My mother lived at Lakeside Park for over a year, and I just want people to be informed that the…read moreexperience was painful--I do not recommend this business. While the care staff was mostly kind, the food decent, and the common areas clean and homey, the administration was cold, unresponsive, and disorganized from start to finish. You can expect rent and care fees to increase by 40% in 6 months. They seem to have no capacity for digital communication and were slow to respond--except when raising prices. I was even mistakenly given another resident's financial and personal information, brushed off as a "mix-up." by the staff Due to their negligence, my mother's move-in date was delayed and I was told that she was "not allowed in the building" a day before. At one point, while I was out of town, she fell and broke her ankle in three places. I was initially told she only had a UTI that needed hospital treatment, it was only later that I found out about the badly broken ankle. Later, she developed pressure sores due to a lack of proper wheelchair cushioning. The day she entered hospice, they informed me same day that her care fees would now be at the maximum rate-- yet meaningful communication on other issues was nonexistent. Even after her passing, the reimbursement process dragged on for six weeks, with no response after multiple follow-ups. A heartbreaking and ironically uncaring experience from start to finish. Would never recommend Lakeside Park to anyone.

Last week I was invited to play music in the courtyard of a beautiful buiding with a flowery open…read morecourtyard thas I enjoyed playing violin at. It was a perfect setting for the classical music and their clients enjoyed the calm peacefulness of the performance. Their clients were well taken care of.

I been to the Hyatt Regency San Diego a few times and the Piedmont Gardens are on par with the…read moreHyatt. They are most definitely the best rehab center in the East Bay. The staff like the other care centers are the best, with their system of care and comfort they cannot be beat. Now I know why it's almost impossible to get in for care. Their kitchen menu is like gourmet food, and you can order ala-carte. There is a rooftop garden, with a fantastic view. An atrium with a lush garden I want in my backyard. A real gem in Piedmont in Oakland. I don't want to go home. Two weeks isn't enough to spend there.

My grandparents recently had to have a couple of short term stays at Piedmont Gardens to recover…read morefrom a fracture and surgery. The members of staff at Piedmont Gardens were very helpful and friendly. They were always in contact with me during the stay and kept me informed of my family's status no matter what happened any time of day. Nurses were easy to reach and administrative staff was easy to talk to. Facilities were clean, well kept, and up to date. If there were any unfortunate reasons why we would have to go back, I wouldn't hesitate to reach back out to Piedmont Gardens. I would also like to thank Georgia and Rogger for helping me navigate the stressful time with my grandparents recovering from their hospital visit. Their help allowed me to get the best care for my grandparents.

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.

I am starting to get INCREASINGLY worried about my parents in law in this facility. They are on…read moreCOVID LOCK DOWN, Quarantine FOR 3 YEARS NOW... We were told recently they are confined to their apartments, no dining and 52 of 53 people have the virus. It is October 27, 2023!! I don't know of ANY retirement community still in LOCK DOWN in CA!! My Mom is in a huge one in So Cal -they've NEVER been in LOCK DOWN. What is going on in this place?1 Parents in law are in their 90's, I'm getting VERY CONCERNED they and the other residents are being taken advantage of so they can get funding. I'm going to investigate this place now, I've had it! We cannot even visit them!

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!

The Altenheim has been our neighbor for many years, and my mother lives there now and loves it!!…read more It is a great development for seniors, and a thriving community. With art classes, community gardens and events. Ten years ago when the original home closed down, we watched the developers turn the building from a creepy and antiquated assisted living senior home to beautifully renovated independent apartments with beautiful landscaping and garden views. It's like the other reviewer has a completely parallel reality. Unkempt gardens--Are you kidding me? In addition to a professional crew to maintain the property, a dedicated volunteer has cared for the property for 20 years and turned what was overgrown and weedy into over an acre of rosebushes, citrus and other flowering plants. She is in her 70s now and an inspiration to me! She is seriously- AMAZING. The grounds are gorgeous. When I visit my mother, I love to see the residents tending their small vegetable plots in the community garden area. Crime doubled- what? I have not seen that living here over a decade. This is an upscale senior housing development with gorgeous architecture and landscaping. Summing it up, it's a beautiful property with many happy residents. Walking distance to everything. It's a great opportunity for seniors. My mother is super happy there. http://www.pyatok.com/portfolio/Altenheim.html

Good stuff: I have lived in Oakland for over 20 years and volunteered at the Altenheim while it…read morefunctioned as a senior home. I was excited to see that the expansive property was being renovated and eventually helped my mother to secure an apartment in the community. It is absolutely beautiful! The buildings are impeccable and the gardens are well kept. It is a safe and secure environment requiring a key fob for entrance and there are security cameras everywhere. There is always a manager on site. In fact, one lives in the building. My mother is extremely private and very discriminating about whom she spends time with. The variety of activities offered to residents (lunch, bingo, dances, movies, walks, shuttle) have even tempted her to venture from her unit on a regular basis. She can walk down the hill to get take-out food. Safeway, Farmer Joes and CVS are in the neighorhood. There is a post office nearby as well. Bad stuff: She has observed animosity between residents. This seems to stem from jealousy. There are some seniors who are dating (sometimes multiple people) within the community and this has sparked some problems. There are also lonely people who just like to stir up trouble by gossiping. In some cases there has actually been violence and keying of cars. Additionally, there are senior selling their prescriptions to one another. Crazy! Who would have thought!!! The management seems to be doing what they can do. As for the residents who complained about people knocking on their window and screaming....that's absurd. There are balconies with chairs on each floor. They are in reasonable proximity to apartment windows, but someone would have to practically stand on the railing and lean over to see into or reach someone's window. Most likely the complainant is involved in a dispute with someone or they're behind on their rent. There's a reasonable explaination, for certain. Overall, people who stay out of the "mess" seem to find The Altenheim a nice decent place to live. The management is good. They maintain the property well, they are accessible and they take the extra step of mediating disputes between residents. 11/26/15-Update: the current management is Eden Housing and they have fallen down and can't get up! The carpets throughout the property are filthy nasty and it stinks when you enter he building near the workout room. There have been several complaints made to them. The Germany Society owns the building and they have events there periodically. Hopefully they will take note and find another management company to oversee this property.

I have been visiting a friend at this assisted living facility for 3 years and this issue has gone…read morefrom bad to worse. I am honestly shocked by the conditions given how much residents are charged to live here. The most unacceptable issue is the persistent smell of urine and other strong odors throughout the third floor. It is not occasional -- it is constant, and at this point it has become noxious. As I understand residents have complained repeatedly and have requested that something be done, yet nothing ever changes. For a facility that charges exorbitant marrates, basic cleanliness and odor control should be an absolute standard. It is difficult to understand how management expects families or residents to feel comfortable, respected, or confident in the care environment when such a fundamental problem is ignored. If management is unwilling or unable to address something as basic as sanitation and air quality, it raises serious concerns about what other issues may also be overlooked. This is not the level of dignity or care that seniors deserve, especially at these prices.

I highly recommend this assisted living facility. My 97 year old grandmother has lived there for…read morethree years. The caregivers, dining staff, maintenance crew, cleaning staff, front door greeter, med techs, and management, have all been great. Like truly the heart of this facility are the people who work there. Everyone is so friendly and truly caring about my grandmother like she is their own. The waitresses know her likes and what she usually orders, they have a set menu daily or you can order from the anytime menu. Served on white dining cloth tables with flowers. They have monthly live music bands and entertainment that frequent the facility. There is always something going on. The grounds have a lovely backyard patio with plenty of tables and comfortable chairs to enjoy the outdoors and the pretty landscaping. I feel like my grandmother is in great hands and I visit weekly so I know first hand how it is. Highly recommend.

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.

Wow! I have known about Mercy Care & Senior Center for years, but I had no idea just how extensive…read moretheir services are or the incredible history of excellence they have in senior care. As a senior care professional, I want to highlight a few aspects that truly set this community apart as we have had a wonderful experience with our clients living there. First, Mercy has been caring for seniors for over 100 years and remains a nonprofit organization that reinvests in both the property and its people. This commitment is evident in their dedicated staff--many of whom have been there for decades--as well as in their expansive enrichment and activities department, which is the largest I have ever seen in a senior community. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, their mission-driven, nonprofit roots are still very much alive today. They offer daily Mass, but they are also welcoming to individuals of all faiths--or none at all--creating a truly inclusive environment. Another standout feature is their thoughtfully designed living spaces. Unlike many newer communities that prioritize maximizing the number of rooms, Mercy's studios and one-bedroom apartments are spacious and filled with natural light, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Beyond exceptional care and housing, their leadership team is strong and experienced, and the frontline staff are kind, compassionate, and engaged. One of the most remarkable programs they offer is their Brown Bag Program, which provides groceries to over 9,000 low-income seniors in Alameda County--either through direct delivery or their on-campus grocery store. Attached picture is all their fresh produce they offer to their participants. This level of community outreach is truly exceptional and speaks to their deep commitment to serving seniors beyond their own residents. I highly recommend Mercy Care & Senior Center for anyone looking for an East Bay senior community that offers outstanding care, a stable and compassionate leadership team, and a truly enriching, mission-driven environment. Thank you, Mercy, for the incredible work you do!

I would like to show recognition to the new management team. I have had interesting interactions in…read morethe past but can tell there has been a positive shift and a cohesive team has been put into place. Kudos to Northgate terrace.

Once upon a time this was a wonderful place to live. Yes the area has gone thought it changes…read morethough the years but it has always been a decent place to call home. The seniors have always looked out for one another and supported one another. I am writing this review today since not one from the new property management company will listen and take me seriously. My father is a disabled blind man that has been living in the building for 29 years. He moved in when I was 4 years old so you do the math of how old I am today. The previous company has there struggles with controlling pest that can come from a 200 unit building and at one point in time the pest were basically nonexistent. But about maybe 2 years ago shortly after the new property management company came in remodeled and promised the seniors the world they discontinued the old pest control services and with in a few months the pests came back with a vengeance. With an addition of bed bugs. So think twice before you let your loved one live here. I'm going to leave the pictures that I have personally taken myself and email to the onsite manager with my complaint that has fallen on def ears and generic answers and let them do the talking. Please pray for the seniors that love in this building

I have lived here for 3 wonderful years. It's a beautiful place with kind and dedicated people. I…read morelived in the Salem Woods independent living studio apartment. It is spacious and I call it "my oasis" and home. This community embraces their Residents and show they care about us. Happy Hour on Fridays is fun. We dance and eat finger foods and drink a little wine and socialize. The common rooms are elegant and comfortable too. I enjoyed playing cards with my friends in the bistro. Bingo is one of the activities everybody loves to do. I worked out in the gym and got to reads books and do puzzles in the library. The movies play every day which I appreciate. I loved the hamburgers, pasta and tuna fish sandwiches in the dining room. The bus is comfortable and it's great to be able to go shopping and even have rides to doctor appointments. Lastly I want to thank the staff, headed by our Executive Director Anthony Garcia. Caring for such a large community might be overwhelming for some, but not for these friendly people. Being approachable and showing care and consideration for us Residents can't be taught. These are dedicated, terrific people. I want to mention the Caregivers. They work all hours and tirelessly too. Mostly I'm thankful to have been given a home and family here. You can't beat that!

The care is adequate. The space is pretty. BUT... the elevator problem!…read more There is only one elevator from the second floor rooms that repeatedly breaks down. People upstairs are then trapped until its repaired, which can take more than a week. I don't see any evidence of a plan to get people out if there is an emergency, since they don't have the staffing to get people down stairs, particular those who are wheelchair bound. There is also a nice garden courtyard. However there are a few steps down to it. There is a lift for wheelchair users, but it has been broken since we moved in several years ago. When we were shown the place, the salesperson told us that the lift would soon be repaired. But it hasn't. So we can't get out there on a nice day.

The staff + Audrey are amazing and caring to the residents. You can clearly see that they each take…read morean interest in them. I've witnessed how Audrey and staff (Pedro & Alima) treat and speak to the tenants. I appreciate their high level of interest, engagement and deep concern. I couldn't do their jobs cuz it would be extremely difficult to see people that I have established relationships with pass away on a weekly basis. But they watch for changes in the residents and assess if they need assistance as some seniors are too prideful to ask. They also have beefed up social activities to engage residents and offer a variety of services, socials and outings. Thank you WCT team Audrey for your compassion, care and unforgetable concern!!!

It's been over five years and I'm still dealing with the trauma of this. They let people empty my…read moremom's apartment, with NO legal right. They didn't even apologize to me, not a word, ever. Once her rent was gone, so was their "Christianity." I appreciate the people at the desk I got to know and the folks in the mailroom who I always chatted with, but the management? Disgusting. Evil. UN-Christian.