, for my 92 year old grandmother. Right now we are
focused on Mercy (Oak), Salem (Oak), or Elders Inn (Alameda), and
possibly the Birkshire (Berk). The smaller size of Elders Inn (or the
Birkshire) seems like a potentially better fit for her, but I'm
wondering if the quality of care is as high.
I would love to hear from anyone with direct experience with these
particular places or opinions about other assisted living places in
this area.
Lysa
I had a very positive experience with my father-in-law at Salem
Lutheran. He lived there for several years 4 years ago, before
moving to Portland to be near family, and we always were in awe
about the kind of care for the price. The facilities were well
cared for, it offers many care levels, and the staff we worked
with were very good to him. It was a gem for our family.
Julie
March 2006
Hi-
My father-in-law (living in Rossmoor, currently) is getting
more fragile and would like to live in an assisted living
residence close to us (5 mile radius from Albany/Berkeley).
Does anyone have any recommendations for a decent place that is
not horribly expensive and in the area? Additionally, does
anyone know of a short term assisted living residence (month-
long is okay) while he recuperates from a bad fall? Thank you
for your replies.
Eugenie
You say your father has asked for an assited living facility because he's getting frail.
If you are interested in alternatives, there are ways he can live independently with some
precautions for his state. I've heard about a system that basically uses motion sensors
and a computer to track the status of seniors in their homes-- checks things like if
they've taken their medication, daily activities, etc. and reports to you if there are
any changes you need to know about that could indicate a fall, illness, if it's too cold
or hot in the home, etc. If this sounds like it could be an appealing and workable option
for you, check out QuietCare online. If not, I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful!
Jessica
Many assisted living evnironments have rooms for temporary stays
while someone is recovering from an injury. You could check with
Claremont House or Piedmont Gardens in Oakland. Generally the
larger facilities will be the ones to offer this option. Assisted living situations are
not inexpensive, but, after all,
you are paying for 24 hour care. The pricing will really depend
on the amount of assistance someone requires. Please contact me
if you need help selecting one: there's lots of assistance
through CANHR (wwww.canhr.org): they have ratings on assisted
living facilities and also information on how to select one. Joanna Smith, LCSW, MPH,
Healthcare Liaison. (www.healthcareliaison.com)
joanna
We have just been through the temporary recuperation from a fall part of your question
with our frail elderly. The over 60 clinic on Ashby X Sacramento is helpfull. A nurse
took us aside and quietly recommended that we drive the extra time over to the
Rounseville. (40th X Broadway) It was an inconvenient commute from Berkeley for us twice
a day was all we could manage with kids etc.
They were very nice and she liked the taste of the food. They pureed everything to avoid
choking problems....she missed the texture of course and was anxious to get home and have
a martini, but they were very good there and trained us in fragile skin care etc.....
I think all of these places are depressing and scarey. Maybe there is a better place but
that is what someone in the know recommended to us.
It is very clean and the staff is sweet.
El Cerrito Royale in El Cerrito is a very good center with
several levels of assisted living. The rates vary and there are
some HUD spaces at the facility, although you will have to check
on current availability. My mother was there for five plus years
and received wonderful help and care, including dining,
medication ordering, storage and monitoring and delivery,
entertainment, dining, cleaning, laundry, transportation to
doctors clinic and errands, etc. A very nice staff and facility
which has recently been redecorated. This is technically a board
and care facility, which may affect your choice, as it is not
literally a nursing home or classified as a SNF (Skilled Nursing
Facility). The prescription givers are med techs. The location is
less than 3 miles from Berkeley, and an easy commute. Recently Lost Mom
July 2003
I have looked at the archives on assisted living, but was hoping
that there might be someone out there that currently has a
parent or grandparent that lives in an assisted living facility
in the East Bay. I would like to find a nice place for my
grandmother whom is independent but needs to have someone on 24
hour call. I am interested in any advice or opinions on the
following homes: Montego Heights Lodge in Walnut Creek, Merrill
Gardens in San Ramon, Moraga Royale, The Bershire in Berkeley,
or any other nice facility that I might have over looked. The
criteran would be: within 30 miles driving distance of Alameda,
Friendly competant staff, clean, home-like atmosphere, a large
independent room w/ private bath, great diabetic meals, and
where more care is available if needs change in the future.
There are so many to choose from... Help! Any advice would be
grealy appreciated.
Thank You,
Melissa
we recently put my grandmother in a board and care home in El
Sobrante that my family just loves. They have many of these
types of places everywhere. If you want specifics, feel free to
e-mail me and I can get the referral information to you. My mom
got a list from Kaiser with all the local places around her
house. Great food, 24 hour care, and 3 elderly woman in the
home with my grandmother being the youngest at 93. they are
usually run by phillipino nurses, since they can't work in a
hospital with license from another country , but they are fully
qualifed.
Kerri
We were very happy with Summerville at Creekside in San Pablo.
My mother lived there for three years until she needed to move
to a nursing home. Amount of care is limited, but the community
atmosphere is excellent, with many people still essentially
caring for themselves. Size is big enough for social variety.
There are many activities and regular concerts at the home.
Outings on the house bus are available regularly. Food is
decent. Phone number is 510-236-1444.
Wendy
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