Live Oak Rest Home

In the Fall of 2008, upon the recommendation of a long-time friend, whose elderly mother moved to Sebastopol from Montana, I moved my very elderly mother-in-law from very unpleasant, crowded nursing home in Oakland to the Live Oak Rest Home, a lovely residential care facility with a small number of residents and a very caring staff. The owner of the facility, Ethel, runs a very clean and caring home and we have been very pleased with the Live Oak Rest Home ever since. It is also about half the cost of what the nursing home charged and my mother-in-law, who is now over 100 years old and who suffers from severe dementia, is very comfortable living here.

My Grandmother seemed to really love living there. She felt comfortable with the staff, who seemed very friendly. She originally did not want to move out of her home.Once she moved in she became at home in the small community. She became friends with several other residents, which brought her a lot of joy. The facility seemed to be well up-kept and clean. From what I saw and was told there seemed to be a lot of activities the residents could participate in, much more than just the traditional Bingo. Overall I think she was happy there and was able to have freedom but also be close to those who could help her if she needed it.

This is an ideal setting for people who don't need to move around a lot or are mentally compromised and who prefer the intimate feeling of a home. The location is a bit tucked away"”in a quiet and beautiful leafy grove. It is a beautifully maintained, very affordable home that shelters just six residents, and it has professional caregivers 24/7. Most of the residents have some degree of dementia, but staff members treat one and all with the utmost respect. Also, the woman who runs the place, Ethel, is an angel. Nothing is too much trouble for her. If a resident wants to go for a drive, she will organize a driving trip. If an elder wants to play monopoly, she will organize a monopoly board. Finally, the food served there is tasty, thoughtfully presented and beautifully served. T he price is about $2,500 per month, all inclusive, which seems quite reasonable given the care and setting.