Magnolia of Millbrae

I visited this facility

The Magnolia was far too expensive. It's okay for people who have a lot of money. But I couldn't afford it. So I don't consider it as a place I would go to eventually. I talked a little bit with their marketing director and looked at their apartments. She was very pleasant and answered all our questions. Magnolia is a nice place. They have good food, nice facilities, and the apartments are adequate. I had no complaints. It's just that when I found out what it cost, I said that's not for me.

I visited this facility

My great grandfather spent the last year of his life living in Magnolia and he absolutely loved it. It is such a wonderful facility, filled with caring staff and lively residents. They offer a variety of fun activities for residents including in-house movie nights, trips to museums and ballgames. Their dining room is the center of the social scene. Their staff cared so well for my great grandfather during his last few months and a few of them even showed up at his funeral when he passed away.

My mother was a 3-1/2 year resident of The Magnolia. Thier staff was caring and very efficient in their daily tasks. The facility is something out of a Home and Garden Magazine. It has a pool, a beauty shop and even a candy shop!

Every year at Christmas time, the facility's owner throws a huge over the top party for the residents and thier friends and family. The food is magnificent and is there in abundance. The residents get all dressed up in their finest Christmas garb and kick the holiday's off in style.

The apartments are available in 1or 2 bedrooms and each has a dishwasher and washer and dryer. The bathrooms are set up for the ease in bathing and in entering and exiting. All thought is given to the residets. The facility also has buses that can transport the resident to downtown Millbrae for shopping or to a doctor's appointment.

Millbrae is a darling small community south of San Francisco. The weather is very agreeable and the friendliness of a small town is very apparent.

I'm very familiar with Magnolia of Millbrae, which offers both independent living and assisted living. I've had several clients there. MofM's strong suits are residents who are ambulatory—those who can get around either on their own or with help and don't have cognitive issues. They don't have a dementia waiver here, but they help residents who develop memory problems make the transition to another facility that offers dementia care.

It's located around the bend from downtown Millbrae, so it's close to all the shops and restaurants that Millbrae has to offer. And it's very pleasant. All the common areas are on the first floor. It feels open and welcoming. And there's an indoor pool with glass walls; that's unusual and a nice plus.

One of the best things about Magnolia of Millbrae is the management team. It's family owned, and they work hard to accommodate residents. They're problem solvers, intensely focused. I've seen them deal with some very difficult situations involving my clients, and they've handled them quite well. The staff, too, is good, skilled—well supported by the management team.

I've heard mixed reports from clients about the food. Some like it. Some don't.

Visited this facility

Luxury was our overwhelming impression when we visited Magnolia of Millbrae to scope out possible new homes for Mom and Mom-in-law. Everything seemed top-notch, from the services to the residences themselves. Apartments are spacious and include a washer and dryer, a rarity in senior communities. Assisted living services are available in a variety of packages, so you don't pay for more than you need.

As far as the common areas -- wow! Lovely library and lounge areas, including one with a live pianist for cocktail hour! Very nice dining rooms, a full gym, year-round pool, sweet shop, nicely kept grounds with lots of shady areas for sitting. There's an on-site wellness director doing health screenings and preventative care and so many activities (recreational, social, educational, etc.) a teemager couldn't keep up with half of them.

About the only negative I can think of was the price -- steep -- but you very obviously get what you pay for.

My loved one stayed here

This is a fabulous place. We enjoyed visiting for the 10 years that our parents lived there. The dining room is as nice as most restaurants and they will accommodate private parties in a side room. However, being a rental, they can evict people that they think are too much trouble -- even when we were willing and able to pay for private extra nursing service, we had to move Mom to another facility that is not as nice.