Mom has been there almost 3 months and I couldn't be happier! It feels like our family now. She…read moredoesn't ever try to leave with me, when I go to visit, which makes me super happy! She REALLY needed all the stimulation and interactions she has there, besides just me! I LOVE everyone who works there, and have developed close friendships, now too. I wish I would have done it sooner, but she's there now, and it's better for BOTH of us! Sometimes we sit in the garden, and chat and I've been there for music and art AND the other day we all watched Lassie together! Special thanks to Miriam, who helped me to make this decision by saying " don't wait until it's too late!" Thanks to all, at Windchime!

When I first looked into this place it seemed like a straight forward business. However, when I…read morefirst decided to take a brief pause and look into other places first, I was inundated with phone calls and emails. Even when I said no more right now they kept calling, calling and calling. Boundaries were not being respected. Then a few months later I reconsidered calling them again. When I first spoke with the Sales Representative I was very impressed. She appeared to be cheerful, forthright about pricing and seemed to listen to my care needs for my 91 year old Mother with progressive Alzheimer's. My daughter and I were taking a hiatus and I explained to her I would call her when we returned. Once again, boundaries were not acknowledged and I was hounded with more text messages while I was away on respite. I did not feel I was able to enjoy my last day where I was because of this intrusion. I was very clear I was not going to take phone calls nor text while I was away. This was the 2nd red flag. The third red flag I observed was the script would flip and pricing and assessment needs would change dramatically even before they had an opportunity to see my Mother and assess her care needs. I started feeling like I was on a used car lot to purchase a vehicle, instead of looking for a Memory Care facility. When my daughter and I finally arrived to the place to interview them and discuss my Mom's care needs, I got a whole different impression once I toured the place. What I observed was patients roaming around aimlessly throughout the facility with minimal supervision. I felt I was in the movie " One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". I was happy to see the facility could only be entered or exited with Keyes. However, once I needed to go downstairs in an elevator, to get to the main floor again, I was not escorted, nor really investigated on who I was. That was another red flag because anyone could finagle their way in between floors , without any real security measures. A staff member only looked at my cheesy stick on welcome name tag. Once I met my other family member downstairs to finish the meeting, I was introduced to the " Health and Wellness Director " who was an LVN, who had only been with the care facility for only over a month. She was not even an RN. I asked where she was before and I was given a very vague answer that she had " come from San Francisco " . Hmmmm... then she began to become very passive aggressive with the pricing sheet with regard to care needs. I noticed she would point repeatedly at the higher prices without even getting an opportunity to see my Mother. We had all agreed to do this another day. I felt like I was going to get a Tarot Card reading from her instead! Since I have had a strong sales background through my 62 years of being on this planet, I could feel the whole experience being compared to trying to sell a house. It felt like a hard sell and not it being about caring for my loved one. When they introduced us to one resident I could see the blank stare and hunger for love and attention. They looked unkempt and her clothes looked dirty. Boundaries were again not respected when they allowed this resident to "hug' my daughter. The next day I got another pitch that was flipped that maybe this place was not a good fit for my Mom. I asked why and the Sale Representative stated " your family member stated your Mom does not like to be touched" and we are a " touchy feely community " ... that immediately made my skin crawl. Everyone, including my 91 year old mother has a right to her own body autonomy. Again, another red flag because boundaries were not respected. All in all, my advice to anyone who goes to tour this place is keep your antennas up ! Eyes and ears open and use your intuition to make the right decision. Trust your gut! I'm glad I did. This is not a place to put your loved one if you really care about their welfare.

We moved to St. Paul's Towers (SPT) in 2017. My husband was 86 and I was 75. We had a lovely large…read morehome in the Berkeley hills that we had lived in for 40 years. I had a lung condition that my Stanford doctors told me would probably give me only 3 more years of life. I was determined that on my death my husband would be surrounded by friends and not be stuck in isolation on his own. We looked at many places, but only seriously considered SPT, Piedmont Gardens, and the place under construction at the time, Belmont Gardens. We visited SPT and Piedmont Gardens and checked the other communities run by the same company that runs Belmont Gardens. The staff and residents of SPT looked happy and busy while the staff and residents at Piedmont Gardens looked unhappy and at loose ends. The residents at Piedmont Gardens also looked more disabled. There were far more walkers at Piedmont Gardens than there were at SPT. The food was much better at SPT than at Piedmont Gardens. On the other hand, Piedmont Gardens was far cheaper than SPT, and had a smaller buy-in fee. We knew no-one at SPT, but we did have a few friends who were living at Piedmont Gardens. The shops on Piedmont Avenue were just a block and a half away from Piedmont Gardens (but up-hill, so hard for me to get to). SPT was close enough to downtown Oakland for us to drive to, and was kitty-cornered from Lake Merritt with its beautiful gardens and Fairyland. We were very interested in Belmont Gardens because it had some association with UC Berkeley, so we would be sure to know other residents there. It looked like it was going to be a bit isolated, but they assured us that a Sprouts was being built next door (and it is there now) and that the neighborhood would grow quickly with Belmont Gardens there (It has!) They also said that the UC Berkeley shuttle would be available to take people to downtown Berkeley and to the campus, a big plus for us since we were on campus frequently. Belmont Gardens was MUCH cheaper than SPT, and even cheaper than Piedmont Gardens so that was a big plus. The big negative as far as our kids were concerned was that Belmont Gardens was not a CCRC (Continuous Care Residential Community). It had units for independent living and for assisted living, plus a memory unit, but no nursing care facility. It was inevitable that one of us would some time need nursing care which would mean a move to a nursing facility. The partner would then be required to take some transportation to the nursing facility to be with the other partner. If you were single, that was not so much a concern (although it is always disrupting to have to move from one place to another, even if you are a single). Then we learned that most of the units at Belmont Gardens were going to be assisted living, not independent living. That was the final straw for us. We were pretty active (and still are) and were worried that we would find few compatible colleagues at Belmont Gardens. So SPT came out ahead on most counts -- except cost. Since we would be using up much of the money we intended to leave for our children, we asked them for advice and gave them veto power. They said they'd be happier and more relieved of worry if we were to with a place that was a CCRC, so we ended up choosing St. Paul's Towers. We have been extraordinarily happy here. Primarily because both the staff and residents are wonderful. COVID has caused its problems, but the staff and management have kept us safer than most places. Prices here have gone up this year by 9.5%, but when we looked at other retirement communities in the area we find they've all gone up by about 9.5%. At first I thought it must be collusion, but it turns out that by California law they CANNOT go up by 10% or more, so in these inflationary times they have all chosen to go close to the max. Yes, we are currently a bit understaffed, but again, when we look at other Bay Area retirement communities, they all complain of the same problem. Since we have moved to SPT a new retirement community has been built in Walnut Creek and a dear friend of ours has decided to go there. It is cheaper than SPT and the apartments are more spacious. It also has a swimming pool which is a big factor with our friend who is a swimmer, but I worry that she will find the heat oppressive, find that it more difficult to walk from building to building for meals than it is to ride an elevator for meals and gatherings, and most of all, she will find it very isolating and difficult to get to her many concerts, and ballets in Berkeley. Finally, Carlos P. wrote a negative review of SPT on 6/29/2021 where he says he's been living at SPT for several years. We came to SPT in 2017 and are still here in 2023. There has been no Carlos as a resident in all those years. I wouldn't believe anything he says.

My parents were in independent living (IL) at St. Paul's Towers in Oakland between 2001 and 2015;…read morein 2014 my father died, and in 2016 my mother moved into assisted living (AL). She died at 101 in December 2025. Both parents had stays in skilled nursing (SN), which were horrible. If I had to grade St. Paul's Towers, I would give it a 'B' for IL, a 'C-' for AL, and an 'F' for SN. Almost all the positive online reviews of St. Paul's Towers are posted by people in IL, or even by people who haven't even lived there. But a few reviewers have noted that SPT has gone downhill, especially since it was taken over by Covia and Front Porch. SPT has drastically reduced resident amenities and care, including AL activities, and important positions go unfilled for months and years. The food also went from excellent to bad. This review is a very short version of my complete review, which you can find at www.sharonhudson.com/SPT. Worth reading. The staff that residents interact with every day are friendly, caring, and helpful, so the IL atmosphere is excellent. But bad management has been a serious problem. Residents' contracts give them almost no rights and place no limits on fee increases. When residents eventually need assistance, it is their children who end up "paying" for their contracts, by having to fight with management, train and supervise employees, etc. For 10 years, I spent 10-20 hours per week in AL visiting Mom. Quality of life in AL depends on competent management, which we experienced for only a few years. Nobody was in charge of apartment maintenance; it was up to me to report burnt-out light bulbs, etc. The CNAs were kind and caring, but they were essentially untrained and unsupervised, except by me and the senior CNAs, who "trained" the new ones, despite the language barriers. Almost none spoke idiomatic English, which is a huge problem and safety risk for people with dementia. Residents cannot "cooperate" with people they don't understand. However, in mid-2025 they hired a new AL director, so maybe things will improve. Trying to get staff to involve my mother in AL activities became a real hassle after COVID. People with dementia cannot "ask" for activities, and staff should encourage residents to engage in activities. Mom never got to even a few of the activities she might have enjoyed. It's just a lot easier to leave a resident sitting in their room. BTW, if a resident is unable to remember what they did recently, you will have no way of knowing how they are being treated. My mother had a large, sunny apartment, so we had the environment to do fun activities together. I also needed to have an office/computer there. But many of the units were too small for any of that, too small even for the resident to host family visits. There are no AL units large enough for a couple; it was devastating for my father to be separated from his wife of 70 years. Nobody has access to nature from their unit, except what they can manage on their balcony. There is a gorgeous garden on the second floor, but is mostly inaccessible to AL residents who cannot get there on their own. The nursing staff currently at SPT, whom residents interact with every day, are competent and caring, but the major medical interactions we had with SPT were terrible. Again, bad management and training. For example, in 2014, my father spent a few months in AL before dying. Several times he ended up in the Kaiser emergency room with serious infections, and once someone at Kaiser reported SPT to the county for elder abuse. In 2019, Mom broke her leg, and had to recuperate in SN on the 22nd floor of SPT. That was hell for both of us. I had to go to SPT most of every day just to get her off that floor. One day I found Mom crying, and when I asked what was wrong, she blurted out, "I just want to be treated like a human being!" I saw lots of call lights not being responded to, and distressed residents being ignored. When Mom was able to walk again, the medical director (unsuccessfully) tried to force her to move permanently to SN; instead she returned to her apartment, where she lived safely for another six years. During COVID, SPT was on lockdown for about three years--much longer than other places. Every time one of their 250-300 residents or staff tested positive, all the AL people had to stay alone in their apartments alone for two weeks. That too was unnecessary and abusive. You should find out how much legal power the facility medical director has over the residents' living situations, and what is their philosophy and history. A year before my mother died, $10,000-worth of jewelry was stolen from her apartment. Long story short: After the theft, which arose from bad management and low staffing, SPT never informed staff or other AL residents that a theft had occurred, which meant that others could not prevent another incident or even know if they had been victimized. And of course, they stonewalled any compensation.

Hi, This is Pat, I have lived in three residences so far and…read moreDrake Terrace is decidedly the best! this is mainly because the staff is really caring. You see and feel the relationship[s build between us. The attention paid to preferences and recognition and care of physical conditions. The building isn't the most modern around the edges - But that doesn't really matter, ones former home sometimes was too. However the garden is really lovely - a green and peaceful place where the birds come and drink at the fountain where we can sit with our friends and family and watch entertainment provided by the management. And the FOOD (no small matter) is good! Definitely several cuts above what one expects of an institution of this sort. All in all, by most standards. I would give Drake Terrace High marks! and I'm happy and grateful to be leaving here.

I love living at Drake Terrace: 1- Great location and…read moreLandscaping 2- NO CAR NEEDED - all transportation is provided 3- Delicious meals, alternative choices, and meals offered 7am - 7pm daily. 4- I love my appartement and my balcony garden with a view. 5- All levels of exercise available (class, gym and competitive mental games, such as trivia and brain games). 6- Residents association, with no staff, meets every 3rd Wednesday to discuss clubs, old business and new business, with comments from the floor. Any perceived need for change is then taken to administration to be acted upon. 7- Communication is open, which keeps residents happy and well. 8- Programs and outings are varied, with monthly signe ups if participant participation must be limited. 9- Residents come from all over and bring new experiences to share. 10- Personal ambassadors assist new resident personally. The drake Terrace population is defined by a HAPPY SMILE!!!

Oakmont has been a wonderful place for my mom to call home. The facility is beautiful, from top to…read morebottom! Always clean and tidy. My mom especially enjoys the theater and outside area. The staff makes not only the resident but their family feel welcome! Traci at reception greets you with a big smile and friendly voice, Phillip (great sense of humor) drives us safely to and from appointments and outings. We especially enjoyed going to the De Young for the Monet exhibit! When we have had an issue, it is addressed promptly and effectively by management. Highly recommend!

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.

Black Point Insurance Company has provided exceptional service. Erin helped my husband and me…read morechoose the right insurance plan with great care and expertise. When our situation became unexpectedly complicated, Suzanne stayed with us every step of the way, communicating with the insurance companies and making sure we never felt alone. What impressed me most was the genuine concern of the entire team. They worked together on our case and consistently went above and beyond to help us navigate a difficult process with kindness, professionalism, and compassion. I highly recommend Black Point Insurance Company to anyone looking for knowledgeable agents who truly care about their clients.

I learned about Blackpoint Insurance and Erin's team of MediCare professionals and knowledge base…read moreback in 2020. At the time I wasn't ready to engage with them, however from the referral I was given, I did immedaitely start referring Blackpoint and Erin to family, friends and assocaites that were shopping for MediCare plans. They have all had great expirences and speak highly of Blackpoint and Erin's team. My personal expeirence with Erin's team, in particular Suzanne have been outstanding. Blackpoint Insuranace also has a YouTube channel to help with the education process of MediCare. I highly recommend Blackpoint Insurance. https://www.youtube.com/@blackpointinsurance6761/videos

My husband and I are residents at The Redwoods in the Assisted Living apartments in Mill Valley,…read moreCA. After a lengthy stay at UCSF, my husband was transferred to the Healthcare Center located on The Redwoods campus. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the nursing staff, physical and occupational therapists, and administration. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival and could not have asked for a more competent and caring staff. I am glad to say that we returned to the Assisted Living apartments under the watchful eye of the nursing station where we feel safe and secure. Many thanks to all who cared for my husband at his time of need and were an integral part of his recovery. Sandra and Elliot Smith

The Redwoods, A Community of Seniors is jewel of a living community. The facility and grounds are…read morebeautiful.

My sister lived here for 2 years before she recently passed. She wasn't a complainer type of…read moreperson, but she had a lot to say about this place: * Horrible food & poor dinning room staffing. * Most of her questions to staff/management/chef were not responded to. * Staff were nice when she'd ask for something... but then she'd never hear back from anyone. * No real activities available. * Minimum housecleaning, couldn't really be called "housecleaning." * No "orientation" upon arrival, so she had no idea who to go to for what. It was only through the gracious help from another resident that enabled her to start getting around the place. But still minimal response from staff & management. * When she went on Hospice, they up'ed her monthly rent by about $800. When she repeatedly asked what she was getting for the $800... no response. Finally she was informed it was for her daily phone calls to check on her. I'm sure there had to be other benefits, but really... none. I cannot recommend this place.

Warm and welcoming community with a team that cares about your loved ones! Amber is very…read moreprofessional and courteous when assisting families searching for senior living

Over the last few months, I have researched a variety of care/living options for my uncle,…read moreincluding at-home care and senior community living. I was immediately impressed when I researched Springfield Place in Petaluma, CA. The staff went out of their way to answer questions and to provide any help needed before, during, and after the decision-making process of whether or not this was the right location for my uncle. Once he decided that this was where he wanted to be, the staff helped in every way possible to get him moved in and set up in his new home, including personally going to Kaiser's medical offices when we were having trouble getting some of the required forms signed by the doctor. Without their help to navigate Kaiser's medical system, I think we would still be waiting on those forms long after I had to return home on the East Coast. The staff had excellent covid protocols in place that made me feel like my uncle would be as safe as possible. They had a great set of documents to help me organize what was needed to move him in quickly and efficiently. Their facilities staff was helpful in hanging a few pictures that I couldn't manage. The front desk had a welcome sign up for my uncle during his entire first week there. The other residents made a point to come introduce themselves and to say hello. There was a notable mix of residents who were at various stages of care and mobility, and they were often out in the common areas talking and socializing with each other. There was a guest room that I was able to use for a couple of days to help make the transition a bit easier. The food was surprisingly good, and I'm rather picky. I was expecting cafeteria level food and was delighted to find that the food was restaurant quality....and better than a few restaurants that I went to during my stay. They have a variety of rooms layouts available, all at different costs. We went with a large studio with a large den, and we used the den as a bedroom. This apartment that we chose doesn't have a window in the bedroom/den, but it does have two large French doors that open into the living space making it feel bigger and brighter. We were able to fit a lot more furniture and "stuff" than I had imagined due to the extra closets by the bathroom. I know a lot of people are concerned about the costs of senior care facilities, but at Springfield Place we got the apartment, the assistance of the facilities team, the nursing staff, laundry assistance for towels and sheets, the front desk staff, three meals per day, heating, electricity, and community activities all within the price of the monthly payment. When you add all of that up and then add on top of it the fact that you know that your loved one is not alone and that there is someone always around to make sure they are okay.... the price seems more than reasonable. The price does increase a little depending upon the level of care that your loved one needs, but even that seems reasonable, especially after seeing how well the staff cares for those who need additional levels of care. All in all, I am very happy with the experience and am really glad that we found Springfield Place. Plus, as my uncle says "It's close to the golf course!"

A very special place, a small community that really embodies the heart of Petaluma! Lovely walking…read morepaths and gardens. You can see the genuine pride in every employees smile, everyone loves this place!