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.

We had a change of plans but we used their services for a short while,excellent,efficient and…read morecaring. Thank you Raul for superior service. Zenia Velasquez Lafayyete

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!

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.

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!!

My father had been declining in health for years, eventually diagnosed with PSP (progressive…read moresupranuclear palsy) and his care needs kept escalating; over the last 2 years we moved him 3+ times (from his home to independent living, to assisted care, to a SNF, and lastly to memory care of contra costa: MCCC under hospice orders). MCCC was a godsend for us. A smaller facility dedicated to memory care meant that every caregiver and staff member was trained and knew how to provide for seniors with higher needs. My father in particular needed specific diet instructions, non-verbal communication, and direct assistance with all daily tasks. We didn't have to deal with a wait-list (maybe we were lucky, there was a unit readily available), the pricing is very straightforward, and all the staff quickly became some of his favorite people. They also coordinated seamlessly with Suncrest hospice of walnut creek, which made regular updates and communication very easy. My father moved into MCCC in January and passed away in April. And I truly believe the high quality and genuine care he received there was part of how we were able to send him off in the best possible way: surrounded by family, listening to the music he loved, hearing the words "i love you," and feeling a warm embrace as he took his last breaths. Senior care is a complex and increasingly expensive proposition in the US, MCCC made the price feel well worth it and we never questioned whether we made the right decision moving him here. There really are some of the most empathetic, altruistic, and caring people working there - I hope they know that and can be reminded that the direct care they provide honors the dignity of their residents and brings immense peace of mind to the families and friends who love them.

It's time, 1 month ago today, April 18, 2025, we said goodbye to my dad, Merwyn. He has resided at…read morethe Memory Care of Contra Costa since October 2022. My dad suffered from dementia nd advanced Alzheimer's disease. After a very bad fall in 2022, we knew our mom could no longer provide the care he needed, so he moved into the memory care directly from the hospital. From day one, this facility provided the structure and stimulation that my dad needed. He was happy most of the time, and as he suffered from Sundowning, or increased anxiety at sundown, the caring staff knew how to support him. My mom came to visit with him 2 days before he passed. I need to shout out to Emilly, the activities assistant, who compassionately listened to my mom, giving her much-needed support during this difficult time. Thank You! The whole time my dad was a resident, we never encountered a staff member suffering from burnout, instead,5 everyone showed up as loving the work they do, very rare in this challenging care. This reflects well on the good management practices in place. We are so grateful we found this care facility for my dad.

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.

thanks for your reply- however, the care at aegis was poor enough for me to win a custody case…read morereleasing him from your care. it may well be that independent living there is satisfactory, but the truth is that many people testified to the judge that the care was not appropriate for his level of dementia. your facility is beautiful, but the management did nothing to help. https://youtu.be/rlNMz7NKzKM

My Mother lives at Aegis, in the memory care section. There are some caregivers who look after her…read morereally well. In a general way the facility is nice - clean and welcoming. They just had a big renovation in the community areas of the memory care sections and it looks freshened up. (Except for the old furniture). Most of the caregivers are good - they have a lot of work to do for a lot of people and not very much staffing. They seem to really care about the old folks who live there. I am updating my review from last winter to reflect current conditions at Aegis. The staff has had a major change with a new nursing director. A Marquita Kennedy has come aboard, and none are too happy about it. She has not been there terribly long, and already residents and us family are grumbling and good staff members are fixing to leave because of her. One bad egg may spoil a good thing here, and quick, too. The activities have slacked off some, less and less it seems. My Mother has been more sedentary with less to do. The food is still the same, not too good. The place is kept up fairly well. The staff turnover seems about the same as anywhere else, but is about to go through the roof with Ms. Kennedy at the reigns.

I am glad my mother was at Heatherwood for her final years. They took good care of her. The…read morepeople are friendly and willing to answer questions any time you call. I appreciate the care they gave my mother.

As a placement and referral agency, Spectrum Seniors put Heatherwood as #1 on our East Bay memory…read morecare facility. The community is bright, clean and odor free. As a veteran administrator in assisted living for past 12 years, I can confidently say I am impressed with Ryan's friendliness and compassion. I was amazed at the competency level of the caregivers (I watched them use hoyer lift) and the technology being used in the community. Residents seem to be well taken care of as they're engaged in activities. I make sure to speak with visitors during my visit, and they too are smiling and raving about this place. Go see for yourself on why this place is ranked #1 on our list.