The Best Senior Living Communities in National City, CA

"I really liked it. I liked the location. I liked the grounds. I liked the building. There were tons of residents out and about. It was lunchtime and it was like a stampede into the dining room, so that made me think the food was pretty good. Their apartment was just fine. I'm having a hard time because the bedrooms are all a little bit smaller than what I anticipated. I think that my folks will have to probably get a smaller bed, but that looks like that would be at any facility. Other than that, the apartments were just fine. I did like that they had some one-bedroom apartments on the first floor that opened out into the courtyard. They also had a lot of one-bedroom apartments that had balconies. It would be in my top three. I just need to confirm that they're going to be able to provide a gluten-free meal plan for my mother. The chef didn't know anything about it. The staff was good. The main difference is they don't have the big pretty lobby when you walk in."

"I visited Monte Vista Village Senior Living. I'm a member of the LDS faith, and I especially appreciated their Catholic community there. I was impressed by their religious staff. The lady was kind enough to contact me via text twice to make sure that I had all the facts right to make an informed decision. She was wonderful and very professional. She took me on a walkthrough and we saw, Welcome to Monte Vista. The facility has pools. As an independent living facility, I especially appreciated the chef-prepared meals that were available, and the calendar of events and activities appealed to me. The walkthrough of the grounds is especially nice. The exercise routines, exercise classes, and scenic walks around the property shouldn't be missed. They're very beautiful. The apartments are clean, spacious, and well furnished. It's a studio setup. I toured a one-bedroom also, and I was impressed with the amenities there, too. I strongly suggest taking a tour first because there was so much to see."

"I'm moving into St. Paul's Manor, and I like the community. I like the size and I like the location, the fact that it's Bankers Hill, that's walking distance to downtown San Diego, walking distance to the harbor, walking distance to Hillcrest, and walking distance to survival park. It's just it's a great place. The staff is very kind. To give an example of how long they've been there, two ladies that work in the dining room that have served me so far. One has been there the least amount of time for any employee in the kitchen, and that is seven years, and the other lady has been there 48 years. The staff doesn't turn over, it is secure. It's a good community. They're remodeling, everything's going to be up to date and everything is included. There are great views from my apartment on the eighth floor. It's just a nice place and the prices are very reasonable for what you get."

"I toured Atria Collwood. I liked all of the programs that they had, the different levels of care that they offered, and the way it was structured. It was like an a la carte menu. They had it in such a way that it was very transparent like that. You could see what you were paying for, and the facility was really well kept up. It's a really nice facility and the people there all seemed really on top of everything. Everyone there was very friendly. One of the directors of something was really helpful. She took her time, showed me the different places, and answered a lot of questions which some of the places did, but she just did an exceptionally good job at that. I thought that's why I like that place so much."

"My father-in-law was at Acorn Oaks Manor II. They were amazing. The process of moving in was very simple. The nursing care was around the clock because they had three different shifts. We had a good relationship with the nurses. They kept us updated if we weren't there. I can't say anything bad at all about them. My father-in-law was on a pureed diet. They cook meals for the patients. The building was very clean. They had a day room where they would watch television, make cookies, and interact with their patients. They can go outside. Activity-wise, some patients were mobile, and some weren't mobile. It's a very homey feeling. You're free to visit anytime. No appointments. But you have to sign in and let them know that you're there. It's 24 hours, and you can come and go when you please."

"I've had a lot of experience at St. Paul's Plaza. My godmother was there. She was independent, but if you're medical status changed, you pay a little extra. She went from independent to assisted because she had to have help after her. She was a resident for about two years. When you drive through, there's not a lot of parking, but there's a lot of street parking. On weekends, you could park at the hospital across the street in their parking lot. It's a gated community. It has a grass area with a playground for the kids, a dog park, and an area where they celebrate, like Veteran's Day. They have barbecues out there and music. When you go inside, it has marble and nice rich wood. They have a formal dining room, so if the family wants to use it, they can have their food or have their food catered. There are elevators. You can either have a one-bedroom or a studio. The living area has a kitchen with a small top two-burner stove, lots of cabinets, and a large closet as you come into the door. The bathroom is large and is located in the bedroom if you have the one-bedroom and there are two closets in the bedroom, which was nice. The shower area is large, where you can roll a wheelchair and scoot over into your shower chair. You have to provide your own internet. There's a large park across the street if you want to take your parent or your loved one out and stroll through the park. Their dining room is nice. They also have a bar with TVs. It's like Buffalo Wild Wings where you have the TVs on the wall showing the different games, and they have a bar where the residents can have a wheelchair roll up to the bar or residents can sit in the bar stools and you can get beer and wine. They have a meal plan where you either have breakfast, lunch, and dinner or you can reduce your cost by just choosing one or two meals. They have a gym with a physical therapist onsite at all times. They have a swimming pool and a therapy pool. The staff is really nice. The doors close at 11:00, and you ring the doorbell. I believe there's staff there 24/7 or you have a scan, so you can get back in. It's easy to get around. It had very nice wide hallways. They have exercise every morning where you just come right out your door and everyone in that hallway who wants to participate just does hallway exercise. Each floor has a full-sized kitchen and a large area for families to have their own little cookouts and meals together."

"I toured Sun and Sea Manor. They were super nice. The place looked good and nice. The people were nice. The room was nice. The staff member who toured me around was great. They're very helpful, friendly, and down to earth. The tour was very quick because we realized it was much more care and more expensive than we needed."

"My sister moved into Westmont at San Miguel Ranch. The staff members are caring, interesting, and friendly. I like the cleanliness. They're on time when they say they're going to be somewhere. They're very helpful. The dining area is very clean and client-friendly, as far as conversations with other people. They have a happy hour. They take the patients out on trips. They have entertainment that comes in. They have social meetings for the residents. It's a good facility."

"I went to Ivy Park at Otay Ranch, and it was a very nice tour. I met with another family while they were there, so that was kind of nice. They're probably a top contender. The only negative I had was I felt like their menu selections were a little limited if the woman was giving me the correct information on their dining room. The facility was very nice. They have a beautiful lobby when you walk in there. They had an area for happy hours and stuff that was very nice. It's in a very nice neighborhood. When you're driving up and walking up to the building, it's nice. I think they had the ability to do gluten-free there."

"Grossmont Gardens is a 5-star facility. I have no qualms about that. I looked at both assisted living and independent living. It was friendly. The place was clean and nice. I met with the residents there, and they were very friendly, too. The staff was exceptional. They were very helpful. The tour was nice. The facility was exceptional, and everything was like that. They showed me one unit that I was interested in, and then they found out that that unit was not available. They had given me a lesser unit, but I didn't want that. So that was where the glitch was. It was just that somebody got there before me. The facility was excellent. I have no negative comments about the facility or anything like that."

"I visited the Waterford Terrace Retirement Community. It was much more of a grand entrance. The entryway was quite grand. It's a three-story building with access to outside gardens. They have rooftop gardens, and there are cottages at the top level. There's more outdoor environment on the top level, but the first two levels were all indoor-like hotel-style apartments. It's a big facility, and it has a huge dining area. Activities are provided. It's an active community there. Food is all included. They also had a couple of food stations that were available throughout the day for the residents to get snacks and things that they want. Then they have their regular dinner and breakfast time slots. Everything is very nice, and it's comforting to know that the residents are happy, and the staff is friendly."

"We toured The Montera. It was a very nice place. If money wasn't an issue, I would consider that too, but unfortunately, what they offered was way too expensive. We saw the rooms, and they had church services. It had a nice pond with koi fish and was very relaxing. There's a walkway where you can hang out outside and look at the pond. They have a lot of outdoor space with patio lights hanging. The dining room looked nice, and they had a piano. It looked pretty clean, but some locations had a smell, like the assisted living part."

"I visited Right Choice Senior Living, and then I also spoke to the owner on the phone. The owner, for some reason, didn't know that I was going to be there, so he wasn't there. One of the caregivers assisted me. The tour was good. I liked it. Edgar was the caregiver, and he seemed to be very attentive to each resident. Each resident wasn't tied to a strict schedule. The residents could go outdoors if they wanted, but no gym or library that I was shown."

"I visited the Westmont of La Mesa, and it's the one I like the most. I like their rooms the best. The apartments had appliances and they had a full kitchen and cabinets. The person who gave me the tour was great and she did great. They also have beautiful outdoor spaces with large covered patios and little walkways."