We were so lucky to find Portola Gardens. It is such a wonderful place that treated my mother in…read morelaw with love and dignity during her last year and a half of life. She initially needed more care than most assisted living facilities we're willing to take on, but she was welcomed with open arms at Portola. Within a few months she was thriving and needed less care. They made her feel like a family member and treated the rest of the family as if we were a part of that. She had a few hospitalizations that took her away, but she always raved to the doctors and nurses about Portola Gardens and stressed that she wanted to get back as soon as possible. I feel that my mother in law was ready to die when we first brought her here, but through their loving care and sensing her personal needs, she not only blossomed, but she had a purpose in life. They helped her to want to live again. They had numerous group activities that she loved being included in. She had her posse of friends and through her gift of gab she had a way of making other residents smile and this gave her great pleasure. The staff knew all her quirks and anticipated her needs before she would have to ask and this gave her a great sense of security. Her room was lovely and they were always helpful when we wanted to make it feel more like home for her. The place always smelled fresh and clean and never of chemicals. I'll never forget the first day when we toured the place and we walked into to dining room and it smelled like Thanksgiving day. She raved about the food. We were always invited to be a part of holiday celebrations and when we ate there, we raved too! I can't thank them enough, because not only did they give my mother in law her life back, they gave us ours back because we always knew she was being expertly cared for and if there were any medical issues we would be informed immediately. Covid had its challenges, but they went above and beyond to make sure we could communicate with her and they came up with creative ways for us to interact. I must also add that they kept her safe in the pandemic and this was a woman that had endured almost every medical condition that could be acquired. There safe practices gave us great comfort during a very scary time. I can't give a higher recommendation and I will be forever grateful to the staff for making her last days as happy as possible. We grew quite fond of all the staff at Portola and will always consider them family.

I am extremely concerned about the quality of care at Portola Gardens. A friend is a long term…read moreresident and has had caregivers disregard her clearly stated physical limitations which resulted in physical injury. The caregivers do not seem to have any supervision or accountability and routinely fail to follow basic safety protocols and routinely disrespect VULNERABLE residents. While a few staff seem compassionate and want to provide care, the overall atmosphere feels inconsistent and dismissive of legitimate concerns. Families should look very closely at how care plans are followed, how staff respond to resident limitations, and how complaints are actually handled. Proceed with caution at this facility.

Phoned Executive Director today after sending my client to tour the facility.( I was unavailable…read morewith a hospice client) David was aggressive and hostile when he found out I was a placement coordinator. He stated that he wasn't paying me a dime, only working with my client directly and hung up in my face when I asked to speak to his supervisor. I would never send a loved one to a facility where the Director treats anyone with anger and hostility. In my 13 years in this business, I've only ever been spoken to with respect and courtesy. In response to David's response: Interesting that none of what you posted David was said to me on our call. Angry, hostile and indignant behavior was all I received. On this forum you take the time to say this to the community. I've been in this field for over 13 years. If I'm with another dying client, most Director's will modify the protocol which doesn't affect anyone in the parties. indignant interaction with me is not explainable after the fact and my clients do not want this for conduct for their family.

Great people and location for assisted living services. Not so big that it feels like a hospital,…read morenot too small that you feel the place is too confining for your loved one. The staff are friendly and helpful. They do their best to accommodate your requests and very approachable and easy to work with. Plus a great view of the city and more sunshine than you usually find in San Francisco. Our room was private with a private bath and nice big windows to let in lots of light. There's lot of street parking for visitors and a park across the street. The is neighborhood is residential so quiet and very safe. Close to Castro so you can use Bart and Muni and there's the 6 and 37 bus as well. Would recommend!

Very disappointed. It was clean (I'll give them that) but therapy was less frequent than promised…read moreand they frequently had both PT AND OT together doing 1 session rather than 2 separate sessions. Although they billed for 2 sessions. There were no clocks or calendars provided in rooms so it is very easy for patients to get confused. They only provided 1 dose of medication at discharge so we had to go through a lot of stress to get the dose for the next morning. The only medication my sister was taking was for seizures (very important) so we had to spend hours trying to get more meds (on a Friday night). To add insult to injury , my sister was discharged on Oct 3rd. We only received a phone call from Home Health on October 25th. Home health stated they received referral October 23rd. That's unacceptable!

my boyfriend has been to this facility twice now and they have helped him tremendously recover from…read morehis injuries and get back to health. The facility is clean. Everybody is friendly and kind. We recommend this rehab facility to anyone. Thank you to all the staff.

I was transferred to Lawton Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center from UCSF, and I was highly…read moreimpressed by precise coordination among the Center's staff, by professionalism of nurses and CNAs. Their care for very old and very sick people, some left unresponsive after strokes was full of humanity. I spent at the Lawton Center 2 weeks and all my requests were met with such willingness and smile that I wanted to ask for something else just to see this expression of kindness and benevolence. I would easier trust my own mother to them than to myself, because they were really SKILLED. I asked my friend working in the medical field how such good work of personnel could be achieved? She answered that it could be only the result of responsible supervision of the attentive bosses. I met Lawton Center's Administrator Dan Daly and Director of Nursing Natasha Daragan, who WERE responsible for their crew's coordination and hard work. They themselves are watching everything like hawks and it shows. I appreciated the work of physical therapists who helped patients as a team and individually. The case worker Rudy also was very helpful in complicated and nerve-wrecking dealings with insurance. Absolutely fantastic was CNA Sheryl, who was not only superbly professional, but personally very kind. The society which cares so much for sick and elderly is a pinnacle of civilization. Thanks God that America still has this island of humanity The only bad side is that food is too good for the people who want to lose weight. Tatiana Menaker

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this one matters…read more I was referred to Lawton Nursing & Rehab after a major surgery and confirmed with both Cigna and UCSF that they were in-network. Lawton's staff flat-out refused to even check or speak to the insurer - instead, they rudely denied care and hung up on attempts to clarify coverage. When you're recovering from a serious procedure, this kind of treatment is not only disheartening - it's dangerous. Patients deserve empathy and basic professionalism. Lawton failed on both counts.

I have used them several times…read more Wonderful care provider. Capable and kind staff. Very responsive to our needs. Ethical company! I highly recommend this company!

We hired always best care to help my mother in her final days. We started with one care giver for 4…read morehours, 2 times a week for about three months and by the end we had nearly around the clock care with 4 different nurses. Ramon was able to adjust schedules to accommodate our needs as soon as we realized we needed more care and we were pleased with the service the nurses provided.

Dad had a stroke in April 2020 and needed a great deal of care when he left the hospital.  It was…read morehard finding an assisted living facility that would take new patients at that point in the COVID pandemic.  We are grateful to Victorian Manor for accepting mom and dad and nursing them back to health.  We dropped them off at the front door, facility sight unseen, and that was it.  The folks at Victorian Manor did everything they could to make the transition from independent to assisted living smooth for them.  Not an easy task during a pandemic and no visitors allowed. I finally got to visit a year later when the facility opened up to visitors again. Mom and dad's room was large with a nice view of San Francisco. The large windows enabled them to watch the birds, fireworks on the 4th of July, and the annual air show.  I was pleased at how welcoming and open everyone was.  They encouraged me to participate in all aspects of life there.  I had some tasty meals, got to participate in an exercise class and attended a birthday party for one of the residents.  The caregiver that ran the exercise class was super enthusiastic and worked hard to get all the residents involved.  She threw a ball to different residents and after a while even the ones that initially seemed detached and in their own world were clapping and laughing and having fun. She is one of a core team of people who have been at Victorian Manor for many years that keeps the place running and ensures residents are well taken care of.

The staff is very friendly. Management was incredibly helpful;however, after my father's death it…read morebecame increasingly hard to get communication for a return of money. The chaplain never saw my father awake and I found this distressing.

It's always a hard decision for both yourself and your family when you decide to look into senior…read moreretirement homes. Coming from a Chinese background, we had to ensure that my grandparents felt safe and comfortable, and could retain that familial bond that we constantly emphasize on. There were many factors to consider before we made our decisions: location, prices, and community. Luckily for us, Armstrong Place Associates was able to provide us a comfortable, safe living space for my grandparents. I must say that these facilities are... VERY nice! The building opened up earlier this year, and is now occupied with a diverse community of individuals from all different backgrounds. My family decided to hold a family reunion party in my grandparent's complex, and I am very impressed with what I saw. Any college student would die to live in a complex such as this. My grandparents live in a comfortable one bedroom apartment, along with a living room space, kitchen, bathroom, and ample closet space. The bedroom was able to fit two twin sized beds comfortably, and the living room was able to hold fifteen of us at once comfortably. There is always someone standing watch, so security is strong and safe. The rooms also face either into the courtyard or streets. I definitely recommend getting a room with a courtyard view, as ample sunlight is emitted. If I was still a university student, I would have loved to have lived here. Armstrong also includes all of its utilities within its monthly rent, so there is no need to fiddle over the bills (Rent ~$2000). There is also a very nice community inside- with programs and events happening each week for the residents to get to know each other. On the plus side, everything is up to the residents, so there is no pressure to attend these events. However, they provide a good opportunity for your loved ones to get to know other fellow San Francisco community members. I love my grandparents, and am happy that we were able to find such a place for them to live. It's close to many ethnic communities, and is conveniently located near the light rail and MUNI for easy access. If you are seriously considering retirement homes as an option, definitely look into Armstrong for openings, and see how government benefits can help with this process.

The CNAs take a lot of time and care with the residents and go above and beyond to provide support…read morewhere needed. The facility is very clean and well kept. Employees seem happy and well taken care of too!

Love visiting this place. My stepdad has been there for over a year now. The care they give their…read morepatients is wonderful. He is very happy & content living there. His many friends/employees call him by name & even have nicknames for him. The staff is very attentive and takes care of his every need. There are in house pets which love to hang out in his room. I try to bring my puppy to visit but she has grown so much I think she frightens the staff, so we usually just bring his pup-Buddy.

I decided to check out Lucille's List because suddenly caring for someone in need can be so…read morestressful, time consuming and expensive. It was for our family. We experienced it out of state and I now have an appreciation for this life circumstance and I am grateful this resource is available here in the Bay Area. Lucille's List is needed everywhere. Lucille's List is truly an amazing resource to easily and quickly connect you with living/care solutions. Just by using in the website, I got an instant education and vocabulary to help find housing and the site usage is free. Whether you are looking for a place for yourself and your spouse as you plan for your own future, or whether you feel a sense of urgency and immediacy and stress looking for a place for an older loved one, or a loved one with care needs you can't provide on your own, check out Lucille's List. What a blessing it really is. Lucille's can connect you to the right place, based on your needs and wants. It was easy to navigate around the website and to find useful information about not only the process of locating housing and care, but also it provided easy access to the actual housing places themselves and their amenities and neighborhood and level of care provided and type of residents that live there, on and on. Do you need a place that allows pets? Smoking? Alzheimers/Dementia? Nonambulatory? Just check the box that applies. You plug in your monthly budget and what's important and a list of matches pop up. What it you don't really know what's important, or you don't know what the difference is between certain levels of care - because you've never done this before? There's a "Help Me Choose" field to click on where easy to understand, short bullet points about six different types of care/independence is provided. With that you can more usefully continue your search. You can search with interests and background of other residents in mind too. And with links to places to live you can easily see what amenities are available at the residence like facility transportation, on site hair salon, proximity to things in the neighborhood like restaurants, bus stops, movie theaters, library, hospital etc., then you can click back to Lucille's List and continue to search. Lucille's List is such a great resource.

From the owner: Lucille's List is a new website for finding senior housing. Lucille's List includes all…read moreIndependent/Assisted, 55+ Active Adult, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Senior Mobile Home Parks, Skilled Nursing Facilities and Low-Income Communities for seniors looking for a new place to live in three of the most vibrant counties of the San Francisco Bay Area - San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin.

Our experience at AlmaVia of San Francisco has been overwhelmingly positive. As care managers,…read morewe're often in and out of many senior living communities across the Bay Area, and AlmaVia consistently stands out for its mission-driven approach and genuine commitment to resident well-being. The building maintains solid staffing ratios, and it shows. Residents receive attentive, compassionate care, and the team always takes the time to greet you with warmth and professionalism. During my last visit there the Sales Counselor, Kara, took the time to step outside and talk with one of the residents about a problem he was having, and she showed such a lovely compassion and way of following up on the issue. There's a noticeable culture of kindness and respect here, not just toward visitors and families, but most importantly, toward the residents. It's clear that the staff are well-trained, engaged, and truly care about the people they support. In a region where finding quality care at an affordable rate can be a real challenge, AlmaVia offers a meaningful balance. It's a great option for families looking for person-centered memory care in a supportive, mission-aligned environment.

I might recommend this place if you are not needing assisted living or in memory care. The memory…read morecare area is so poorly managed. It is so hit or miss depending on who the care providers are. Some are really amazing and have their hearts in the right place and do an amazing job of caretaking for a very vulnerable and challenging clientele. There are others who do the bare minimum and you can tell that they hate their job and are only there for the money. The manager Aaron is the worse. So unresponsive and does not manage the staff well. He's hardly ever on site so he doesn't see what is going on. Sometimes they are so understaffed, it's not only negligent, it's dangerous. I couldn't recommend the garden area (the memory care area) for anyone I cared for. Oh and it is soooo expensive for the really crappy food and super small rooms and problematic service. Don't be fooled by the great tour they give, you won't get all of the amenities that the regular residents have access to.