The Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities Communities in Santa Clara County, CA

"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. "

"The Terraces is high end, and it's very nice. The buildings itself are very new. In the last five years, they've done a complete remodel/rebuild up the property itself. The gardens are gorgeous, too. The staff is excellent. It's more designed as maybe an independent community. You're probably looking about $9,000 to $10,000 a month there. It is much more of sort of independent, but not necessarily. The air in the way it's designed is very much open, more resort style than institution style. The staff is a full range; let's call it a full range, full spectrum of people. There's the young, vibrant group. The the group that's helping because they can understand the transition that's going on. By and large, there was no real problems with staffing whatsoever. I found the activities to sort of relatively the same. Everyone's got their afternoon exercise sessions, two or three times a week. Seemed like that's all relative to getting your patients to participate, so some places there were more participants, more lively. It was very nice. It's almost parklike setting. That whole thing is set up to be as much a resort community as it is a senior living. They have a small bistro that you can get sandwiches in all day long."

"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."

"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."

"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. "

"The staff at Masonic Home was outstanding. We would definitely move in there. The location is excellent, and it’s a beautiful place. We’ve been a few times to visit it and spend the night there. The food is fantastic, and the people that we met there are all very happy with their decision. The sanitation is cleaner than I keep my house. The people that worked there seemed very dedicated and friendly, and the comments on the people that live there are: if you need something, they have already seen it and got it for you. They stay on top of each person to make sure that you’re well cared for and that you have what you need. They have beautiful facilities. "

"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."

"I visited Stoneridge Creek and was very impressed with the facilities, the staff, and the people who live there, who I found to be active and interesting, fully engaged with this community. They have various sized spaces, all beautifully laid out. It is close to the outlets, golf, and charming Pleasanton."

"We did have my mother in Merrill Gardens at Gilroy a couple of years ago. It was a nice place. I think if they had more outings with them, and the staff might have been a little friendly. They were very professional. She was there for 10 months. "