Independent Living Communities in National City, CA

"I'm moving into St. Paul's Manor, and I like the community. I like the size and I like the location, the fact that it's Bankers Hill, that's walking distance to downtown San Diego, walking distance to the harbor, walking distance to Hillcrest, and walking distance to survival park. It's just it's a great place. The staff is very kind. To give an example of how long they've been there, two ladies that work in the dining room that have served me so far. One has been there the least amount of time for any employee in the kitchen, and that is seven years, and the other lady has been there 48 years. The staff doesn't turn over, it is secure. It's a good community. They're remodeling, everything's going to be up to date and everything is included. There are great views from my apartment on the eighth floor. It's just a nice place and the prices are very reasonable for what you get."

"I toured Atria Collwood. I liked all of the programs that they had, the different levels of care that they offered, and the way it was structured. It was like an a la carte menu. They had it in such a way that it was very transparent like that. You could see what you were paying for, and the facility was really well kept up. It's a really nice facility and the people there all seemed really on top of everything. Everyone there was very friendly. One of the directors of something was really helpful. She took her time, showed me the different places, and answered a lot of questions which some of the places did, but she just did an exceptionally good job at that. I thought that's why I like that place so much."

"I've had a lot of experience here. My godmother was there. She was independent, but if you're medical status changed, you pay a little extra. She went from independent to assisted because she had to have help after her. She was a resident for about two years. When you drive through, there's not a lot of parking, but there's a lot of street parking. On weekends, you could park at the hospital across the street in their parking lot. It's a gated community. It has a grass area with a playground for the kids, a dog park, and an area where they celebrate, like Veteran's Day. They have barbecues out there and music. When you go inside, it has marble and nice rich wood. They have a formal dining room, so if the family wants to use it, they can have their food or have their food catered. There are elevators. You can either have a one-bedroom or a studio. The living area has a kitchen with a small top two-burner stove, lots of cabinets, and a large closet as you come into the door. The bathroom is large and is located in the bedroom if you have the one-bedroom and there are two closets in the bedroom, which was nice. The shower area is large, where you can roll a wheelchair and scoot over into your shower chair. You have to provide your own internet. There's a large park across the street if you want to take your parent or your loved one out and stroll through the park. Their dining room is nice. They also have a bar with TVs. It's like Buffalo Wild Wings where you have the TVs on the wall showing the different games, and they have a bar where the residents can have a wheelchair roll up to the bar or residents can sit in the bar stools and you can get beer and wine. They have a meal plan where you either have breakfast, lunch, and dinner or you can reduce your cost by just choosing one or two meals. They have a gym with a physical therapist onsite at all times. They have a swimming pool and a therapy pool. The staff is really nice. The doors close at 11:00, and you ring the doorbell. I believe there's staff there 24/7 or you have a scan, so you can get back in. It's easy to get around. It had very nice wide hallways. They have exercise every morning where you just come right out your door and everyone in that hallway who wants to participate just does hallway exercise. Each floor has a full-sized kitchen and a large area for families to have their own little cookouts and meals together."

"My sister moved into Westmont at San Miguel Ranch. The staff members are caring, interesting, and friendly. I like the cleanliness. They're on time when they say they're going to be somewhere. They're very helpful. The dining area is very clean and client-friendly, as far as conversations with other people. They have a happy hour. They take the patients out on trips. They have entertainment that comes in. They have social meetings for the residents. It's a good facility."

"I went to Ivy Park at Otay Ranch, and it was a very nice tour. I met with another family while they were there, so that was kind of nice. They're probably a top contender. The only negative I had was I felt like their menu selections were a little limited if the woman was giving me the correct information on their dining room. The facility was very nice. They have a beautiful lobby when you walk in there. They had an area for happy hours and stuff that was very nice. It's in a very nice neighborhood. When you're driving up and walking up to the building, it's nice. I think they had the ability to do gluten-free there."

"Grossmont Gardens is a 5-star facility. I have no qualms about that. I looked at both assisted living and independent living. It was friendly. The place was clean and nice. I met with the residents there, and they were very friendly, too. The staff was exceptional. They were very helpful. The tour was nice. The facility was exceptional, and everything was like that. They showed me one unit that I was interested in, and then they found out that that unit was not available. They had given me a lesser unit, but I didn't want that. So that was where the glitch was. It was just that somebody got there before me. The facility was excellent. I have no negative comments about the facility or anything like that."

"I visited the Waterford Terrace Retirement Community. It was much more of a grand entrance. The entryway was quite grand. It's a three-story building with access to outside gardens. They have rooftop gardens, and there are cottages at the top level. There's more outdoor environment on the top level, but the first two levels were all indoor-like hotel-style apartments. It's a big facility, and it has a huge dining area. Activities are provided. It's an active community there. Food is all included. They also had a couple of food stations that were available throughout the day for the residents to get snacks and things that they want. Then they have their regular dinner and breakfast time slots. Everything is very nice, and it's comforting to know that the residents are happy, and the staff is friendly."

"I visited the independent living community of Westmont of La Mesa. It was very nice. My dad preferred that place, but they wouldn't take his dog because it's too big. The upkeep of the place was excellent. They had multiple dining areas. They were nice, and the size was good. The rooms were good, and they had high ceilings, so it made them seem a lot bigger, which was nice. They all had washers and dryers, which was a nice touch, too. The staff members were super friendly. They knew the names of a lot of the people and the residents there as we were doing the tour. We didn't try their food, but I looked at the menus and it had a good selection."

"Solstice of El Cajon is wonderful!!! My parents have lived here for over 10 years. Why you ask? Easy answer: the staff, the grounds, the activities, the staff, the manager, the desserts, the holiday fun..... did I mention the staff? Couldn't ask for a better place to live for my mom and dad. -Daughter of Resident"

"The Christmas brunch was excellent. The food was delicious and a nice variety of dishes."

"Oakmont of Pacific Beach is outstanding, but it's very expensive. It is outstanding in terms of what it offers. They have a special floor for memory care. They have the state of the art just up to date with Alzheimer's. They work with the Alzheimer's Association. They offer good food and balanced diets for the patients. They have a lot of activities and a lot of care. You have your own shower in your room. There's a lot more personal care there. The staff members were very attentive. They have a restaurant that is open in the morning until seven at night. There's no rigid schedule. It is very flexible. The facility was pristine."

"I visited the independent living community of Lantern Crest Senior Living, and it's nice. The people were also very nice. They have different layouts. One building is newer than the other, which is the only difference, but they are all nice. The upkeep of the place was very good. The dining area was very nice, and they had a good selection of food. The parking area was fine."

"I am a resident of Atria La Jolla. My apartment is beautiful. I have a full bedroom with a dressing room and a private bathroom. It has a kitchenette, which I don't use because I go down for the meals, but I could cook anything I want here. I have a living room with a patio. The patio looks out towards the park. So, what I see from my window are bougainvilleas coming down from the park. Everybody is very nice and helpful. They know that we are elderly and need help, and everything is, "Yes, yes, yes. What is it that you need?" I am Jewish, and I don't eat pork, so they always give me something different. They have programs. Sometimes there’s music, a talk, and sometimes a movie. You have to look at the program every day and see what's in there. The food is excellent. We have to ask for half the ratios because it's too much. I cannot finish one. It's a big plate. The staff always smiles. Everybody smiles, even the cleaning people. It's a very happy environment. They don't have very many activities, but there are some. The good thing is they have a park, so you don't need anything else. There is gymnastics, and there are also exercises at the pool."

"I chose Vi at La Jolla Village. It's total care to the end and I won't have to move. I want to get one spot and stay there till I die. It's independent living but it goes into assisted living in the same facility, same building, and same room. You don't have to move up each place. It's considered a CCRC, which is complete care. There wasn't anything that I disliked about the view from the very first time I entered the building. I fell in love with it. It was refurbished. Everything's new, everything's clean, and everything is eye-appealing. All of their activities are amazing. The staff was amazing. I had lunch there, and the food was superior. They have a gym. They have a pool inside. They have yoga classes, a library, and a movie theater."