1. Friends House

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Santa Rosa, CA

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Friends House

3.7 (17 reviews)
Open • 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Friends House Photos

Recommended Reviews - Friends House

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My mother in front of her apartment, looking over her garden.

My mother has lived at Friends House for about 14 years now. It is lovely Quaker founded, and the people living there are diverse and interesting. Mom lived in her own small apartment for years, and enjoyed her small garden and the community of people helping each other with so many things. When she became disabled and needing Skilled Nursing her move into the full care facility was right there for her, so she could be still in the community that she had connected with so well. She has now lived in the Skilled Nursing wing for 3 years, and is still very happy and connected, still is involved in the community activities, still can get out, in her motorized wheelchair, to go around the lovely grounds and meet with her friends, and watch the weekly movie; almost everything she did before becoming so severely disabled. She raves about the care she is now given, and appreciates the workers, both management and medical and aides. Sometimes she does have to wait a bit when she pushes her button to call a CNA, but she knows that is because there is someone with higher need than her at that moment. A bit of patience on her part and the CNA always get to her. Friends House has been a wonderful place and community for my mom to live in and have a full community for the last years of her life. Our memories of this place and of her friends will forever be in our hears. (She is still living there happily, I just get nostalgic when looking forward and backward in time....)

The kitchen in my parent's unit.

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9 years ago

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3 years ago

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F P.

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4 years ago

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F P.

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8 years ago

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9 years ago

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7 years ago

My aunt has lived here for over a decade and loves the place. Interesting residents, lots of interesting activities and a great location.

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9 years ago

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13 years ago

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8 years ago

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13 years ago

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Travis S.

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13 years ago

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Travis S.

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12 years ago

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9 years ago

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13 years ago

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13 years ago

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11 years ago

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Ask the Community - Friends House

Review Highlights - Friends House

“As a gerontologist and as a family member of someone living at Friends House, I only have positive reviews of the community.”

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Spring Lake Village

Spring Lake Village

3.5(16 reviews)
1.9 mi

My mom was a resident there until her death . The CNA that let my husband and I in her apartment…read more went back and stole jewelry from my mom's dresser. It was a good thing I had done an inventory. Spring Lake did not seal off her room to anyone but her family. When I confronted the Director about the theft, she told me I was upset about my mom's passing. I suggested she look at the log who went in and out of the room. I also told her that I had already notified Santa Rosa police , they took my report seriously. It turned out the CNA that took my Mom's jewelry also stole from others. If you put your parents there , make sure anything of value does not move in with them. Ask them for their policy on what happens when your loved one passes . It's bad enough to have a sudden death of your loved one , you also do not need to have a crime committed against your family .

It is expensive to live here, but if one can afford it, it is full of wonderful features,…read moreespecially the trees, the walking path by the Santa Rosa Creek, the kindness of the staff (several of whom we met that have worked here for over 34 years!), a skilled nursing facility, and the various options for apartments or cottages, many of which look out on to a huge lawn with trees that must be over 100 years old... or so it seems. And flowers planted with blossoms that last. And as you walk around, you may well be accompanied by the songs of birds that are everywhere. Also, if you're happy eating just breakfast and lunch, your monthly allotment will cover that. Dinner on its own uses up the daily points but is abundant, varied, and you can also fill up a container with your favorite things to take home. Why there are not more 5 star review of this amazing, 40 years old place, is really hard to understand. If in doubt, come check it out! :o) That said, there is usually a fairly lengthy waiting list.

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Spring Lake Village
Spring Lake Village
Spring Lake Village

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Varenna Retirement Community by Wellquest

Varenna Retirement Community by Wellquest

2.0(1 review)
2.4 mi

As of 1/1/25, Varenna at Fountaingrove in Santa Rosa has decided to mark their old Yelp review page…read moreas inactive and start a new one. I assume they took this action because of 2 unfavorable reviews (one of which I am reposting below) as a means to erase the past and start fresh. Sorry Varenna, it's not going to be that easy. A quick update to my earlier review below, the restaurant service went from mediocre to horrible over the last almost 2 years, and the food quality has also gotten considerably worse. I realize that Varenna is undoubtedly having staffing problems with the restaurant as are most eating establishments, but perhaps you should make some changes to the employee pay and allow tipping to attract employees who will stay with the company for more than a month or two. Most elderly people are more than happy to tip and tip very well for great service. Here is my previous review. Varenna is probably one of (if not the nicest) retirement centers in the entire Bay Area. The facility is 1st class with a beautiful setting, and a staff that is very attentive to all of your needs. So, you're probably wondering why I didn't leave a 5 star review, right? Well, if you visit their web site, they have a video describing the dining room, and an interview with their executive chef who goes into great detail about sourcing out locally fresh seasonal ingredients for their 5 star dining experience. In reality, the food is mediocre at best, more along the lines of what you might find at a Denny's restaurant. My parents moved to Varenna several months ago and overall, they're happy with their choice. As you can imagine, the place is very expensive like most retirement centers. Besides the monthly fees of around $10,000, you have to buy your apartment, which at Varenna starts at around $400,000 for a studio to well over 1.5 million for the larger suites. For those of us fortunate enough to have saved a nice nest egg for our retirement, this isn't a bad way to go. My parents like most elderly people can take care of most of their own needs, but meal preparation and eating right sometimes takes a back burner to everything else in life. So elderly people who can afford to live in Varenna generally have a very selective pallet. They know what fine dining is, and have experienced the best restaurants the bay area has to offer. What they're getting at Varenna is not what they're accustomed to. I remember the week my parents moved into Varenna, and as I drove to the main entrance, I noticed 2 semi trucks on the side on the main building unloading goods. Normally I wouldn't think much of this, but these 2 trucks belonged to a company called Sysco, which is a very large commercial food distributing company. They deliver frozen food to airlines, large restaurant chains (like Denny's) and while their food isn't bad, it's not the kind of food you get in a high end restaurant that sources out local fresh ingredients. I've eaten in the dining room with my parents at the restaurant in Varenna perhaps a dozen times, and some meals are very good, while others are really horrible. Bad meals that come to mind are a Caesar salad that was obviously made with bagged/pre-chopped Romaine lettuce that was turning brown, meat balls that were still a little frozen insides because they hadn't been microwaved long enough, all of their seafood dishes are frozen, which is ironic because fresh halibut and salmon are in season right now and plentiful, and they can't seem to find it anywhere. Hamburgers are generally dry and over-done, and my father complained about a skirt steak they served him last week, and it was so tough he couldn't cut or chew it. The waiter simply took his plate without asking how his uneaten meal was. They have a very limited daily menu, and even though they only have to be sure to have a few ingredients on-hand for that limited number of dishes, they are still frequently out of things. They have a decent wine and beer selection, and they're always out of some of the best wines (hence customers bringing their own bottles and being charged a corkage fee) and almost always out of beers that we want to order. I could go on, but you get my point. I'm writing this mini-novel not to inflict any kind of reputational damage on the staff or the facility, only to make them aware of a problem that absolutely should not exist. Most elderly people are too nice to complain about the food, but they talk amongst themselves and most agree, the food isn't great and it should be. Out in the real world, if they paid for an expensive meal and received this food, they wouldn't return, but that's not a choice they have at Varenna. If there truly is an executive chef at Verenna, fire him/her and hire somebody who knows what the heck they are doing. If there isn't a chef currently, you folks make more than enough money to hire a damn good one from just about anyplace in the world. Give these people their money's worth, and let them enjoy life

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Varenna Retirement Community by Wellquest
Varenna Retirement Community by Wellquest
Varenna Retirement Community by Wellquest

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Park View Post Acute

Park View Post Acute

3.7(42 reviews)
1.3 mi

My grandmother was admitted to Park View around October, and I started visiting her pretty often…read more From the very first time I walked through the front door, I was greeted by Alana with a kind smile that immediately made me feel welcomed. Every time I visited, Alana was incredibly helpful in showing me where to go and helping me find my way around the facility, even at different times of the day. What really stood out to me, though, was the way she interacted with the residents. She always seemed genuinely kind, patient, and caring. It was very clear to me that she wasn't simply there to collect a paycheck -- she truly enjoys helping people and making the residents feel cared for. One day, I asked my grandmother if she had ever interacted with Alana, and she immediately told me that Alana was really nice. She even mentioned that Alana had taken her on a quick walk. Hearing that meant a lot to me because, as a family member, knowing that someone is taking the time to make your loved one feel comfortable and cared for is incredibly reassuring. Alana made a lasting impression on me and my family. Her kindness, genuine personality, and willingness to go out of her way to help others are exactly the qualities you hope to see in someone working with elderly residents. Park View is very fortunate to have someone like Alana on their team. I'm incredibly grateful for the kindness she showed both my grandmother and me. If you're looking for a place where compassionate people genuinely care about the residents, I would absolutely recommend Park View. Alana deserves recognition for the wonderful work she does every day.

My father was a patient there for about a month last July to August. We placed him on hospice and…read morehe was arranged to be moved to a home care facility for end-of-life care, we were not present for the transport. The company that was booked arrived in a commercial vehicle and they claim Park View refused to give them a wheelchair to transport him. At this point my father was barely speaking and experienced drops in blood pressure whenever not in a laying position. They did not call my mother to inform her that he was being transported in what I would describe as a medically unsafe manor. In my opinion they never should have allowed him to leave their facility in such a way. He arrived extremely disoriented and weak and fainted once he arrived at the new home care facility. I would hope no ones loved one would experience something similar.

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Park View Post Acute
Park View Post Acute
Park View Post Acute

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Friends House - retirement_homes - Updated October 2026

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