My mom joined the community at The Elms at the end of May/beginning of June, and she is loving it!…read moreHer one bedroom apartment is a good size, a nice balcony with great afternoon sun, big closet, big bathroom and lots of wall space for her art she's collected over the years! The staff are so kind and welcoming to all of us, she feels very taken care of. She loves the food and the activities.We took her on a month long trip and half way through she asked when she was going back home to The Elms? The town of San Carlos is also the perfect walking town for an ambulatory elder! Across the street is the library. Two blocks away is the Senior Center (if your loved one wants more activities.) A block and a half away is the pharmacy. Three blocks away is the bank, post office and grocery store. Two blocks away is a coffee shop, and Laurel street which has lots of activities (pictured here.) If you or your loved one is considering The Elms, please contact Amanda and get on the waiting list ASAP, we waited a year for my mom's name to come up and it's been life changing! To quote my mom "thank you for making my life so easy!" That's what The Elms does for the residents, makes their life easy, so they can enjoy this chapter of their life with ease and comfort!

I had to place my mom in a care home this year and she has been at the Elms for 6 months. I toured…read moreseveral assisted living facilities that also had memory care. These other facilities were newer and fancier (complete with smaller rooms and 10%/yr price increases to keep their publicly traded parent companies happy!), but they didn't come close the warm and welcoming environment we found at the Elms. The staff are wonderful: happy, relaxed, dedicated and you can tell they truly care about the residents. The Elms is a nonprofit and was started by San Carlos; you can see the focus is on the wellness of the residents, respect of the staff, and bringing as much comfort and joy to the community as possible. The residents are lovely and my mother has made very nice friends (they had a little holiday party in one of their rooms this week, and another family brought my mom a small Christmas tree for her room). The downtown San Carlos location allows residents who are able can walk to the wonderful offerings on Laurel Street. We walk to restaurants, the farmers market and seasonal street fairs; it feels like a breath of normalcy amongst all the changes that have been forced on her over the last few years. The Elms has a good variety of programing for the various abilities and interests of their residents. Today my mom and I caught an acoustic guitar holiday music show in the lounge. It was such a gift to enjoy that with her. The holiday parties are quite fun and everyone participates. The administration reaches out at regular intervals to make sure everyone is doing ok. The housekeeping and medical staff have been very responsive and easy to work with. I imagine managing the expectations and needs of this age group is a challenge but I think they do a great job with a tremendous amount of compassion and patience. I believe most of the staff has been with the Elms for some time and everyone seems to know whats going on and has a great deal of competence. Ultimately the biggest winner in the arrangement has been my mom. Her neurologist said her test results have improved over the last year which she attributed to her environment and having socialization, quality food and stimulation (and professional medication management). Moving a loved one out of their home is a very hard choice, but I am grateful for the Elms staff and their sensitivity, kindness and caring they show towards the residents and their families.

Gordon Manor was home for my wife for 18 months. It was a care center filled with compassion, lots…read moreof activities, and a staff that is amazing. I would recommend Gordon Manor to anyone.

The Gordon Manor facility for memory care is a gem both in its welcoming physical environment and…read morethe incredible staff who provide the highest level of caring for folks who are going through a trying end-of-life experience. Having experienced this caring first hand with my wife's situation, I would unconditionally recommend this facility to anyone in this stage of life. It does not get better than this.

FANTASTIC is an understatement! These folks have cared for my loved one for over a year. The…read morecaregivers can do anything/everything needed and he is so happy living at Kensington. He really enjoys their outings and approach to memory care - it's like a resort for folks with cognitive issues. Kensington staff have made it possible for me to live my life while they handle the day-to-day care my LO needs. Dementia is not easy, on patient or family, Kensington staff, support and care have been amazing. We had falls - all were handled with careful attention to his wellness, disclosed openly and honestly with me. A couple falls meant EMT's or a hospital was necessary but no falls resulted in any significant injuries. I suspect falls for elderly, fragile, dementia patients with poor mobility are to be expected. Kensington always called to let me know what happened and made recommendations to prevent it in the future. They gave me ample opportunity to state any concerns too. I've found Kensington food is always great - fresh, tasty and as much variety as he wants. WOW, the deserts are his favorite. ;-) He loves the 'mock-tail' parties with music, dancing and singing. I have found the incentive for all community members (staff, residents and family) to participate in activities very high. I know if my LO doesn't join an event - it's his choice to have some down-time and not be 'made-to' participate. It's his life and this disease takes its toll in many areas - he isn't the person he used to be but he loves his Kensington lifestyle. Recently he told me, "while he can't remember much", he's "pretty sure that Kensington is the nicest place he's ever lived". With all the bad days dementia gives us that one little remark was my win for the year - I hold it very dear and I know that Kensington made it possible. I can't speak all aspects of the one-star review BUT perhaps their loved one needed that one-to-one additional care they are now purchasing with the cost savings at the new facility - each resident is an individual. I read their happy review of their new home and I am thrilled they found a good fit for their LO. I think the Kensington staff seem well compensated and well qualified since we experienced no real turn-over and they are always happy to work with us. However, I too "butted-heads" with some nursing staff. I would fault Kensington with failing to identify those staff members who should not interact directly with family or LO's. Working with 'raw', stressed out families (forced to watch a painful decline) is not in every staff-members toolbox no matter how eminently qualified they are for their day-to-day responsibilities. Kensington is not inexpensive but I would say they offer value. Yes, more costly than other national memory care facilities but I would say marginally more than equivalent facilities. Kensington is new, modern, their care-giver to resident ratio is very low, it's a very active lifestyle for those with cognitive issues. My LO complained often about his last facility (more about 'being in' memory care than their actual efforts). He does not complain about Kernsington or the staff which are always happy, friendly, and genuinely welcoming.

Worst experience imaginable for dear family member. If you wish to put your loved one in a fancy…read morememory care on the outside place, and just live your life with relief your loved one is 'semi ok' without updates then definitely go here. One star given for cleanliness of areas and room, and some very kind staff. This is surface level, however, as LO did not receive care consistently and staff did not have training to do most of the basics. The staff will be attentive on the surface, on day one, then vanish. Management will be all supportive if you keep your mouth shut and any updates will be sporadic, not truthful, inconsistent and sadly, non supportive. Senior leadership lacks oversight and you will be gas lighted on multiple levels. The price is sky high and you do not get what you pay for. Food is good if you order off menu vs vats of food specials. Sadly, they simply do not care much for residents as evident on multiple visits and their motto of caring for your family member like family is not factual. Avoid this place.

After years of caring for Mom at home, it was time to find a place where she could get more care…read morefrom professionals. We were worried that she would not get the same level of care in a "home" as she got from the family. Following a few wonderful referrals, we decided to try Retirement Plus. Mom moved into Retirement Plus on Chestnut Street in San Carlos on June 1, 2010. She loved it there. The gals taking care of her were absolutely wonderful. They treated her with respect and love, never lost patience with her, and took care of her every need. Every time anyone visited, Mom was always happy, clean and well fed. We were welcome to visit any time at all and spend the night with Mom if we wanted. As Mom's disease progressed they agreed to change her status to hospice even though it meant more work for them. Again, we never saw them treat her with anything but gracious, loving care. Even up to the very end they allowed my whole family (almost always 5-11 of us) to stay with her and they went out of their way to do everything in their power to make it easier on those of us watching Mom in her final days. I'll never forget the gals coming in to say good bye to Mom while waiting for the mortician to come take her away. They spoke lovingly of Mom's personality and wit while stroking her head and kissed her so gently goodbye. We could have never taken such good care of her at home especially as her disease progressed and she got weaker and weaker. If it is time for you parent to get better care, consider Retirement Plus. I'm so glad we did.

I placed my friend who has mild dementia here several months ago and it was a great relief. It…read moreisn't "five star" accommodations but the people who work there get five stars. If you are looking for a good location, private room with shared bath, basic care including washing, food, and medication dispensing at a moderate price (3500. Per month) this is the place. I can drop in any time and have added to my "family" with the care givers and four other patients. It is across the street from the San Carlos Senior Center too!

I have been taking my therapy dog, Lily, for visits at Catholic Charities for a few years. It is…read moresuch a joy. Each week we are greeted by a welcoming circle of kind friends. I am so grateful to be able to share my sweet dog.

Great program…read more Carmen and the staff are a pleasure to work with and the meals provided to Catholic Charities look yum um good.

This facility is clean. Staff are friendly and good with the patients. Beautiful grounds. Only…read moreissue is that there isn't enough supervision and not enough staff to attend to patients hygiene and safety. Did I mention how clean the place is though? Maintenance is very good at cleaning up the bathrooms and rooms daily, and more when needed. That's good. But my family member was in unchanged diapers and hasn't been showered in weeks. Yes, I understand that Alzheimer's patients resist getting showered. But when I asked about a showering schedule, I was met with a blank stare. When was the last time she was showered? Nothing. When I told staff she needed a diaper change, they were too busy setting up for lunch and then called her to sit down with a full load in her pants, didn't even have her wash her hands before going into the dining room to eat. The activities and grounds are very nice and it's absolutely better than some of the other facilities, but again the staff to patient ratio is just makes it impossible for them to address all of the needs of the vulnerable people in their care. Yes, the staff are sweet and do interact well with the residents, and they offer some engaging activities. There's room for improvement though and more attention to health, safety, supervision and cleanliness of the people in their care would be appreciated. And maybe someone can explain why the Library has no displays, music etc. One small book case in the back that's not visible when one walks in. Just a big empty space. Looked to be used for staff conference. Update: I have noticed a few improvements since I posted. Staff say they will better monitor diaper changes and showers. But when I was there recently my family member had no diaper on and wet herself. When I looked for an attendant there was no one to help, the recreation specialist said the attendant was on break. So no coverage when the One attendant is on break?! It's possible this place could still earn my respect but not until they add more staff to attend to the needs of the patients.

Just like all of the rest of these corporate run places- it's a used car salesman dealership. "Top…read moreof the line!" "We have the tools that most other facilities don't have!". What they don't tell you is they are Def short staffed, rotating administration/ management/ social services. So if there are issues- you will be forced to get a private caregiver that doesn't even do any care- just a sitter that Silverado appoints and are affiliated with. (Half the time they weren't even around when we dropped in!) All while you wait for the medication and care you are promised for since you moved in. No word or communication unless you initiate, then get word salad why it hasn't happened yet. "But we will take care of it- it's just 40 bucks an hour until we do! On top of the 15k a month!" The management and admin are sales people. We waited and waited for our care plan meeting. All we wanted was info and hope we could help with our family member. We ended up having to ask for a meeting on the care plan and medication, etc. Insane! It is truly eye opening. If you are actually checking out the place for a loved one- drop in and see the care for yourself, unannounced. All the "neighborhoods". Especially the late stage neighborhoods. Wearing the same clothes for days. It's sad. There are some wonderful nurses, nursing assistants, activity assistants, etc. And we thank God for them. And many of the staff truly does care for the residents and gets to know them and their family. But how can you run a dementia care facility with management that doesn't help, or frankly care. The grounds are beautiful, that is the selling point. But the rooms are sad and decor is awful. And I would be willing to bet half of the staff aren't actually trained for dementia/ memory care. There is so much potential here. But very poorly run and barely any communication with family, doctors and facility. Such a disappointment.

My wife spent the last year of her life living at this modern, super clean, purpose built…read morecommunity. This is the main one of several managed personally by Maria Freitas. She has over 40 years providing care for the elderly. Her compassion and that of her staff was welcome after the shifting care my wife received at several other local facilities. Each of the 10 residents authorized for this facility receives personalized care emphasizing the residents needs over all else.

As a Bay Area referral agent, I've helped many families place their loved ones at Oakmont of…read moreRedwood City, and every one has been delighted with the care, community, and beautiful environment. It's especially refreshing to see the same dedicated team in place for many years providing the consistency and personal relationships that families truly value. Highly recommend Oakmont of Redwood City. Thank you, Nicole and the team, for the outstanding service!

No need for me to talk to anyone at Oakmont again. Their director was dismissive and accusatory…read morewhen we brought our concerns to her attention. Absolutely no excuse to have all the staff in the office - I don't care if they're having a meeting, you don't leave memory care residents unattended. They were short staffed numerous times we visited. So disappointing and neglectful.