The Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Contra Costa County, CA

"I have a friend who lives at Piedmont Gardens. I think they are very proud of their residents who were active in their communities; they are retired university professors. They have lots of staff usually of intellectual nature; there are lectures, they have a library, they received periodicals, they have music available, and they take people to the theater. I toured some rooms, and I was interested in a 2 bedroom and 2 bath, but I couldn’t afford it as it was very pricey. I like the area where they are located as it’s across from shopping and restaurants; it's very nice. "

"Grand Lakes Garden does have a flexible food plan. They give you credit. They only charge you for what you actually eat there in the dining room. The facility is pretty good, much more straightforward. It is a very nice place, but it costs quite a lot of money to buy into that place, and that is another concern. "

"Section below this refers to the whole "continuing care" facility. ASSISTEDLIVING: My father was in assisted living at St. Paul's for several years. The staff members were exceptionally kind and attentive. The A.L. floor has its own dining room, but residents are able to go to the large main dining room if they are mobile enough and want to join others there. My father was very satisfied with the care he received. IN GENERAL: This is an excellent facility offering independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing all in one large building. My mother-in-law moved into a two bedroom apartment with my post-stroke father-in-law the year the facility opened. He died within a couple of years and she transferred to a one-bedroom apartment, where she lived for four decades. She repeatedly said how glad she was to have made the move and how happy she was with the facility. St.Paul's is next to Oakland's Lake Merritt Park, where one can listen to band concerts in summer, walk the three miles around the lake, visit the bird refuge, rent small boats, watch children play. For the active retiree it is an easy walk to BART (the rapid transit system with trains to San Francisco.) There are various lectures and other activities, and a movie once a week. Limousine service to city events. Driver to bank and to medical appointments. Family and friends may be included (for a fee) at the meals in the large dining hall. The meals are varied and there is a lunch buffet and a Sunday night buffet. For couples, it is convenient to visit a partner who is in a room with a different level of care. The atmosphere is welcoming. There are some gay couples and some members of racial minority groups. All are well treated by staff members and residents. DO check the price structure directly with the facility as prices on other web sites are not always up to date. "

"Our New Life at Stoneridge Creek We just celebrated our one year anniversary at SRC in January. After living in our country home that we loved for 43 years, we moved into SRC, after making the decision that our house was just too big and too much to care for at this stage in our lives. We never expected to move to a Senior Community, however after visiting SRC and finding out all the benefits of a CCRC, it was easy to make the decision (but the move was NOT EASY). We couldn’t be happier! We feel like we are on a perpetual vacation with endless opportunities for activities, exercise, intellectual stimulation, socialization, good food, health resources and safety. We love the convenience of so many opportunities right here on campus. We have more socialization here, have made many new wonderful friends and have the opportunity to join in new activities, new exercise classes we haven’t done before, endless wonderful music programs, movies and excursions off campus to places like Filoli, California Academy of Sciences and more museums, sporting events, wine tours….on and on. We have our own community garden bed and hope to start using the wood shop this year. The three restaurants offer many dining choices, so the need to cook is minimal. Plus our maintenance needs are taken care of and we have a cleaning service bi-weekly. We are so happy at SRC and our adult children are happy that we are here as well. We have given ourselves and our family a beautiful gift by moving here, as we traverse our golden years in comfort and style!"

"Acacia Creek was in a nice location. It’s rather elaborate. It’s sort of an upscale type of facility. They have masonic homes plus new additions. They’re leasing out and making it available for independent living too. The rooms and apartments are upscale. The food was very food. The meals had good portions, and you can buy extra. They have group activities, computer access, daytrips, and transportation to other facilities. However, it was not particularly for me. "

"I truly liked this care facility. The staff there was very professional and took great care of my great grandmother, but they also gave her time and space to herself. While we were there, she needed some assistance (I can't remember exactly what she needed them to help her with, but it was non-urgent.) She made a quick call and about 5 minutes later, the staff had responded, even though they knew it was a non emergency issue. The facilities are very nice, if slightly outdated when we were there. San Francisco in general has a slightly outdated feel to a lot of the buildings, so this is nothing out of the ordinary for the area, but it just struck me a little bit. The facility is also located near transportation and plenty of shops and stores to get everything that one needs nearby. My great grandmother had a modest one bedroom, but it had a nice cozy feel, and she was quite happy there. "

"For me, Sequoias is the best one. It was very modern. They had a nice dining room. What's nice was that they had larger suites. The other thing also is that, because it is in the city, it has nice restaurants, theaters, and everything around. I think living there would really be wonderful. One thing I like about Sequoias is that there is more space, and the surrounding areas are very interesting. The other thing is that they allow you to remodel the room in the way you want it. Some places don't even let you paint. The lady who took us around was very interested and very knowledgeable. "

"You give them $300,000, and then you pay a monthly rate of $3000 and any help you need, you pay additional. If you need somebody to help you with pills, that's additional $200 a month, which was just terrible. However, Paradise Valley Estates was very attractive and very nicely done, and they had larger places. "

"Villa Marin Retirement Residence wants a million dollars in your bank, and that’s a little bit out of my reach, but it is awesome. You name it, it has it, like tennis courts, swimming pools, everything. It’s high up on a hill and like a real country club. The gorgeous rooms were like two studios made into a living room and one-bedroom. It was a rental and I could afford it but not the million dollars in your checking account part. "