Assisted Living Communities in Novato, CA

"My parents are in Cogir of Sonoma Senior Living. I think it's an excellent location. It gives them freedom and yet they're secured and they felt safe. There's always somebody there around the clock. They've been very accommodating and helpful with immediate needs like air-conditioning or whatever if something wasn't working right. So far, all their services have been excellent. Their apartment is all redone, so it's brand new and spacious enough. They have excellent closet space, a modern kitchen, and a lot of natural lighting with windows. I put them on the main floor, and they have a nice little patio there. It's on a very quiet street and the location is convenient to the downtown grocery store or wherever they want to go within Sonoma Valley. It's pretty centrally located. It's not in the outskirts at all. The place is very clean and they updated it two years ago. The only thing concerning a little bit is maybe the center garden area. There's a little bit of uneven pavement and so people that are a little bit impaired like my dad, it's gonna take a while for him to get used to, but other than that, I'm very happy with it. The activities are good. It doesn't feel like a senior living. It feels more like a hotel and it's just overall a definite place. I feel like I'm getting my money's worth overall compared to other communities in the Greater Bay area."

"My sister-in-law stayed at Pinole Senior Village & Alzheimer's Special Care Unit. Everything seemed very well-run and well-taken care of. I was satisfied with the facility. "

"I feel so relieved that my mom has landed here. I have full trust in the people who keep Cogir going and helped make her transition here seamless. The staff really cares about its residents and makes families like ours feel confident in our decision."

"My friend lived at Belmont Village Albany assisted living for three years before moving to their memory care area for the past year. For a long time she took advantage of all the activities on the independent side, but slowly her memory grew worse and her anxiety became inconsolable. She would call me and other friends multiple times per day in a panic and forget she had called. She became resistant to care and paranoid that people were playing tricks on her. It became clear that she was not thriving in her social group and needed more than assistance with showers and housekeeping. Her son agreed to move her to memory care and almost immediately she began to relax. There she has been able to participate in activities again and the staff is very patient. Her mood improved unbelievably and it was a big relief to me to see her smiling and laughing again. Her dementia is still progressing but she is so well adjusted in her routine. I don't know how they got her to do it but I am very grateful. "

"Piner's Guest Home was very homey. They had a couple of kitty cats that were kind of their facility's pets and then the owner has a dog that comes in as well. My sister called the place cluttered, but to me, it felt homey. There were books out and it felt like visiting your grandma's house. It was very nice. They had a one-bedroom and a studio. The studio was a very nice room and very comfortable. Not only did they have a hair and nail salon where they could get their hair or nails done once a week, but they also had activities like flower arranging, making art pieces, music, VR headsets to play games, and movies."

"I like where it's located. So I did looked at different places, but I'm not at the point where it would have to be a decision that is needed to be made right away. The only place that really matched for what I wanted was this facility. The staff is fine. I talked to them on the phone and they answered some of the questions I had. They also sent me the information I needed. I talked to a couple of people who know the place; it has a positive reputation. So based on that, I thought of all the places this is the one that I could see myself at. I think they're excellent, they have a lot of compassion, and there are more positive things than negative things compared to other continuing care retirement community. A lot of what I looked at was the location, reputation, and if I could see myself there. That's why I went to visit the place. "

"Benicia Angel's Home I was amazing. I felt that it was exactly what I wanted my mother-in-law to be. The grounds were lovely and the house inside was lovely. Each bedroom had its own bathroom or a shared bathroom. It was very nice and very clean. The workers there were very kind. The owner took us on a tour and she was lovely as well. They had a backyard where they encouraged people to go out daily to get some fresh air and stuff. I had no complaints about it, except for the price."

"I went here and it was a lovely and clean community. The rooms were more of a dormitory style rather than an apartment. They had a nice dining room although I was not able to eat there. The staff was very accommodating and kind. They were fantastic. "

"My mom has Alzheimer's-related dementia and has been living in the Coterie memory care ward since April 2023. Throughout her stay, the ward supervisor "Christina" and the rest of the memory care staff have done an exceptional job caring for her, while providing daily entertainment and activities designed to physically and mentally stimulate this challenging population."

"Finding the right Memory Care community for a parent is overwhelming, but our tour of Aldersly made the process a lot easier. Michael, the Sales Director, spent quality time with us and never made us feel rushed. The beautiful garden grounds alone set this place apart. It feels like a real community rather than a care facility. We were also pleasantly surprised by the dining program. The food looked genuinely delicious and residents are clearly well taken care of in that regard. The Happiness Program was the real showstopper. It uses light based holographic technology to create interactive games tailored to dementia residents. We had never encountered anything like it and it was heartwarming to see how much joy it brings to people living there. We left feeling reassured and optimistic. Aldersly is a place we feel good about for our mom."

"I toured Buena Vista Manor House. I like that it's a privately held business, that David, the owner, is part of the hands-on, day-to-day operation of the Manor House, and that he made a very strong personal impression on me. It was originally the dormitories for the nursing staff that was learning their profession at the St. Joseph's Hospital there. They have done a very nice makeover of the rooms, and the building maintains its original dining areas and libraries. All those things built for the nurses were applicable to the residents."

"Oakmont Gardens' staff seemed to be very nice, caring, humorous, and obviously got along well with the residents. The place seemed to be laid out a little more compactly, and it's a positive. They had one room where they showed movies, and the place looked to be a very good place that one could settle in easily. It was more park-like in its surroundings which made it feel a little less urban. It looked to be good, and they had a library. "

"It is lovely. They have great amenities, and they have a good program for the residents with many things to do. It's beautiful. The staff was very friendly. Everyone I've met there so far was very friendly, even as I observed other guests interacting with staff. They have different levels of care. The studio was small, but it's quite adequate. It has a mini kitchen with a microwave and refrigerator. It has its own private bathroom, and it's really lovely. They have a variety of rooms. They have one-bedroom units and places for couples. They have weekly activities, a game room, a movie room, a sauna, an exercise room, a pool, and a beautiful inner courtyard. They do weekly outings, and they will take you to your doctor. Everyone eats in the dining room and it's lovely. They seem to have something going on all the time. They put them on a bus and take them around. They play bingo and other things. They have a chef and it's restaurant-style dining."

"Elders Inn seemed like a good place. It seemed like a nice, safe place. It was clean. They had activities for the residents and a lot of physical therapy and so forth, so it seemed like a good place. My dad had a private room. It was spacious. He had his own bathroom. We needed to buy a mini-fridge to put in there. They had lot of activities. Every half an hour, it seemed like they had something going on, i.e., musicians performing in the music room, bingo, yoga classes, and things like that. The staff seemed helpful. I would recommend this place to others. My dad was only there for maybe about four or five months. "