After looking at several retirement communities in East County and in North County, I was extremely happy to find La Vida Real. It's well organized, clean, professionally staffed, and very reasonably priced. It was easy to make the decision to move my parents in because there is only a small move-in community fee ($1k) that is sometimes waived all together. Pricing is for studios, 1 Bed or 2 Bed units. And it's extremely flexible in that you only have to give 30 days notice to vacate without any further charges. The activities are well organized- a great balance between social events, physical activities, mental challenges. Top picks include smoothie socials, bingo, chair yoga, coffee and doughnuts. My dad is stubborn and picky and he has finally settled in and enjoys being here. read more

La Vida Real, In October of 2025, our mom, Alice, moved into La Vida Real, a Senior Living complex in Rancho San Diego.  She moved there after our dad passed away in August.  After much discussion about the thought of leaving her home of over 50 years, this move was the best choice for her.  Our mom was given a very good deal on a one-bedroom apartment and quickly became accustomed to La Vida Real and very much enjoyed what they offered their tenants.  She enjoyed socializing by playing cards and other games with other seniors and made many friends, many of whom wanted to enjoy her company for dinner or lunch. Each time her 3 grown kids and other family members visited Alice, she had such a good time. Alice had health issues with her breathing and required oxygen bottles daily.  The service people at La Vida Real helped make each delivery and set-up of anything she needed for medical reasons as easy as possible.  Any time she had a maintenance issue or question, the service responded very quickly and treated Alice special. As time went on, our mom invited us to enjoy dinner or lunch with her in their dining room.  The waitstaff and food were always the best and they treated us as friends.  We found it very comforting when we noticed the servers treated our mom as if they'd known her for many years and they loved her.  As if she was their own mother. They knew our mom loved their cookies after a meal but she liked to take them back to her apartment. The server would bag up her cookie and slip in an extra one for her. In April of 2026, Alice started having severe difficulties with her breathing and her medication was adjusted.  Her 3 kids took shifts and stayed with her 24/7 and she was closely monitored by medical staff.  Unfortunately, after a valiant struggle to keep going, our beautiful mom passed away in her sleep on April 27, 2026.  She had family at her side.  We are all heartbroken. She was 88 years young. After we notified the front desk and the necessary procedures started, we began the process of ending her tenancy.  We learned there were some stipulations in her contract that called for either a 60 day or a 30 day notice to be made in the event of ending a tenancy.  This stipulation included 30-day notice to end a tenancy due to the death of the tenant. We contacted Business Director Kristin Molina and Executive Director Kim Garcia and explained our situation.  They gave us their condolences and we explained how our mom really loved their complex and how she made so many friends in only 8 months.  After a short period of time, and knowing Alice themselves, they fully understood our grief and the difficulties we would be facing as we prepared for our mom's memorial.  Being that the stipulation was in a signed contract, we prepared ourselves to be required to abide by the 30-day notice and pay another month's rent. A short while after our conversation, we were contacted by Kristin and Kim and after they repeated their condolences for our loss and told us they enjoyed having our mom as their tenant, they explained they were waiving the 30 day notice and our mom's final invoice would show as $0.  Their compassion for our loss gave us a relief we very much needed. We want people to know that the staff at La Vida Real have proved that they care about families and their loved ones and their compassion is real.  They understand our grief and they will do what they can to make the difficult and painful process a little easier. Thank you to all the staff at La Vida Real. Rest in Peace Mom. read more

I'd like to give a shout out to Jerry and his staff at the La Vida Real Memory Care unit. The compassion and care for people suffering with dementia was excellent. After visiting so many facilities, this one was by far the cleanest and most welcoming. It didn't matter what time, day or night, that I went to visit my friend of 60 years. At the end when hospice was brought in, Jerry was in touch with us through every step. I have dealt with a lot of care facilities over the years, this was the best run that I have seen! A big Thank You again to Jerry and his incredible staff. The residences all seemed loved and respected. It was the smiles during the activities that I saw, while walking through the halls, that's what I will remember! read more

I was very impressed today with a tour by a Director at La Vida Real. He did his best to make me feel comfortable and was not trying to "sell" me. He did not have to! The excellent and classy ambience spoke for itself. read more

I love the SRG Company! They are beyond friendly, and I adore the residents who live here. I used to work at the Northridge location years ago, and coming back this year to help a friend cover her shift, I'm glad to see the atmosphere is just as welcoming as I remembered. I know the company has many locations, so it's nice to see that they all maintain the same high standard. I would definitely recommend taking a tour of this spot if you are looking for somewhere for a grandparent or parent to reside. They have many activities to offer, which is amazing and keeps residents active and engaged. The staff also follows a consistent daily schedule, making sure everyone knows what to expect and can participate in everything comfortably. The food selection has always been amazing - I would love to have three meals a day from here, haha! Compliments to the chef, the meals are always so well-prepared and delicious. I also noticed that residents who need extra care are checked on frequently, which shows the staff gives everyone the attention they need. On the working side, I loved being here - seeing the residents happy makes me happy too! read more

After my mom had a stroke, we planned to have my mom stay at La Vida Real. The facility was beautiful, and the staff we met were wonderful and very helpful. At the last minute, my mom decided that she wanted to go back home, and so she didn't move in. But our experience with them, and seeing all that they offered the residence makes them a great choice. read more

Jerry and his staff in the memory care are awesome! They are very attentive and care deeply for their residents. They truly understand how to care for residents at the end of life -- with dignity, patience, comfort, and deep respect. read more

It's very clean- and Adrian at the front desk is adorable!! They have a lot of classes and ways for clients to get involved!

I have a family member there as well and I too was there over Thanksgiving! I am blown away by the negative comments I see, especially the one mentioning Thanksgiving. I WAS THERE AND I ONLY SAW EXCELLENT FOOD! I also witnessed excellent care and attitudes among all the staff. Yes, they might be a little shorthanded, but SO IS EVERYONE IN EVERY INDUSTRY! Have you been to a restaurant or fast-food establishment lately? The food I saw and smelled being served was EXCELLENT! I was actually hungry seeing it and smelling it. This I can see is a very tough industry. Hospitals have it hard enough, but Long Term and memory care takes special individuals with A LOT of patience! I give KUDOS to anyone who can do this job - I know I could not do it. And to the person complaining about the cost of $7k a month? Guess what, 24-hour care at home was costing almost $15K per month in North Park SD, so I say go ahead and try that and let us know how that works out! Good luck! read more

We visited this place as an option for my parents. We were very impressed with the facility. Between the friendly staff, it's cleanliness and the smile on the residences faces... I would feel confident in my parents having excellent care. It felt like we were at a resort and not an independent living facility. Here is what we had for lunch- it was so yummy. read more

I moved into La Vida Real September 15, 2022. I have met many new friends and the staff is outstanding.I enjoy the activities and have gone on a few outings, loved every minute and felt safe and confident with the bus drivers. Our dining room is beautiful and the food is to my liking. I have a 1 bedroom apartment that is roomy and bright i especially love my balcony, my apartment overlooks the awesome pool area. I love it here and feel very cared for. read more

I have a family member that recently moved here from a different retirement home and she is as happy as ever. She raves about the food (which I've tried myself, it's delicious) and the various activities they have here. All the caregivers are great, I have to recognize Zena, she's the best caregiver they have here. My grandma always requests her for whatever it may be because she is patient, kind and caring. La Vida is well worth the money and I'm so happy my grandma is now here. read more

Lousy management and over site of the residents. Staff is definitely not organized, nor is there a sense that the well being of the residents is the number one priority. Just came back from the most horrible Thanksgiving dinner we have ever had at the dining room. Way to go, management...do Thanksgiving dinner as cheaply as you can. Terrible. read more

My loved one lived in this facility for several years; both in independent and assisted living. At first, I was quite happy with L.V.R. but, as time went on and my loved one declined to the point of being in hospice, it was clear that L.V.R.'s promised support was lacking tremendously. I even had one care giver scream at me (in front of my mother) declaring that mother's pain was caused from the way she slept rather than due to her stage 4 metastatic Lung Cancer. I found myself having to stop by daily to make sure she was being cared for appropriately; my trust having been completely undermined by empty promises and all while still paying $8,000.00 a month!!. PROS: This is a beautiful, clean facility. The food/ dining is nice with several menu options, which is quite appealing. Management is responsive to requests and workers (for the most part) are pleasant. If your loved one can care for themselves and there is not much decline mentally or physically, then this could be a nice fit. CONS: This is not the place for those who are declining mentally or physically; not enough support. Workers change constantly, and therefore your loved ones needs are not always being met. VERY expensive and charge for everything including meal delivery if your loved one is not feeling well enough or able to walk down to dining hall. BTW I give .... 3 stars for independent living, two stars for assisted... read more

I spent Thanksgiving Day with my great aunt who is in assisted living at La Vida Real and I joined her for the Thanksgiving offering at lunchtime in the dining room there. I was so shocked at the horrible meal provided that I have to write a review, which I don't do very often. My great aunt told me that she pays over $7,000 a month to live at La Vida Real, so at that price I was expecting a lovely Thanksgiving meal. Boy, was I so very wrong! What they were passing off as turkey was completely unedible and covered in this incredibly salty, gross white gravy. The dressing was dry and the small portion of mashed potatoes was covered in a teaspoon of brown gravy (why wasn't that over the "turkey"?). This meal was completely unacceptable. On top of it, they are obviously short-handed as we sat there for quite a while waiting for someone to come and take our order and there were dirty dishes on tables everywhere. The staff is super friendly and obviously overworked. It wasn't their fault, but I blame management for not providing a top-notch meal for their residents. I have friends who have their father at Lantern Crest in Santee who pays about the same as my great aunt and they said the Thanksgiving meal there was just as good, if not better, than they would have gotten at a nice restaurant. read more

I started working with residents at La Vida Real about 5 months ago and I love it. The activities are great and always fun. Regina and Cynthia are always a blessing to spend time with. They are amazing and we love them. Thank you for all you ladies do for the residents here. read more

My Mother resided in Independent Living, Assisted Living and lastly in Memory Care. I couldn't be more grateful to the staff of this facility. I never had a bad experience with any staff member. In fact, the staff went out of their way to be helpful and kind. I was there every week and I felt I had a support system for both my Mother and myself. My Mother recently passed away and I am so glad she spent her last years at La Vida Real. La Vida Real is indeed beautiful and extremely well kept. The food is delicious and there are activities for every interest. Transportation is available and holidays are so much fun. It is gracious living, but what sets La Vida Real apart from all others is the caring staff who really do treat the residents as family. read more

Buyers BEWARE...my mother has been living there for 7+ years. When she moved from independent apartment to assisted living they charged her for 60 days on her independent apartment saying she either needs to give 60 days notice or the facility must request her to move. That's OVER $10K!!!! We are getting ombudsmen and lawyers involved. This is a greedy and unethical practice and clearly taking advantage of the elderly. It is NOT a common practice in that area. There is no other facility that charged my mother any amount of time other than the month she was occupying an apartment. She is not leaving the community, but only switching to different level of care--and in fact that charge is greater. They are not even reimbursing her for the 60 days of meals that she is not using. The administrator does not return my phone calls and I will continue to investigate legal action. Very poor. read more

My grandma who has dementia needed to move into Memory Care. This was a hard decision for our family. We chose La Vida because of the care to help her with her every day needs and to know she is safe. The staff are very friendly and made us feel welcome. I'm grateful that they made this easy for my family and for my grandma. read more

La Vida Real; a senior living community is a swell place. A cruise ship that never leaves. We did a 4 year stint there. Caretakers are wonderful. Unfortunately the corporate & facility management are very difficult to work with. The memory care unit is run like a dictatorship. Simple requests were denied. Management did not have empathy for our case. After dealing with this situation coming up on 2 years we have chosen to move our loved one. My advise for you is if memory care is in your future run from La Vida Rea read more

No thank you. Not for $1,000 referral fee, not for $10,000, $100,000.... Robyn and Rudy might want to give the courtesy of answering and address the issues raised in my emails and phone calls. My mom has resided in La Vida Real Memory Care about six months. Care Givers and Activities Facilitator are wonderful but recently short-staffed on a regular basis and not provided the appropriate supplies and support from management. Activities Director should provide entertainment, planned, stimulating activities and top notch art and crafts materials. "Enliven" on Tuesdays rarely happens at all. There are at least 26 residents in M Court currently and only about 22 seats in the dining room. Outdoor furniture is decrepit. This place has really gone down hill steadily since January 2017. Responding to your August 10 reply, Rudy. The "personalized" program you are taking credit for was provided gratis by my mom's professional performance group, for my mom, although the M Court and J Court enjoyed the show. All of the previously noted issues prevail. For example, the Enliven program was not provided again this Tuesday August 8. read more

I am so grateful that we were able to place my father in Memory Care at La Vida Real. The staff is caring and attentive. The property is always clean. The Administrator for Memory Care, Lisa Hagon, is amazing. Not only does she give 110% to the residents and staff, but she is also very attentive to the needs of family members who visit. There is also a support group for families of residents. I am familiar with several other retirement communities, and La Vida Real is far superior. read more

Like others have posted: with the $10,000 non refundable deposit and the 60 day notice to move, this place is unreasonable in their hunger for money. My mom lived here for 2 years and we needed to move her(because her health deteriorated fast), they insisted on the 60 day payment even though she passed away during the first 30 days notice. we moved everything out of her apartment by the end of the first month, and still had to pay the additional 30 days.( oh they did give us some food credit.) Senior care at this place is a racket. its pretty but the first floor apartments had sewer backups all the time. don't buy in find somewhere else. read more

My grandmother has been in the memory care center for a few years now, it really is a wonderful center. Robyn the director is always helpful and willing to answer my questions. All the staff enjoy working with the patients and love coming up with activities for them to do. They are very attentive and helpful. If you're looking for a good center for your older family members, I'd recommend this center. read more

TERRIBLE FACILITY!! Do not put someone you love here unless they can completely function on their own! In my opinion, they are severely under-staffed and are not trained well. They claimed to have read my family member's papers outlining the care he required many times- yet continued to neglect his needs. Most of the staff were rough with him, the staff always appeared stressed and rushed, and many were always complaining about how much help they had to give Him (even though they were aware of his needs before accepting him). It was terrible to watch, and bringing our concerns to their attention did not seem to fix anything. It was disturbing for me to watch to be honest. It's a beautiful facility, but in my opinion it's really just for elderly people who can pretty much function independently and need minor help... Please think twice about putting anyone you love who has higher needs in the care of this facility. read more

Run for Your Life! I had a relative live here and their so-called trained staff did not dispense medications correctly or keep adequate log notes for their residents. Personal items were missing, never to be found. Be sure to interview residents for inside information that this facility will never reveal. The nurses and caretakers lack genuine concern and provide poor quality assistance with activities of daily living. Don't be fooled or rely on support from CA social services; be informed before you place your loved one at this facility! read more

My dad has lived here for a few years now. Things may not always be perfect but everyone there truly cares about my dad. Everyone treats him well. The nurses, dining staff, maint,everyone is always so friendly. My dads health is failing and he isn't doing well, now on hospice,it's nice he can stay there in the same apartment. The nurses and caregivers have be wonderful and are genuinely caring when it comes to my feelings. I can't thank them enough for being there with my dad and making it so I know when I go home at night, I go home knowing he is being cared for and is ok. read more

This is a beautiful facility with lots of amenities. My grandmother lived here for three years, and we recently chose to move her. I am writing a review based on her experience, and our exit experience. Our issues were with the caregivers and staff only. My grandmother began complaining about the staffs treatment of her early in the experience, and as she can be difficult, we dismissed her concerns without investigating. We chalked her complaints up to her loneliness and general cantankerous nature. Unfortunately I discovered that the caregivers are indeed disrespectful and borderline mentally abusive. I realize this is a bold statement to make, but it is something both my mother and I witnessed and were shocked by. If your parent or grandparent has cognitive difficulty or is the opposite and very active, I can almost guarantee you would have a different experience. However, if you have a relative who needs some care do not expect it to be provided, even at the 5000 a month pricetag. I would give the facility fewer stars, but I cannot debate the fact that it is clean, beautiful, and provides a wealth of activities. I also will say that the nursing director and a very few caregivers were supportive with regard to my grandmothers cat when she went into the hospital. Speaking about our exit experience- it was a big shock. No assistance was given, the staff was taciturn, uncooperative, and unresponsive, we were denied silly things like trash bags, and my mother was verbally attacked by a staff member when asking where to park a moving truck. When I say verbally attacked I mean yelled at. No direction, help, or concern were evident. I will also say this- my mom is a nurse and has worked at other facilities where literature and moving boxes were provided to families moving out. Again, there is every possibility that this could be a wonderful place for your loved one. It turned out to be the opposite for us, and that is the focus of this review. read more

I'm writing this review in concert with several other family members regarding the living and care experience for my mother during her 5 1/2 year tenure at La Vida Real. Firstly, the facility itself is equivalent to a 5 star hotel. Well laid out with high quality construction and finishes and meticulously maintained. Activities and opportunities for meaningful social interaction were plentiful at every level of resident physical and cognitive capacity. During her years at La Vida Real, my mother required increasing levels of care and supervision, transitioning from a one bedroom, independent living apartment to an assisted living studio, and finally to the memory care unit where her living/bedroom shared a bathroom with her neighbor. The staff facilitated these transitions with a minimum of effort and expense, and were able to provide the greater degrees of care and supervision with fairly modest increases in her monthly charges. It is also important to note here the kind, caring, and friendly nature of the staff which we were able to observe over the course of years, visiting several times per week. The only area which we would like to have seen improved would be the staff's proactive encouragement for my mother to get out of her room and engage with others. She needed a bit more prodding than she received in this regard. Another 5-star aspect of La Vida Real was the dining. The quality and variety of the meals, and the setting in which they were served, was comparable to a fairly nice restaurant for most of the residents. In the memory care unit, the meals were a step simpler and the setting more of a cafeteria, but still quite ample. Lastly, one needs to consider the cost of residing at a facility like La Vida Real. While my mother's charges of about $4700 (independent living) to $5300 (memory care) per month were not inexpensive, there was no hefty up-front fee or a need to "purchase" her living unit as we found in several other facilities of comparable quality. On the whole, La Vida Real provided my mother with a wonderful, safe, and caring environment to spend the last years of her life. As frequent visitors, we family members were always treated with courtesy and were able to go about our days knowing that our mother was being well cared for. For this, La Vida Real has our enduring gratitude. read more

My mother lived in the assisted living area at La Vida Real for one year and a half until her passing. Prior to that she lived at another assisted living place in Santee for two years. There are several things I liked about La Vida Real. I cannot judge all of the caregivers, of course, but the caregivers my mother had were all hard workers and seemed to really care for my mother's well-being. I spent a lot of time at this facility, at least four times a week. My mother was relatively easy to take care of mostly because of her sweet demeanor. Taking care of the elderly is definitely not easy, some of the residents could be very difficult at times because of their dementia or just their own difficult personalities. And I did witness several times when family members would be out right obnoxious to the staff. I found the food to be very good with lots of different choices at each mealtime. It is not easy to please everyone's taste but they offer a lot of variety. My mother had a lot of health issues and a lot of medications and I found the handling of her medications to be very efficient. She was cared for in a respectful way. There are physical, occupational and speech therapists on site, "Therapy Specialists", which was extremely helpful for my mother. These therapists were very caring and worked with me to develop appropriate therapies for her. I often saw the director, Rudy, walking through and stopping to chat with the residents which did not happen at the previous facility. One thing that I did not like and think would've helped my mother was an alert button that she could wear around her neck rather than alert buttons on the wall. It was hard for my mother to walk so in case of a fall it would be easier for her to call for assistance. It is expensive here.. but the care is excellent. read more

I would have given La Vida 4 1/2 stars except for Yelp's system. You will note my daughter Melanie M's posting of 7/26/17herein. I do NOT agree with some of it and for the remainder do not agree that the issues rise to the level of a one star rating. If you demand perfection, you most probably will never find it and your loved one will suffer the consequences of delay. My dear wife, Melanie's mother, has Alzheimer's and resides in a memory care unit at La Vida. We are blessed that my wife has lifetime long term care insurance with benefits for dementia that are at a nursing home rate. Thus we could add location to the usual considerations for an institution. we finally found one that turned out to be acceptably mediocre. However with a new onsite manager things went downhill rapidly so our search began anew. Although I wanted another place for my wife, both Melanie and her sister wanted La Vida. We were fortunate that after a short time after application La Vida had a private room for my wife. read more

La Vida Real is a fantastic home with excellent care. My father was a resident in the assisted living wing until he passed away. I visited him every day at LVR and got a first hand experience of the inner workings of the community inside, top quality care & staff, beautiful facility, and the dining is 5-star every meal! Shout out to Rudy who runs LVR, he is always available and he does care. Thank you LVR for making my father's last year as comfortable as possible. Terry Stephenson read more

I'm very unhappy with the unprofessional service Crystal gave me while there recently. She was rude and disrespectful not only to me but my entire family. I would rate zero stars if I could. read more

This place is horrible . The dining / Resturant staff is extremely horrible and rude . I had breakfast with My mother in the assisted living side and they made us sit at a dirty table with dishes after the women who took our orders was very rude (Bellanda) and took an extreme amount of time to even get our drinks out to us. She was also arguing with another resident in front of us! How do I know that is not happening when I am not there to my mother??? Very unprofessional and immature. NOT TO MENTION I DIDNT SEE ONE STAFF MEMBER DURING BREAKFAST TIME NOT SPEAKING SPANISH TO EACH OTHER. Very annoying read more

My parents lived at La Vida Real for 3 years. At first everything was great, but once they started needing some assistance, it was a nightmare. When they lived in the independent side of the facility, In-Touch is the service they provide to those that need help. Linda the manager in charge is rude, charges for services that don't happened, over charges you for other services (so watch your bill carefully), the aids except for a few don't want to be there, don't like their jobs and spend more time on their cell phones in the halls then helping people. After my Father passed we were promised that when we moved my Mom to the assisted living side, things would be better. Well, they weren't!! Once again some of the aids were great but even they couldn't do their jobs properly when they don't schedule enough people per shift and at night its worse. I can't tell you how many times I had to help some of the residences because I found them lying in the hall or crying out for help and nobody was around. If your Parents need help get them out as fast as you can and believe them when they tell you things. After 6 months of trying to get them to take proper care of my Mom we moved her out. She has been out since July 2017 and I wanted to want to post my review to see if all places are the same and I can tell you they are not. My mom is now in a wonderful place, just down the street, managed by a non-profit church, run by Nuns. Besides being a lot cheaper (about $1,800 a month cheaper) she is so happy and my sisters and I don't have to worry about her care. La Vida Real cares more for there profit margin then the care they give. It might look like a 5 star hotel but besides that they are horrible. If you love your parents or you are thinking of living there don't move there. If they are already there watch everything they do and get them out as fast as you can. read more

I moved my father here about 3 months ago after a horrible time at a different assisted living. Let me tell you, night and day. This place is Great. The food is good. The caregivers are wonderful. My Father is so happy with his new place. He didn't want to move originally even though he was unhappy where he was but he and our family couldn't be happier with our choice. Everyone is friendly , the nurses are attentive and it seems as everyone is happy to be there. Everyone I ask says they have worked there 4 years or more! Even the management has been there long. I am very happy with our decision and so thankful this will be my Fathers last move. read more

Finding the right place for you or your parents is a very stressful and difficult thing to do. Many people see this change as a step closer to something bad instead of a soft landing into a safe and comfortable, albeit new life. That said, my father has been living at La Vida Real for eight years, starting on the Independent Living side for four of those years and now on the Assisted Living side. In both areas, the kind eyes of the staff, from the housekeepers to the director have been watchful. We have been communicated with immediately when problems have arisen, comforted with their concern during inevitable situations and are so grateful for their professionalism laced through with compassion during all of it. They have never been anything but caring and professional in our 8 years of experience with them. We have made friends with other families that have relatives there and my father has many friends there with whom to share a joke or enjoy a meal. The outings are fun, too and there is always something going on. As a side comment, I noticed another review that stated personal possessions had gone missing. I speak from experience with two sets of parents, that as we age, we can forget things and create situations in our minds that seem really real. I'm not a doctor, but have been told that it can be a sign that medications may need to be adjusted, or that aging has taken another step forward. It's really weird to have your parent telling you something with such realism, only to discover that it wasn't really the parent you know doing the talking. Enough said. I give La Vida Real a big 5 stars. read more