I am something of an expert on assisted living properties. If you have both parents alive into…read moretheir late 80s, you too will become an expert on this industry. My parents were living at a large senior living property on the east coast, and I was doing everything I could to make their lives better - scheduling doctor's appointments, scheduling taxis, flying back on Jet Blue's redeye, etc - but the trend was not my friend; my parents needed me. I had said multiple times that they should come out to California, and one day my father said "Maybe that makes sense." That was a year ago. It was time to do some fast - but thorough - research. The perfect facility would offer assisted living for my father, and memory care for mom. I researched aggressively, visiting Wind Chime of Marin, Aegis of Corte Madera, Aegis of San Rafael, Alma Via of San Rafael, Atria-Tamalpais Creek, Sunrise of Petaluma, and one or two others I'm forgetting. Some I visited a few times. I never called before visiting; I just showed-up. As opinionated as I am, I had difficulty ranking them best to worst. Yeah, one of the facilities made a poor impression, but any property can have a bad day. It's hard to measure what really matters - the care they provide. Actually cost was also hard to measure. Some properties have a non-refundable buy-in payment; others have monthly surcharges that are added as the resident needs more help. (I had been warned about these - a property can get very expensive very quickly.) I was down to two possibilities - Alma Via of San Rafael or Atria-Tamalpais Creek - when someone from hospice mentioned Creekwood Senior Living, in Novato. Dang - I had visited the property just across the street, but not even noticed Creekwood. So I drove back up to Novato, and did my surprise drop-in. Here's what was different: almost all the residents were out in Creekwood's common area when I walked in the door. At all the other properties I visited, it seemed to be just the healthy seniors that I saw in the common areas. So where were the unhealthy ones? There seem to be two possibilities: they were left in their rooms, or they had been asked to move-out, since they were no longer profitable, and/or didn't help the property's image. Remember, the trend is not our friend. You don't want your loved one left in his/her room, or asked to move, as his/her needs increase. And you don't want to go broke, if the property's angle is to add fees for every nuance of care. If you/your loved one is still active, choose one of the properties packed with healthy seniors that you can play tennis with. But if you/your loved one needs care, make sure to visit Creekwood. When you evaluate any property I recommend looking for: * fair, no-surprises pricing * single-level properties (waiting for elevators is a drag) * big, active common areas * plenty of parking (It makes it easier to visit, knowing that you will never have to hunt for parking!) I moved my parents to Creekwood in late November, 2012. I've visited there... jeez - scores of times. I have no regrets; it's the best decision I've made in a long long time. I only wish that I got my parents out here earlier...

My 90 year old mother has been a resident for the past five years. She considers the community and…read morestaff as family, supportive and kind. My siblings and I looked at several options and we're delighted with our decision.

My parents have lived at Deer Park for a year now. It was a very good decision to have them move…read morethere. The front end staff and management are so solid and friendly and wonderful, as are the all the staff. The energy there is relaxed and positive. The units are really sweet and it's nestled into the hills of Novato with birds and wildlife all around. And it's affordable.

I recently was searching for a retirement community and had the pleasure of meeting with Lance at…read moreDeer Park. The community was so welcoming and met all my needs. Great food at all times and friendly staff. This is a Five Star place! JH

Atria Tamalpaias Creek is a gem among assisted living communities in terms of its people, its…read moresetting, and its authentic caring for its members. My father joined Atria 3 months ago after touring other communities in the area and chose Tamalpaias Creek due to the warm welcome he received from residents and staff combined with his repeated observations that the community seemed happy, social and vibrant. As a social person he was seeking friendly and kind people with a busy activity calendar and was relieved to find what he sought. The series of performances, outings, and in-house social events have offered a changing menu of enjoyable choices to stay busy and engaged. Highlights for my father have included: feeling that every staff member knows him and offers help and warm greetings whenever they see him, consistently excellent food (he can be very particular so this was huge!), regular and easy access to a driver for shopping and banking, many nice residents to get to know and to meet for meals together, and truly well-run operations that reliably take care of so many important details of daily life while constantly looking out for the residents' needs and well-being. As my father's primary caretaker (with much appreciated help from my sister) I have been impressed with this community from the beginning with not only all of the aspects noticeable to my dad, but also all of the wonderful, responsive, caring, professional, and helpful interactions I have had with every staff member. The directors of Atria Tamalpaias Creek should feel proud of the truly exceptional community and operations that they have developed and continue to actively cultivate every day. Our family has felt fortunate and blessed to have found this gem in Novato.

It is rare to work with any business where there is visible team work and overall excellence--this…read moreplace seems to fit the bill! Supervisors, Managers, Directors, Assistants, Aides, all "floor staff" are at ease, well matched to their position, and friendly. ( a rough edge here or there surely exists, as it does for anyone...). I am writing as the family member most involved with the care of my Mother, and as a former long-time employee of places very similar to Atria Tam Creek. My Mother has been there about 3 months. It was not always an easy adjustment for my Mother and I, but we have been met MORE than halfway by all the people working there, all the way up to, and including, the superb Executive Director. The recreational activities are excellent (imaginative and well run) and the food is the best I have tasted in "institutional" fare--more like a good restaurant...day after day! (I know because I visit 2 x week.)

Oakmont Novato deserves more than five stars. If you're looking for a place where your loved one…read morewill be cared for with genuine compassion, professionalism, and dignity, this is it. From the moment we arrived, we felt surrounded by people who treated my Mom with genuine kindness. Scott was incredibly compassionate and reassuring--he made us feel like Mom wasn't just moving into a facility, but into a real home. And Mildred... there are no words. She cared for our Mother as if she were her own, with so much love and tenderness. She even came to my Mom's funeral and sat with our family, which meant the world to us. The environment itself is beautiful, warm, and thoughtfully designed. The meals are restaurant-quality--menus in leather-bound books and always beautifully presented. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend Oakmont Novato. They cared for my Mom in a way we will never forget.

Oakmont of Novato has been a godsend for me and my family this past year when I urgently needed to…read moreplace both my dad and my mom into a secure facility. My dad, who has Alzheimers, was welcomed warmly into the Traditions facility and has made many friends. Despite his ongoing decline, he is well taken care of and thrives doing the activities, especially with Dean, the amazing Engagement Coordinator. My mom's situation was much more complicated and the whole team at Oakmont worked with me to navigate her accommodations and support as she recovered from a mental health emergency. With support from Oakmont, she has made a miraculous recovery and is moving from the Traditions side to the Assisted Living side this week. The whole team has been incredibly gracious during this challenging time and is actively supporting my mom navigate losing her husband to Alzheimers while also trying to rehabilitate herself. The facility is beautiful and while there is nothing fun about witnessing parents age and decline, the staff at Oakmont of Novato have made one of the hardest times of my life easier to manage.

A wonderful service provided by my local colleagues. They care about what they do. I highly…read morerecommend their specialized expertise.

Very helpful quality caring resource that made my dads transition to independent living painless.read more

Your staff has been absolutely amazing!!!…read more I feel truly blessed to have received care from a group of dedicated and compassionate individuals. Your impact will always be remembered with gratitude. Our family appreciates your team for listening, being patient, and attentive with our mother's well-being.

I had a total knee replacement at the tender age of 43 and I had the pleasure of meeting Scott…read moreJohnson from Heart of Humanity. His smile is so big that it will light up a room. He was always on time and very patient to my needs. Scott got me from my bedroom to downstairs walking around my kitchen in a matter of 6 visits. Before he would come to my home, I was always tight in the knee area. After he leaves, I am in pain; however, I am able to bend my knee and go up all 15 of my steps with no problem. I would recommend Scott Johnson to anyone that wants to get up. If I could give him 10 stars I would. Thank you Scott for helping me place both of my feet on the ground.

I have a family member who lives at the Bluffs. They have very high employee turnover and are…read morefrequently short-staffed. It is not a safe place. There are often only 2 to 3 caregivers for over 35 residents. This results in wait times of over an hour when emergency call buttons are pressed. Multiple times, my family member has waited over an hour for help to come. If there is an emergency, residents will be in serious danger. We have brought these concerns to management multiple times with no resolution and no improvement, often no response to emails and phone calls.

Came for a Tour and Jeanette and her team were very warm, caring, and informative. The facility is…read morebeautiful and you can tell that all the residents are happy and well cared for. The location of this Assisted Living Facility is beautiful. If your family member needs memory care or a beautiful pkace to stay for assisted living then you have to check out The Bluffs. Pricing is great as well!

My initial review was heavily focused on how wonderful Melody was in helping me when I needed…read moreguidance on rehab therapy and home health care. In hindsight, I would have paid for Melody and not have hired the services of At Home Caregivers. Not only was there an enormous amount of over promising and under delivering, most caregivers were more trouble than help. The real problem was the office staff. Scheduling acted as if they were doing me a favor by having someone come to work. The contract allows for cancellation or changes with 24 hours notice. When I gave them several days notice, they went ballistic! I told Melody, who was at our house and our neighbor's house many times, that I was going to scale back care as soon as possible. But the schedule person was very rude. What prompted my update--I paid their invoices. No questions. I didn't follow the instructions on the invoice to input my bank details as a warning popped up that it was not secure. I entered the details in my bank bill pay received confirmation that the payments had been received by At Home. Remember, I am caring for an extremely ill husband. The account manager calls and yells at me. I send proof of payment and ask her to check with the bank. She starts asking me about whether I am aware that they have new owners! I keep telling her to call her bank. She's so rude that I just want off the phone. I obtained proof from my bank that the payments were sent to At Home Caregivers. I send the paperwork to Melody. She said she would take care of it. Today, I got a call from someone who was accusing me of not paying. This is no way to run a business. I checked my bank and it said At Home Caregivers refused to accept payment. I just mailed checks to the office address that was given to me. I don't recommend using them. Other than Melody, we had a couple of okay caregivers and the rest were not helpful. The office staff was very unhelpful and aggravating. It is a case study in how not to do business. Over promising and under delivering, not following policy, being told that caregivers would run errands but that wasn't true. They were supposed to support my husband and provide respite care for me. But if I asked for anything, even something for my husband, they refused. He had to request anything himself.

Use company to take care of my elderly parent. There was never any consistency caregivers are…read morealways late or not show up very disappointed if you're looking for a care company please go private you'll get better care for your loved one

Three Home Village is wonderful. It combines professional, experienced care with the warmth and…read moreinformality of a true home. I moved my mother there after 4 years of personally caring for her full-time while she struggled with ever-advancing Alzheimer's. Eventually, it became clear she needed more attention and care than I could provide alone -- but the decision to move her out of her own home of 50+ years was very hard. I knew we needed a place that would feel like home to her: peaceful, attractive, calming, and surrounded by warmth. We found that at Three Home Village. The owner Erik's 17+ years managing a large senior-care facility in the area is evident in the organization, thoughtfulness, and kindness that pervade every aspect of operations. My mother's daily caregivers are diligent in meeting her daily needs with love and compassion. She's eating and sleeping well, and always looks peaceful, healthy, and well-groomed whenever I visit unannounced. The place is always very clean and orderly. What's more, I always feel welcome and at home during my visits -- as if I were visiting a relative's own house. I'm so grateful that we found Three Home Village and the amazing people there.

We are celebrating six years at Three Home Village this week! After one year at a big, fancy, new…read morememory care facility (that relied too much on medication) we trusted our gut and moved our mother to a different scene. We have been rewarded with an intimate home environment, personalized (loving) care and healthy food. While her dementia continues, her quality of life has improved in every way. Activities are organic, sincere and frequent (see the picture of an Irish group of musicians that played on Sundays for several years). Care is thoughtful, consistent and appropriate. Elder care comes in many flavors and we recognize that Three Homes was the right one for our mother.