My parents moved to Merrill Gardens shortly after it opened. My mom was independent, my dad needed…read morea lot of assistance, and they wanted to share an apartment, which they were able to do easily with the flexible levels of care. When my dad passed, my mom moved to another beautiful apartment and continued to thrive. She loves to play daily games (bingo and rummikub) and share meals and social gatherings with her close friends. In the rare cases that she needed extra assistance medically, the staff was attentive, kind and caring and they communicated well with me. The activity directors have been wonderful and creative, making everyday life fun and active for the residents. We've also enjoyed and developed relationships with many of the staff members.

Our family decided to put my mother into residency at Merrill Gardens when she was 85 years of age…read more She was a resident there until her death last November at the age of 96. Throughout her time at Merrill Gardens, she experienced nothing but amazing care and attention, wonderful relationships with other residents and staff, and a comfortable apartment and vibrant lifestyle. I cannot recommend this facility more highly. Merrill Gardens is a nurturing, safe and incredible living community!

Avida Home Care provided us with in-home care givers for my 86 year-old father-in-law. From the…read morefirst meeting in our home, Raul Mendez was very organized, professional and personable. Raul assessed our needs, met with our family and offered great flexibility to met our needs. Raul did a great job of communicating before, during and after care givers had been to our home. He was constantly evaluating their performance and ensuring we were happy with the service. The care givers were very kind and sweet to our family and treated my father-in-law with dignity. I would highly recommend Avida Home Care for anyone needing help to care for their loved ones.

I had Avida Home care after a hospitalization. it was overall a nightmare Some caregivers were good…read morebut most were not. There was no continuity. The owners were focused on their profit. consequently many caregivers were barely English speaking. Most were not honest with their employer but the owners did not seem to care. Profit is their goal. Not great care. But they are smoth talkers. So watch out!!

Everyone at Lafayette Gardens is the best at what they do. The caregivers perform their work with…read moreskill, attention to detail, and compassion. My mother, who is almost 97, and in need of a lot of care, receives that diligent care, with love. The caregivers know my mother loves music and often sing to her and with her. The owner of Lafayette Gardens is excellent, knowledgeable, and has helped us through many difficult steps along the way. She has many years of experience in this field and always has made us feel like mom's welfare, and ours is very important to her. I definitely recommend Lafayette Gardens.

Our mother has been a resident of Lafayette Gardens for over a year now. We have been very pleased…read morewith the care she has received there. The home is cheerful and always impeccably clean. The staff makes an effort to get the residents up and dressed, not just in their rooms. There is a nice deck surrounded by trees & plants that is a very enjoyable place to spend time with your loved ones. Meeran retains very good caregivers who are actually very sweet. Would definitely recommend to anyone in need.

When our 79 year old Mom fell and broke her ankle which required surgery and also broke 3 ribs at…read morethe hospital, we needed help! Our 87 year old Dad had already been bedridden at our house with dementia for over a year, but because of not having good luck with the caregiving company we hired for him, we searched for another. We couldn't have been luckier to find Always Best Care East Bay! Bill Kammerer's gentle and calm demeanor immediately put us at ease while answering all of our very detailed questions. His company's rates and policies are more than fair and he was able to very quickly set my mom up with 24/7 care. The caregivers themselves are all very professional and skilled with kindness and extreme patience. We can't thank Always Best Care East Bay enough for the peace of mind and 'normalcy' that they returned to our home.

I am a Social Worker at a Skilled Nursing Facility in Walnut Creek, Ca and I have been working with…read moreBill K. from Always Best Care since I relocated to this area. I can wholeheartedly say that this agency has been a true blessing. I have had patients discharge home with little to no notice and Always Best Care has started care for me within hours of a patient going home. I've received nothing but good feedback from the families regarding the care and wellbeing of their loved ones while under the care of Always Best Care!

My grandmother has been living here for about seven years and we all love it! My kids and I visit…read moreoften. The staff all know us by name and are incredibly friendly and helpful. They take such great care of my grandma! The food here is great! We love visiting for meals. And they just held a family carnival that we all enjoyed. My kids call Byron Park "Oma's Castle." Its always clean and comfortable here. But what makes this place extra special is the amazing staff. They're the best!

Recently I visited and toured Byron Park. Cheryl Laven was most…read morewelcoming and hosted us for a good three hours--lunch and tour of the facility. In that time our small group was able to get a good feel for what is offered in Byron Park.It was truly ALIVE with people conversing, eating, playing "balloon tennis", reading in the library..... wonderful art work covered the walls, the apartments were all bright and cheerful. It offers everything and more. What impressed me the most was the positive and stimulating atmosphere.....a large self-contained world in which one could thrive yet a small "old-school" feel of friendliness and caring. I will definitely consider moving there and would not hesitate to urge others to see it for themselves. Anne R. 6/8/24

professional, warm, and courteous team here that will greet you with a smile - I had no idea you…read morecould get a hot stone massage - wow!!!! Great views and very quiet place to relax and enjoy your day. Trish is a sweetheart and gives the best to her residents!

I am so happy for the professional care and thoughtfulness of the Atria staff. Their genuine care…read moreis truly the best and most amazing! Especially noted is Olga and Pamela who are the most caring and kind staff that truly do the absolute best in taking care of the residents/patients! Thank you so very much- you are the best!!

We are so excited that our parents are going to be moving into The Kensington in Walnut Creek!…read more When my sister and I went with our parents to visit we were so impressed! It had such a warm feeling from the staff and the people who lived there! I hear the food is amazing which we will find out since we will be visiting our parents often!

I've always been so hesitant with assisted living homes for our elderly. This really is not typical…read morepractice in our family. So you can imagine how reluctant I felt about leaving a love one in the care of strangers. I called first to ask about the facility and the type of care they offer. The person I spoke to, I believe her name was Natasha was so lovely and answered all my questions with patience and understanding of all my concerns. She suggested I come tour the facility to see the space and help put my mind at ease even though I wasn't ready to make the move. I thought to myself wow typically when people are not ready you can easily get swept to the side. To my surprise, I was greeted with smiles, well kept common areas, a staff that was seasoned, professional and passionate about their roles. Even though I may not be ready to put my loved one in an assisted living community at least I know there is a community like the Kensington that will care for my family the way I do.

We had a family member living at Tiffany Court for seven years, and we truly could not have been…read morehappier with the care she received. Tiffany Court is a wonderful place, and it gave our family great peace of mind knowing she was so well cared for. What makes Tiffany Court special is how genuinely the residents are treated like family. Patti does an incredible job staying closely involved with every resident and keeping family members informed and updated. Her dedication and compassion are remarkable. The staff is outstanding. Enrique always went out of his way to accommodate our family member's many special food requests with kindness and patience. Marie, although she works in the business office, consistently went above and beyond to help and support our family member as well. We are deeply grateful to the entire Tiffany Court team for the care, compassion, and support they provided over the years.

Nope, nope and NOPE. Walking in and was hit with a stong, pungent and definitely not easily…read moretolerated stench of something foul. Even with the covid mask and doing my best to breathe in thru my mouth, it finally got to me and I had to walk out. I was going to gag into my mask. I couldn't imagine putting my loved one in here and coming to visit. I couldn't conscience the thought. Just nope.

My mom has been at Carnelian for over a year. We have been very happy with her care. Don't let the…read moreAL name fool you. Most of the 30 residents have severe dementia. Technically a board and care, but more on the level of a memory care with great staff, excellent food, almost daily live music and tons of activities. Priced accordingly on the high end of MC...and worth it if you can swing it. Carnelian is 3 houses with a big combined yard. It's been family run since the 70s. We're so grateful for Carnelian staff. My stress level has come down a lot knowing my mom is so well taken care of. My aunts have all been amazed at the care and atmosphere. No MC I toured even came close.

In my opinion, the family run Carnelian is the best assisted living facility in Contra Costa County…read moreif not in all of California! After experiencing seven other local care homes with less than adequate care over a four year period of time for my elderly mother, discovering The Carnelian was a blessing. My only regret is that we did not begin our care home quest at their doors. The facility is a bit of a unicorn in that they are larger than the usual board and care facility, having around 30 beds, and have three distinct tiers of care. One tier is for residents who do not need much assistance with the tasks of daily living. An intermediate tier provides care for residents who need more help and a third tier provides total care. The staff is extremely capable and can handle and provide this wide range of care. For example, care is provided for those who may only need medication reminders to those who are immobile and need help with all aspects of daily life: feeding, bathing, dressing and transferring. Not only is the large staff capable, they are friendly, kind, gentle, patient, loving and caring. Unlike many of the local board and care facilities we experienced, you will never hear an angry word, see an impatient gesture or experience an unprofessional or sloppy approach to patient care at The Carnelian. My mother was previously a resident and had very poor experiences at Diablo Assisted Living (15 Glen Creek Lane, Walnut Creek), The Concord Royale, Abraham Rest Home, Immaculate Home and Paradise Villa Sr. Care II. The administrator and manager of The Carnelian does a very careful analysis and intake of information on the prospective resident and this results in a spot-on care plan for the individual's needs, usually before move-in. The staff are very respectful and caring toward the resident families and work as a team with them and with outside medical providers to achieve the best care for the residents. The pricing is higher than most board and care facilities, but their care is superior and they are never understaffed which is the case with so many smaller board and care homes. Smaller facilities usually have the bare minimum of employees required by the State of California. At previous facilities, I often worried that the staff would not have the physical strength and capability to transfer my mother when she was weak, ill or injured. This will never be a consideration at The Carnelian. There is usually a waiting list at The Carnelian, so I would advise securing your place on the list with a deposit as soon as you tour the facility. It might take a few months or longer because the residents don't want to leave their comfortable accommodations and loving staff at The Carnelian.

Transitioning our parents into senior care was a difficult, major life shift, but the team here…read moremade it not only manageable and reassuring. From day one, they have shown patience, flexibility, and a genuine willingness to tailor the care plan as our parents' needs changed. There's never been judgment or pushback--just a calm, solutions-focused approach centered on comfort, dignity, and quality of life. Communication is good. We have the director's cell number and can reach out anytime. That level of access and transparency has made us feel like true partners in our parents' care. One of the most meaningful aspects has been the relationships the staff have built with our parents. They've become not just caregivers, but friends--often their main source of daily interaction and connection. It's clear the staff care deeply, and it shows in every small, thoughtful gesture. This level of personalized care and attention isn't inexpensive. We're incredibly fortunate that our parents had the foresight to invest in long-term care insurance. We are not saying it's overpriced, rather, the cost to run and staff a care community is significant. We're so grateful to the entire tea and for treating our parents with the kindness, respect, and warmth every family hopes for.

I am leaving an updated review on this facility. When I initially placed my mother in the Aegis…read moreMoraga facility in May 2021, I believed it was a highly skilled environment with strong, honest, and educated management and care teams. However, this could not be further from the current reality. Recently my mother's care costs were randomly and dramatically increased without proper communications or justification. This egregious occurrence was met with management silence and non-communication. Upon the advice of my legal counsel, I immediately moved my mother out of this facility. This situation has placed an immense mental, physical, and financial burden on my family. In addition, my earlier Yelp review was truncated and a portion was posted on their website. Unacceptable.