Elsa's House

DrJames'Corner

This is an assisted living facility, where most of the residents are high functioning . It's small--just 6 rooms, 12 people total--in a house that's been remodeled according to universal design principles. It's very comfortable, very charming, really state of the art. All the rooms are available furnished, or residents can bring their own furnishings. The owner's philosophy is to find homes in nice residential neighborhoods (this one is in a secluded neighborhood on the outskirts of Santa Rosa) and convert them to assisted living. Then she hires certified nurse assistants--many with backgrounds as family caregivers, so they bring that personal touch. They're all friendly and welcoming and well trained. There's also a nurse on call 24 hours. There's also an activity director, who schedules activities daily, every other hour: exercise, arts and crafts, field trips to a movie or the mall--that kind of thing. The food is also excellent. They offer breakfast, a kind of brunch snack, lunch, and dinner. There's just one choice for each meal. But they ask the residents a week ahead of time what they want. Overall, they're very accommodating to both residents and their families.