After 3 years of blissful living at Bethel Care Home, my mom passed away. She was 93 and it was her…read moretime. To be in the care of Martin, Andre and Emma for 3 years was a blessing. I spent so much time with the caregivers as I am someone who wants to get to know the people taking care of my mother. These 3 people are absolutely amazing. I will never forget the love and kindness they bestowed upon my mother and myself.

Tayyaba (the owner) and all of the staff at Bethel Care Home at the Juanita Drive location were…read moreterrific! My mom had a sudden and severe stroke last year. She lost the use of her left side and the ability to toilet and shower herself. She arrived at Bethel Care Home on hospice with a life expectancy of two weeks to two months. Due to the fantastic care at Bethel, my mom was able to revive such that she is no longer on hospice or in danger of imminent death. She is able to talk with others and is more alert to her surroundings. During her year at Bethel, even through all of the Covid restrictions and challenges, she received great attention to her care and physical needs. She never got bed sores or any sickness at all. She reported she liked the food (everything is homemade with no processed foods). We are sad to say goodbye to the team at Bethel since my mom is now moving to a memory care facility where she can get some additional cognitive and physical stimulation to support her health journey. We highly recommend Bethel Care Home to others.

There so much that I want to say about this assisted living facility, but I just want to get this…read morereview up now while I'm here for my second visit. I've been to a number of care facilities and this is the first one that I feel very very comfortable visiting. The grounds are clean and beautifully landscaped and designed, the inside is clean and not smelly, the staff is really relaxed and friendly. And it's very close to some great hiking trails near Canyon and Redwood Road. So after a visit to one of the 94-year-old residents who I'm looking after, I can head out into the beautiful surrounding hills to get grounded in nature

I settled my mom here a year and a half ago after she was no longer able to live completely…read moreindependently. The staff is extraordinarily caring and attentive, the setting is inviting, and the rooms are clean, bright and comfortable -- allowing each resident to decorate and furnish as they are comfortable with. Mealtimes are communal and extended family is always made to feel welcome, with facilities to join a parent or a friend at a private table for a get-together at mealtime. The facility also supports a memory-care unit for residents that require 24-hour supervision and assistance with most daily tasks. My mother needed to move into that unit after a year because of a degenerative illness -- and the continued care there was supportive, gentle, and comprehensive. The facility works well for people across the whole spectrum of abilities and levels of independence. The management team spends time getting to know and understand the needs and particulars of every resident -- something impossible at most larger facilities. I am grateful that there was availability at Moraga Royale -- it is worth waiting for.

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.

I believe John D's review of Mercy is poorly written and gives the wrong impression of Mercy…read more Mercy is a non-denominational, full service facility, with a secure campus that has 24/7 Reception, beautifully landscaped gardens, and every service a resident could want: three nutritious meals every day; a variety of daily activities and special events; housekeeping service; 24/7 floor staff for night or day emergencies. Mercy is run by the non-profit Eldercare Alliance. They're associated with the four AlmaVia facilities in the Bay Area. We needed a facility for my 85-yr old MIL who is physically healthy, but has a mild-to-moderate case of dementia. We wanted a full-service facility so that as she declined, we would not be forced to move her somewhere else (disruption is highly stressful for dementia patients). My MIL is in now in Asst. Living. Although reluctant (as many elderly are) to make "the move" out of our home, she quickly adjusted and in less than a month's time was telling her friends she absolutely loves it at Mercy. She loves how caring and friendly all the staff is, and how quick everyone was to learn her name. She loves the reassurance that she will be escorted to and from her bath, so that she need never worry about falling. She enjoys the food, which is quite good (we've eaten there with her a number of times). She appreciates the choice of activities and for the first time since being widowed, is making new friends, because Mercy provides a supportive sense of community for its residents. Unlike John D., we investigated seven different senior facilities nearby our home. There are many different types, but we needed a full service facility with a Memory Care unit. But what makes one facility different from another is the staff. And Mercy's staff is VERY, VERY GOOD - at all levels! There were some minor issues at first because moving in and getting her settled was complex; but Mercy was always responsive and showed themselves willing to go that "extra mile" for my MIL's comfort. We have visited elderly friends at other (even more expensive) facilities where the night staff was sullen and uninterested when a resident comes to ask a question. We have had many interactions with Mercy staff and all have been 100% positive. We are convinced that Mercy was the right choice. They are a caring, compassionate, and highly professional care facility. Oakland seniors are lucky to have Mercy in our city! (Note: edited June 2014 to reflect that Salem is being sold to finance an expansion of Mercy's campus to provide additional Memory Care units. Salem is being purchased by a for-profit corporation, similar to Sunrise Living and AgeSong.)

Mercy Retirement is a hidden gem in Oakland California for senior living. 150 years of caring and…read morecompassion, along with world class culinary experience and award winning executive chef Steven Catindig.

My fathers caregiver Jeannie Taylor has been a blessing. We could not have gone through our…read morefather's passing without her.

My caregiver Carolina Figueroa is the best of all caregivers she brightens my morning every day and…read moreno task is too small or too big for her! Definitely a keeper!!!

My mom was a resident of Belmont Village from the Fall of 2018 through early 2022 in her mid to…read morelate 90's. My experience was 100% positive - the professionalism and the caring of the staff members was excellent, from the nursing staff to the PALs personal assistants to the management. Many staff members often went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure all the residents were safe, well cared for and happy. The facilities are always well maintained and clean which reflects the efforts of Nolan and Michelle was an outstanding Executive Director. The most important thing is that mom was happy and well cared for, she and I were able to share a lot of happy times and memories throughout her stay at Belmont Village.

I had problems with my room when I moved in. The lock wouldn't work, so I reported it, but they…read morewere unable to fix it. My key afterward would not work, but they failed to fix it. Now, it refuses to lock. I do not know what to do. G Kao, room 317

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!

I am writing this for my 94 year old friend. She is not happy here. She has had things stolen and…read morehas a great deal of fear. It's really sad. If you have your loved one stay here, be VERY vigilant and make sure protections are in place. Appearances are good here, food is fine - AND the elderly can be taken advantage of here. Be aware.

My mother has been very happy at Merrill Gardens for the past year and a half. Our family is…read moreespecially grateful to Merrill for its support in offering the use of the facility's lovely Living Room for Mom's 100th birthday party. Grace Ray, the Active Living Program Director, helped us all the way through the process, including suggesting the use of the Living Room and providing us with glasses, utensils, plates, water--and even providing balloon decorations. Grace was on-site during the set-up process to make sure everything was in order. We were able to add a table and some extra chairs, and she helped us with climate control in the room. We are very grateful, too, to the staff members who provided us all that we needed to be able to serve a catered lunch and who took care of the dish washing and cleaning up. This was an activities director and staff who went over-the-top to ensure a happy 100th birthday for a resident. It was a special day for our family. Thank you, Merrill Gardens!