Maria Cura of ESPS has been extremely helpful in following up with our inquiry, which required her to call around regarding specific population mix of the senior communities that my MIL prefers. In a couple of days, Maria came up with a good list with detailed information and creative ways to address my MIL's needs, which I was not aware of before. Maria has a wealth of information on Bay Area's senior communities and she is courteous, thoughtful, resourceful, and very responsive. I would highly recommend Maria for your senior placement needs. read more

Where to start? I've been working with David on finding placement for my parents, and while I haven't yet succeeded in getting them relocated, all the roadblocks at this point are on my end. David has been incredibly helpful throughout the process. I learned so much from just the first couple of discussions with him, and he really set my mind at ease by giving me the support and information I needed to make more informed decisions regarding senior care. I can't say enough good things about this service... navigating options is so bewildering without good advice! read more

Maria has been my go to person for all my patient's placement needs. She's a great resource for the family we serve and often times go out of her way to ensure our families, facility, and our staff feels supported, during complex discharge process, especially with those last minute discharges. I highly recommend this company, and most especially Maria Cura. read more

David Cohen from Exceptional Senior Placement Services was fantastic! He turned our search for an assisted living facility from daunting and overwhelming to organized, educational and enjoyable. He has a deep knowledge of the facilities in the area and a true understanding of the needs of seniors - some who come with medical challenges. David is easy to talk to, a good listener and patient. He was truly interested in helping us find the best placement for our relative. He took into account personality, lifestyle, desires, and medical needs. If you are in search of an assisted living facility, I highly recommend working with David. His knowledge and guidance are invaluable and will help make this difficult job more manageable. read more

An extremely disappointing experience with ESP co-owner, Rachel Cohen. At the end of February 2025, I had a very good first meeting with Rachel Cohen about finding a place for my 89-year-old mom with moderate dementia. She seemed knowledgeable and genuine. After telling me she had some places in mind and would make calls, I never heard from her again. After nearly three weeks, I sent her an email asking for an update on her search. That was on a Monday. No response. On Friday I called ESP and spoke to Erica who said Rachel was touring another client at that moment but would call her directly. No word back from Rachel. A few days later I called Rachel's cell phone. She didn't pick up and her mailbox was full, so I called Erica again. Erica was apologetic and said she would text her immediately. Still no response from Rachel. ESP is a six-person operation. I didn't get lost in the shuffle. Rachel received my messages and ignored them. If she was unable to help me, all she had to do was tell me. Or have Erica tell me. Or have another colleague in her office handle my search. Instead I lost a month in an already overwhelming search process because I believed her when she said she would help. A really poor performance by a company that calls itself "Exceptional." read more

This service is horrible. They have been harassing me for about 6 months now and Ive asked them to stop and they won't. They call/text/email me incessantly. I don't know who to complain to in order to get them to stop. Attorney General's Office - consumer affairs?? I had to give them a star in order to post this - but I wish I could give them 100 NEGATIVE stars read more

I feel like without this business and without David, my life would be a complete mess. David was amazing for myself and my fiance when we were trying to locate where my mother could go. I always knew there was assisted living; however, based off my mother's health I knew she needed more than that and felt like there was no place for her. WRONG When we first had our call with David, we explained our situation, how my mother's health has been declining and that we put our life on hold to really manage my mother's life. David took the time to listen to us, explain that there are places for my mother and that it will take time, but we will get there. His reassurance helped us tremendously and his patience with us was amazing. He took us on a couple tours around the area to let us see the various options that way we have an idea in our head what we would like for my mother. After telling David what we liked and disliked about each facility, what my mother would prefer/dislike, he took the time to find a couple facilities that would be a possible good fit for her. After 3-4 months of working with David, we finally found a perfect home for my mother. Our lives are back where I can be a daughter again to my mother rather than being the caretaker. Even though this is only the beginning, I know that if we have any issues further down the road, David will always be there for us. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

I take no pleasure in writing this review, but I think it's important to share my experience with others. We were referred to Rachel Cohen by a good friend after our mom went into the hospital. Initially, Rachel was very responsive and assured us that she would immediately start vetting long term care options for our mom and she agreed to arrange appointments to tour facilities when my brother was visiting from out of town in a couple of weeks. Despite having two weeks notice and multiple texts and voicemail messages checking in, Rachel failed over and over to provide us the email with places to review and ignored our pleas to follow through. She finally emailed and called the morning we were supposed to tour and apologized, but it was too little, too late. The capper was when we decided to call a couple of the places Rachel recommended because she said they were vetted and able to accept our mom. During one of the tours, the facility director connected the dots and told us that she had specifically told Rachel they could NOT accept someone with her conditions. We were shocked that Rachel has misled us, and the facility director was chagrined as well. I understand that anyone can have a bad week, but Rachel's behavior is beyond unprofessional. She could have referred us to another team member or been up front and let us know she couldn't help with enough time for us to pivot to a different advisor. Instead, she chose to gaslight us and ultimately lied to us by sending a list that was clearly generic rather than tailored to our mom's circumstances. I've now heard other stories about Rachel's incompetence, so save yourself the time and go elsewhere. read more

We reached out to David several years ago to help us navigating moving our reluctant parents into assisted living. Both parents had significant health issues but were not wanting to initially leave their home (which is understandable). David was understanding and supportive throughout the entire process - especially when we dragged out feet and went back and forth on what to do. Our situation was complicated once my mom got hospitalized and David gave us so much support and good advice. Ultimately, we placed my dad in an assisted living that has been working out great for him and I really don't know how we would have navigated it without David. I'm so grateful we found David and would highly recommend working with him and his team. In addition, he pointed out that my father was a Veteran and eligible for support - without that - we likely would have not used all the resources available to us. We are deeply grateful!! read more

We have been working with Rachel at Exceptional Senior Placement Services for about a year. Rachel takes the time to get to know the family member with dementia's care needs as well as what the family is looking for and provides detailed analysis of the places that might fit the family's needs. She arranges visits, in our case, many visits, and provides a good sounding board as we try to anticipate what mom would like and where the care will meet our expectations and our budget. She stays up to date on the quality of services, and when we discovered a serious decline in those services where we first chose, has helped us figure out the best move to make and is assisting with those logistics. She has real experience with having a family member with dementia and brings insights and comfort as we travel this journey with mom. I can not recommend Rachel more highly. She is patient with our slow thought process and always upbeat and a pleasure to spend time with. read more

David Cohen and his business associates have been extraordinarily helpful to my husband and me over the months that it has taken us, with David's sensitive and insightful input, to decide whether to age in place or move into a retirement community (CCRC). David helped us consider the pluses and minuses of staying in our home and researched and made available for our consideration various alternative options. He accompanied us to the retirement places we considered and helped to guide our information gathering. He was very supportive when we made our decision. David is patient, flexible, and generous with his time and resources and was a delight to have at our side as we negotiated this important life decision. We highly recommend him to others in our situation who need to make this critical life choice and can use a helping hand, mind,heart to guide them. Nancy Hollander and Steve Portuges read more

My brother and I worked with Rachel to select the right memory care facility for our father. We had originally planned to visit some places on our own, but realized there was a whole other layer of information we didn't have visibility into. Rachel was responsive and forthcoming, describing our options in Berkeley and Oakland with insight and reflection on what we shared was important to our family. Even better, she helped us understand the nuances of this inherently challenging process, which has made it less stressful and uncertain than if we'd try to do it all by ourselves. Rachel is an excellent advisor and we highly recommend her! read more

Have twice had the pleasure of working with Susan at Exceptional Senior Placement. The support and guidance Susan provided was tremendously helpful in our search for a better living situation for my in-laws. Following an exploration of our needs, Susan provided several tailored options for our review, any of which would have worked perfectly. Susan saved us both time and money. Would highly recommend Exceptional Senior Placement. read more

We started working with Exceptional Senior Placement about 6 months ago when it was time to start researching Memory Care facilities for our family member. The professionalism, knowledge, empathy, patience and care that we have received from both David and Rachel during this very difficult and stressful period in our lives has been invaluable. They are extremely knowledgeable about every property, oftentimes knowing how to answer questions that the Sales Directors couldn't answer during our tours. On top of knowledge, they show extreme empathy and patience, listening to every detail of our situation and have been very hands-on throughout the entire process. I could not recommend them more! 100 stars read more

How do I thank thee, Ms. Devon Kessler, for helping me find the right memory care for my husband? It has been such a painful journey taking care of a loved one with dementia, let alone finding the time to research facilities. I was very fortunate to have my sister refer me to Devon. Based on my criteria, Devon compiled a list of facilities for me to tour. She set up all of the appointments and accompanied me on the tours, providing invaluable observation, advice and feedback. In the end, I decided on a facility that we had toured at the onset of my quest. It only goes to prove that Devon knew what I wanted. I highly recommend Devon if you ever need to find the right placement for your loved one. Thank you, Devon! read more

This is a massively overdue review. Without getting into specifics, this team has helped me and my family for years plan and navigate the assisted living process. They are motivated by helping people and building long term relationships and not short term gain from making a placement. My loved one needs to make a change in residence soon and Rachel and team are on speed dial for me for this next step. I've talked with a lot of placement agencies and they are the best, most human, responsive choice. All love for this crew. read more

While making the difficult decision to move our elderly parents from their home to a facility that could better serve their needs, my sister and I quickly realized we had very little knowledge how to navigate this process. What kind of care home would best suit them? Can they afford to make the move? How will we help them understand that what we are doing is in their best interest? How do we deal with their difficult behavior as we navigate this transition? How will we downsize their belongings? We were extremely fortunate to be lead to Exceptional Senior Placement Services (ESP) and had no idea their vast knowledge and expertise would get us through many confusing and complicated days. All of our questions were thoughtfully and expertly addressed by David Cohen and Susan Thaxton. From day one we were cared for with gentle understanding and authentic kindness. We felt completely supported by David and Susan throughout this entire process. David and Susan always replied to our email and phone calls very promptly. Their reassuring thoughts and positive attitudes provided a bounty of insight that helped us achieve our ultimate goal of moving Mom and Dad to a facility where they would be safe, comfortable, and well cared for. Thank you David and Susan for holding our hands and our hearts from beginning end. read more

David helped us find a memory care facility for my mother-in-law with dementia after her husband died. It was an extremely stressful time and David's help to bring us to Lakeside Park in Oakland was a blessing. Thank you David! read more

For months I felt discouraged and overwhelmed trying to find care for my dad who has dementia. My family and I were not happy with the current assisted living facility he was in. I was advised to call Exceptional Senior Placement Services and this is the best gift given to my family and me. David and Rachel are angels. I felt like I was alone and swimming up a creek however David took the time to listen to the needs of my dad and family and he and his wife went to work right away. I gave him a tall, almost unrealistic request and wasn't sure if I was asking for too much. However within 48 hours, David and Rachel had facilities lined up for me to visit. David met me at each facility and asked important questions on my behalf. He took time to debrief with me after each tour. I was so impressed by his empathy and thoughtfulness. Rachel was so patient the numerous times I called. She is thoughtful and caring. Thanks to David and Rachel my dad will be moving to his new facility where he will receive the care he needs. I stepped into a different chapter of life which has opened my eyes to how broken our country is with regards to elder care and that you have to fend for yourself. It really is discouraging. David and Rachel, however, has brought me hope that there are good people out there who are doing amazing work and helping families in tremendous ways. read more

Rachel and her team are the best. My wife & I couldn't have asked for more help. Rachel's been truly exceptional & beyond our expectations. If you're having as hard of a time as I was deciding how to proceed on behalf of your loved one, look no further. Give them a call & they'll answer all your concerns, provide guidance throughout the whole process, & take charge on your behalf if necessary. While back in Boston sorting out my mother's move to the bay area, Rachel visited several assisted living homes with my wife and found the perfect location based on our needs & independence level. She had boundless knowledge of nursing, assisted living homes, and home health care. My mom loves her new home and it all wouldn't have been possible without the help of Exceptional Senior Placement Services. We're eternally grateful. Thank you! read more

Rachel was a shining light during what was undoubtedly the most difficult time of my life. She helped me find respite-stay placement for one of my parents. She was responsive, efficient, and she checked in with me several times during and after the placement process. She made sure that we found a great retirement home that fit our budget and transportation needs. If I ever need placement help again in the Bay Area, I will trust only Rachel. I cannot encourage you enough to reach out to eSenior Placement! read more

I have spent much of the past 6 months trying to find an appropriate and desirable place for my aged father to live. Many social service workers at the hospital and rehab centers recommended boarding care for his safety, but I wanted a more engaging environment. David at Exceptional Senior Placement was recommended by a couple of different agencies, and he has been a priceless resource. David talked with me at length on the phone, tailored his recommendations to my family's needs, then escorted me to visits at his recommended places. He was spot on in recognizing our needs and budget, and each place he took me was impressive. We found an option that perfectly met my Dad's requirements, and nobody else were spoke with even knew this option existed. My family is thrilled with the personal and excellent service provided by David and Exceptional Senior Placement! read more

Rachel was so amazing and supportive in finding us a place for my Mom! My Mom fell multiple times in a week and finally ended up in the hospital. We contacted exceptional senior placement because we knew she would need full time care after her recovery. Rachel not only asked lots of questions to get to know my Mom, but she also helped us manage my Mom's transition to a short-term rehab place at the same time!! Covid made this crazy since we couldn't see my Mom who has mild dementia. We couldn't tour facilities in person because of the shelter in place restrictions. Rachel not only helped us through every step, she counseled us in circumstances way beyond our control. My Mom is happy in her new home and I have no doubt it was the right choice of place for her. I have Rachel to thank for this! I highly recommend their services not only for the professional decisions, but the loving thoughts of someone who knows how hard the process is for families even in the best of times. read more

How I never wrote a review for Rachel I just don't know!!! She was my "right hand woman" when it came to helping me find a memory care for my mom. She knew how difficult it was for me to place her and she was so compassionate and patient. She toured with me, was honest about experiences in the past with certain places and had me tour a place that was not on my radar and I ended placing my mom there and it was the best memory care I could've possibly found!! Thank you Rachel for all you do.. you have no idea what an impact you make on people during a very difficult time!!! read more

David has been a lifesaver over our eldercare journey. He played many roles for us, from initial listener, to setting up numerous tours and follow up calls, to a truly caring voice who guided us through hours and hours of calls that were primarily just to check in on how we were doing and being a voice of re-assurance. When the COVID lockdown happened, he supported us putting a pause on mom's journey made sense in light of what was going on. After we picked the ball back up, he was on many of our calls with the spot we eventually picked and checked in regularly to see how we were doing and what our progress was. Ultimately our move failed, due to my mother in law's firm reluctance to move, not a fault of David or the place we chose. With that, he then referred us to a geriatric care manager to help us with home care. All the while still devoting time and care towards us. As rough as this process is, David has always made it easier, made us feel supported, and really touched my wife and I at how much he truly cared. read more

David and his team were instrumental in finding the right home for my mom who was recently diagnosed with Dementia/Alzheimer's. This process can be overwhelming and emotional, and I'm beyond thankful we found ESP. David assessed our specific needs and found a great home for my mom, guiding us every step of the way. He was kind, thoughtful, and extremely professional. I would highly recommend ESP to anyone looking for senior care. read more

Susan Thaxton, the person who helped me from Exceptional Senior Placement (ESP), was great. She was responsive and helpful in identifying which care homes out of many would be most appropriate for my husband and most likely to "accept" him with his dementia and occasional (but triggered) outbursts. Susan knew about the care homes she was suggesting, or if I asked for suggestions in other parts of the Bay Area that she was less familiar with, she consulted with her colleagues at ESP and got me the info I needed, and in the time I needed it. Susan is very familiar with the care home industry. She seemed genuinely interested in helping. I am very satisfied and recommend ESP. read more

This agency works wonders to help place your loved one in an amazing home. It literally took one week for me to find a stellar home with great carrgivers for my mom. Thanks again! read more

Not long ago, I needed help to find an assisted living facility for my Mom. It was urgent. I went through two placement services. I wasn't happy with either one of them. Then, I discovered Exceptional Senior Placement. I worked with Johnell. Johnell help me through the process step-by-step. Johnell spent a lot of time to help me. And eventually, we found the perfect fit for my Mom. Exceptional Senior Placement is great. Thank you Johnell for everything. I highly suggest calling them if you need them. read more

UPDATE 7/1/2020: This is the second time I am reviewing Exceptional Senior Placement, because this is the second time I have called them in a COMPLETE AND UTTER PANIC. It is also the second time that David Cohen helped me relocate my father, who is living with dementia. After a bad experience at a memory care center whose managerial staff proved ill-equipped to address the normal behaviors of people living with dementia, we knew we had to move him. But how on earth to do this in the midst of a global pandemic and a statewide shelter-in-place order that continues to limit movements of the elderly and contact with their families??!? Working exclusively by phone, email, text, and FaceTime to move a parent was daunting to say the least, because how can you really get the feel of a place and the people who live and work there when you can't visit? Because of our experiences in moving my father from one end of the state to another in 2018, I knew we were in the most capable hands, and I trusted David to guide us through any and all conversations with potential residences and, importantly, to ask the questions that we didn't (or couldn't) think to ask. Not only did he carefully shepherd us to the perfect memory care center where my father is now thriving, but David also arranged the movers, helped us get necessary testing, and has called several times since the move to ensure we are all doing well and settling in. Figuring out how best to care for an aging parent presents its own challenges, and dementia adds another layer. BUT David and the ESP team know what they are doing! The calm, confident, caring, and conscientious guidance and advocacy we received made the process less stressful and, in the final analysis, has improved our lives. I kid you not. I cannot sing the praises of Exceptional Senior Placement enough, and I continue to be so grateful that I stumbled upon them during a late-night random Google search. I'd give a million stars if I could. read more

Big huge hurrah for David! Kind and understanding. Great listener. Found information to help both mom and dad concerning VA benefit and program. It's not his field, but David went out of his way to find the information we needed! read more

David helped me move my dad from assisted living to skilled nursing within 3 days. We would have been lost without him. He found us a perfect solution that was closer to us and provided our father with loving care for his last month of life. I will always be grateful to David and his team. They are simply the best and I would give them 100 stars if I could. read more

I learned of Exceptional Senior Placement Services after I placed my parent in an assisted living facility. I wish I had found them earlier. David was incredibly knowledgeable about the situations and concerns I faced and helped me look at options and solutions for my parent as well as considerations for the welfare and well being of my family member. Rachel and staff also called me back to be sure my needs were addressed. Incredible service and I wasn't even a client. If I need to look for another facility for my parent I will definitely contact Exceptional Senior Placement Services. I highly recommend this company. read more

I would like to recommend ESP - Johnell helped us find a place for our 91 year old and we couldn't have done it without her! Searching in a large city/area like San Francisco is overwhelming. Johnell has a wonderful, thoughtful manner, offered options that we never knew existed, and got him into a safe, supportive environment in no time. In addition, she has continued to call/email us, offering helpful advice about helping him through the transition, and check in with him and with us. Especially with the pandemic having locked down care facilities, there are some unforeseen challenges, and Johnell has so many contacts and ideas . . . I am so grateful to her for taking a stressful situation and making it manageable. I would give Johnell 10 stars if I could! read more

We recently had to find a board and care home in the east bay for my Uncle. We were overwhelmed by the process and emotionally drained. Then we were referred to Exceptional Senior Placement Services and met David Cohen. He is amazing. He was professional, compassionate and most of all he listened to us when we told him what was important to our family. He found the perfect location for my uncle. David communicated to us throughout the time it took to get my uncle settled. David followEd up to make sure all was well afterwards. Our family was so very grateful to David and glad we were referred to this company. read more

I was recently faced with the unfortunate reality of having to place my mom in a care home. I made one simple inquiry to a popular website to seek assistance and was immediately BOMBARDED with emails and phone calls from facilities all over the Bay Area. Although each representative appeared compassionate, I began to figure out which ones truly cared and which ones just saw dollar signs. At some point I connected with Rachel and the rest was history! I got a really good vibe from her and began to work with her exclusively. She eventually found a place for my mom that was never on the initial list/radar and could cater to my mom's specific needs. My mom loves her new place and the owner and staff are awesome! I feel comfort and relief that this match was made. Thanks Rachel! read more

Though my time with ESP was short-lived due to a change of needs for my mother, I am extremely grateful to Rachel and Johnell. I had called several other placement services and none of them showed the kind of attention that ESP did. The others were more focused on giving me names of certain facilities without really listening to what my family's current situation was or the specific needs my mom had. Rachel and Johnell truly listened carefully and were kind and respectful to my difficult feelings during this process. I never felt pressured; they were consistent, respectfully, in their follow-ups with me. I am happy that services like this exist, but especially thankful to ESP for being of true service to the community, rather than just a business going for profit. read more

I can't say enough about Mona. Her patience, thoughfulness, understanding, and soothing manner all won the day. My 72 year old Dad is not your average bear - an eccentric fellow with serious hippie tendencies and a life that had gone from robust and wide to small, cluttered, confused, and taken advantage of by predators. It all ended one day with a flood, and that was the catalyst for our work with Mona. Mona arranged tours for my father at several places in the east bay and we found a great fit. Dad will be moving in in the next couple of weeks and many of the worries and midnight demons that have plagued me for the last year will be over. THANK YOU, Mona, for treating my Dad with decency and compassion and me with patience and grace. You are a lifesaver and a star. FIVE STARS, and I'd gve more if I could. read more

We have all seen pictures or movies of a mouse in a maze. Hitting barriers, going no place fast, never getting to the goal. That is what I felt like when I started thinking of finding a suitable care facility for my wife. I called a few well known national placement services in desperation. Initial friendly and chatty conversations quickly turned into sales pitches. At that point I felt like I was in a 3 dimensional maze which seemed to compound my confusion. And luckily my research uncovered Exceptional Senior Placement Services. I left a message to speak to someone, and almost immediately received a call from Rachel. Surprisingly she focused on how I was feeling and what I thought I needed and why. Within a short few minutes I knew I was talking to a caring person who wanted to help both myself and my wife. Her only agenda seemed to be to provide care and guidance. No sales pitches. How refreshing! Throughout the search process, Rachel continued to refine her recommendations base on my reactions to the various care facilities she visited with me. I felt certain I had an advocate who had my wife's well being as her top priority since she transparently highlighted the pros and cons of the care options she unveiled. At the end of the process, finally making a choice was less traumatic than I had feared because of Rachel's expert guidance and collaborative approach. read more

FABULOUS! FABULOUS! FABULOUS! Mona is absolutely amazing at what she does which is: a) Help clarify and understand the needs of your senior b) Provide guidance on the best locations to meet your needs, price, amenities required, etc. c) Facilitate dialogues/negotiations with the providers d) Keep you calm and focused during what can be an incredibly emotionally and financially burdensome process I truly could not have found the fantastic facility I did without her assistance. She is a Godsend. read more