The Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Alameda County, CA

"Grand Lake Gardens felt like it was in a shady area on a hillside. There wasn't a lot of access to the sun. I didn't like the decor inside nor the service in the dining room, but the food was fine. They had a library, a craft area, an exercise room, a meeting room, a very pleasant garden for walking, and an outdoor area on the roof for walking."

"We think St. Paul's Towers is a nice place that didn't have a smell. It's clean without smelling like Pine-Sol. It had an interesting group of people there, and the food was delicious. They had the medical component, library, gym, and activities. The doctors were right downstairs, and the hospital was on the top floor. "

"My experience with Piedmont Gardens was positive. I was always surprised at the number of staff members who were available for assistance. My friend was a very finicky eater and was often unhappy with the food. A staff member overheard us talking about this issue and she immediately tried to address it. She brought my friend milk shakes, soup, and juice--all foods that she liked. There was also an employee who brought my friend her mail and--since she was blind in one eye--read her letters to her. The facility had musical entertainment on certain days, and people who were available to help my friend walk to space in which the performances took place. I've been in some facilities that were poorly lit and not too clean. Piedmont Gardens is spotless and comfortable. People who live there have created clubs and participate in outings to local shopping areas, etc. There seems to be a strong community. "

"Merrill Gardens at Lafayette is a beautiful place, and its brand new, but they are just very expensive. What I also find is that a lot of these facilities do not have covered parking, and the rooms are small. It's a nice place, but I didn’t think the carpeting was in good taste. The manager is very good as well as the nurse is very good. They are highly intelligent and very professional. "

"My parents have moved into Viamonte at Walnut Creek. It is a very nice facility. It's new and very well done. They are also expensive, but nice. They're brand new, modern, and stylish. They have nice amenities. The location is good. The staff is nice. It's a very nice, upscale place. They have activities. I think they are minimal, but they do have activities."

"We liked Webster House because the apartment was larger and lighter, and the building was located on a pretty well-travelled street in Palo Alto, which would make walking outside more appealing. It's not in the middle of a busy block. It's very close to downtown, which has a movie house and a little cafe. You won't get a lot of downtown city noise at night. It's very comfortable to live in. We have nothing to complain about how we were treated. It was very nice and very clean, and we saw people in the lounge of the third floor and the dining room."

"Channing House is very nice. It's quite large. They have a walking track on the top of the building so people can walk around the top. There's a gorgeous view of the Santa Cruz mountain range, which is near us. The units cost by the floor. So if you live on the second floor, you don't pay as much as the people who live on the 10th with a wonderful view. The view is spectacular. It overlooks Stanford University and the mountain range beyond that, so it's quite a nice view. It's to die for, I would say. It's a huge, huge complex. On each floor, I would guess there might be at least 20 units. They have a stovetop, a microwave, and a fridge. On each floor, there is a full kitchen, so if someone wanted to bake cookies at Christmas, she could go down the hall, sign up for the kitchen and use that. But they don't have full kitchens. They also don't have washing machines. All the other places have a washing machine in a little closet. So you have to sign up for your day, you go down the hall, and you do the wash. So it's a little bit less service. All the others have full other things in the apartment. Channing House has some wonderful activities and lots of trips out. This place also has a shop, which my husband liked a lot in the basement for men who want to build like they have electric saws in there. It's run by a resident who makes sure that men don't go in there and cut their fingers off, so that was a nice feature. It does have parking for residents. At Channing House, you have to pay a thousand dollars to even apply and then you use your money up and you don't get anything back. When you die, your unit gets resold."

"I was at Bonnie Brae Terrace a little bit more than a month ago for a tour. The experience was good. The infrastructure seems a little bit outdated, but the showroom looks nice. I think there is like a $300-something mandatory for food service where it offers breakfast and dinner, and there's no lunch, so I found that kind of weird. The studio has a microwave, but it does not have a kitchen, so my father can't cook lunches. I think there is a one-bedroom apartment that does offer a kitchen, but it's a little bit more. The staff who gave the tour was very nice, though."

"San Francisco Towers is very elegant. It's an urban setting. They have an indoor pool and available parking. It's very nicely done and very nicely maintained. However, it was much more old school. You can add assistance as you need it in time, but they have a large financial buy-in and their policy is that you have to be independent initially to get in. The person who toured us was very pleasant though."

"I’m putting in an application at The Sequoias. It is a nice, pleasant place that seemed to have lots of activities. The staff was very nice when we spoke to them. The room looked quite nice. I would recommend them to others. It is in a pleasant, convenient part of town. "

"The Terraces at Los Altos is great. The facility itself is very well taken care of. It's not dirty or rundown-looking. It seems very well groomed. The staff seemed really great. They have a good staff-to-client ratio, which I think is fundamental. If the place looks nice, that's obviously good and makes you feel good about the management, but the staff-to-client ratio is so important. We met a few of the staff in the reception area, and when we were walking around, they were very friendly and engaged. Some of them were with a resident, and they were just happy doing their jobs."

"The Sequoias is part of Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services. It is an excellent facility. I like the fact that they offer three levels of care. They have independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. With regards to accommodations, they have one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. They also have what I call individual living units. If you're going to move there, you have to realize that it will involve downsizing and it will be a tremendous change. The only obstacle I have with this place is that they have a two-and-a-half-year waiting list, and not only that, they also have this entrance fee and monthly fee concept that I don't like. "

"We went to the rooms at Sunnyview, and they were very spacious. The dining area was good. The staff were very courteous and everything you would expect them to be in a pretty difficult situation. "