Ruby's Guest Home

The Deluxe Guest Home was very nice. I think there were only 12 people there. So it's small, but very nice and clean. The staff was excellent and very informative. It's a mother and daughter team. The rooms were clean and neat. They were my first choice. The only problem was they're not a locked down facility.

This is a 34-bed board and care that is owner-operated. It's a house set back off the street, with a nice front yard and inviting picket fence. It's a very welcoming place"”blending into the neighborhood, which is an older part of Long Beach, with theatres showing old movies, several coffee shops within walking distance, a school and vintage clothing shops. The yard is well groomed and planted with flowers. There's also a porch swing for residents to use. When you walk up, you feel welcome"”like you're going into someone's house. Although the facility is for ambulatory residents, it is also wheelchair accessible, with ramps to the side doors and back. The place has a serene feel, with residents gathering and talking quietly. This is the cleanest board and care I have ever been in. The floors are immaculate and shining. In fact, the entire living space is immaculate; in hundreds of visits there, I have never seen a mess in the place. Most residents share rooms, but some are private. A fulltime cook provides meals in two separate dining rooms that are formally set. The staff brings out the food"”which is home-cooked and attractively served. The staff is friendly. Doctors make onsite visits, both medical and psychiatric. The staff is friendly; some live onsite and a few others come into during the day. Different activities are offered by a dedicated activity director: daily walks, arts and crafts, movie nights, bingo, chess. There are a variety of residents here, ranging from low to high functioning. The owner is calm and low-key, but puts out high expectations for those who live here and has zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol on the premises. And her approach works: Some of the residents here have gone from being holy terrors to being able to function well on their own.