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

"I know The Forum at Rancho San Antonio because I have two friends there. I didn't need a regular tour there because I realized I've been there. One friend is in the assisted care facility and has been there for quite a few years. She likes it, and I think she gets good care. The other one moved in last year, and I think she likes it too. I think you get more for your money there than other places because you buy in and you have equity as a group. When you leave the place or when you die, the money your heirs get back is more in relation to how the whole place has done. It's sort of a non-profit, where you are an owner; I think the financial setup is better here. You pay a lot of money, but you're not losing money unless the economy really goes down. They have a formal, as far as dinner. Of course, you have to reserve your place, say what time you're going, and things like that. I would go there for luncheons, and the food seemed excellent. I know two other women there, and they loved it. They did everything. They wouldn't even come to see their kids because they were so busy. I think they have lots of activities under normal conditions, and the people were very, very happy there. They have so many different facilities, and they have new ones. I have friends that just bought in one of their independent living cottage-type things. If I was going somewhere, I would probably go there. It's beautiful. It's very well kept, and they're building new places."

"Terraces of Los Gatos was very professional and impressive, as should be expected for $15,000 a month. It's not cheap, so I would expect it to be pretty well laid out. The staff members were great, and they were very cautious, as I came in with a friend whose parent is there. It was very nice, clean, and pretty new. It's a great and beautiful location, and Los Gatos is a great place and safe for seniors if they need to walk around. The room is like a hospital room, but it is a lockdown facility, so it isn't very personal."

"My mom is on a waiting list at Merrill Gardens at Gilroy. The cleanliness was fine. The rooms were clean and spacious. They offered a lot more activities there than they did at the other place. They were doing activities when we were there. The staff who gave the tour was great. She was very friendly and helpful. She answered our questions. She pointed out different things. She showed us the kitchen area, the dining area, and the rec area."

"Here in Saratoga Retirement, they don't have the higher level of assisted living. The memory unit is smaller than the other places. They don't have as many rooms, but the rooms are actually a little bit larger than the ones in the other facility. They are the standard room without a seating area, sink, or refrigerator. The general grounds are beautiful. If you are there for independent living or lower level assisted living, that would be great. The memory care unit is very nice, and the dining room area is very nice as well. But the outdoor secure area is really small. The staff looked like they are knowledgeable. It looks like they have a good staff to patient ratio. "

"Merrill Gardens at Campbell was better than I thought. The place is very relaxing, but the people there makes it more relaxing. The people that worked there were all very friendly and very helpful. The 1-bedroom apartment was very clean and felt very comfortable. The view from the window was real good. They have activities for all of us seniors here. I’m very happy with the place. "

"I lived at Merrill Gardens and it was a great place. It was new and well-built. They had every service you wanted to have. And they had the best activity director I ever met. They served food three times a day for the whole week. It was an excellent facility and I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to live in San Jose. "