Sunshine Manor Elder Care

Sunshine Manor is a small assisted living facility in Placerville"”about 40 miles west of Sacramento, nestled in the foothills in a residential neighborhood and just a half mile or so away from a hospital and doctors' offices. They don't offer memory care but do accept people with early stage Alzheimer's, or memory loss. As long as they're able to do most of their ADLs, or require minimal assistance, Sunshine Manor can meet their needs. It's has just 12 beds"”with both private and shared rooms. It looks like a large country house (it used to be an historic home); they added on about 3 extra bedrooms; nine total. It's wheelchair and walker accessible, and there are grab bars along walkways. They also have a lovely patio area to meet with family and other residents. When I last visited, they had mostly women residents, but they accept men as well. The whole place feels like a family run business. There's little turnover among either the staff or the residents, and there's a good ratio of caregivers to residents. The direct care staff is mostly CNAs, who are trained to dispense meds, perform basic first aid, cook meals, and provide daily care. They serve home-cooked meals, which are very good. The heavier meal is at lunch"”and they do offer moderately pureed foods for those who can no longer eat regular meals. Whether it's for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, July 4th, or Thanksgiving, the holiday meals reflect tradition. Family involvement is always good, but especially enhanced during the holidays. The activities program could be upgraded, but they do a pretty good job. Once a quarter they go on a casino outing, which is very popular. Also, they make occasional trips into the foothills and visit Apple Hill. Apple Hill has recreational apple farms, with craft fairs throughout the fall which are a big hit with the residents. And there's music"”karaoke and sing-along"”twice a week for each, exercise classes daily, classic movie time, memory lane videos, seasonal and holiday special events, non-denominational church services and Catholic ministry, and good old Bingo for candy bars. It's a great place to visit surrounded by fresh air and Ponderosa Pines. One can easily feel the bonding between the residents, and staff. Overall, I would give Sunshine Manor a 4.5 out of 5.