Our Mom stayed here for 6 weeks from mid November til the end of the year, 2014. This review is intended to inform folks considering this place, which is actually a few different homes in same area under same management. Meina Wu, the RN who runs these homes, has a domineering stubborn streak which makes communication difficult, and readily admitted that they "do not give medication" - which in her own unique way says that they cannot handle elders who have a very detailed medication list or have significant care needs. Yet she DOES care about her residents and can handle those with simple needs such as feeding, cleaning, peace of mind, and simple medication. Unfortunately I cannot recommend RN3LovingCareHomes. 921 Elm was the location that our Mom stayed in, among 3 board and care houses in a row where workers shifted from one to the next. The good: the CNA's , caregivers, and helpers are all well intended, caring, sincere, and very hard working people, so again: if your Mom or Grandpa does not need much medication or medical help of any importance, this could be a great place to take them. The bad: if your loved one is in need of important, detailed medicine or has care needs that might include bandaging wounds, physical therapy, intensive care, or simply night care that involves changing a diaper, taking to the bathroom often, or has falling issues, etc, then this is NOT the place to take them. We had to constantly monitor these people: it took numerous visits by Kaiser Home Health Care nurses and PT's just to scratch the surface. They had to train the workers in many basic medical practices such as dressing and bandaging wounds and giving medication properly. In fact I personally had to instruct each caregiver how to dispense my Mom's meds and I do not work in the medical field in any way. The understanding of the English language is so poor here, most of them could not even understand the medication list even when it was clearly revised twice by the HHC nurses ! On so many occasions, I caught them about the give the wrong dose because they could not simply understand adding a 10 mg pill to a 2.5 mg pill to make a total dose of 12.5 ! Again there were major road blocks because of language comprehension. Also of concern is they give medicine by hand, often not washing hands between activities (!) On the first night that we hired night care, Meina told this person to stand outside the room, and we reported this to the agency. Meina told us that her caregivers could sleep on the couch and "hear" if my Mom was having any problems and then take care of it. Beyond the idiocy of this idea, there is the simple fact that on most nights the in house caregiver sleeps way down the hall. If a resident needs help they are out of luck and up a creek without a paddle. The one caregiver provided needs to sleep at night to function the next day and only gets up a couple times to check in on residents. In fact we ended up hiring a night sitter from a 24 hour care company to stay with my Mom. There is no way that an elderly resident with anything like Alzheimer's or recovering from a stroke with a fall-risk or maybe just has to use the bathroom or get changed often, can be safe and comfortable. This extra help costs were about $1000 per week, so that brought our bill for the month to about $10,000 when added to the board and care rent. The upshot is that it is incredibly difficult to find ANY board and care facility that has the medical knowledge and staff to handle ANYONE with significant needs, and Meina's RN3 LovingCareHomes are not exception. Unless your loved on has very simply care needs such as being fed and cleaned, this place will not be safe. I give two stars for the things they do well for simple needs elders, and again they all were really wonderful people, but as described here-in, for our Mom that was by far not nearly enough. read more

My mother was there for four and a half years with senile dementia. The attendants were very helpful and kind and caring. Mina supervised and participated in care and always alerted me when something needed to be addressed. It is a nice house in pretty residential surroundings in the El cerrito hills. I trusted her with my mother and she had a very good quality of life until the end with them. read more

My wife's grandpa is 85, and he had a stroke a few years ago, and never recovered. RN3 Loving Care Homes was highly recommended by the agency, and after we visited the place, I have to say we were so impressed by how organized, clean, and neat they are. This is our first time to look for a care giving home, not the easiest of things to do, and we felt RN3 went above and beyond. First, a description of the living environment. The house is on a very quiet street, with flowers all around the house. Every elder has their own room, and the living room is very big, and able to accommodate all the elders at once. The house is very clean and neat. Second of all, the staff, they are super nice and warm. Meina Wu is so sweet to our grandpa. She used to be a nurse, so she's familiar with lots of medical stuff which made us feel very reassured when we put our grandpa there. She is very patient answering all questions, caring, and remembers all of elders' birthdays. She always arranges a little party for them, and I feel she really treat them as her own family. The staff also makes sure to give the elder a bath every day to keep them really clean. Thirdly, they prepare and cook a variety of food for different elders, since their conditions are different. My grandpa gained over 10 pounds after he moved in! I can't believe how good they took care of him. Over all, I would not hesitate to recommend RN3 Love Care homes to others. The staff are super professional, knowledgeable, caring and excellent communicators. They know strategies to deal with the demented client. Because we have them on board, my family feels a peace of mind, reassured that our grandpa is being taken cared of with love, respect and dignity. read more

I can't say enough good things about RN Loving Care, the owner Andy and his wife Jenny, and the staff. My husband (with dementia and ambulatory issues) was there for 4 months after a month at one of those places with activities that looks good on a quick tour but was horrifying. They were kind, patient, they kept him clean and dry. (No easy task.) They alerted me immediately to medical issues and got him transported to Kaiser when needed. The facilities were always clean, never smelled, the food looked good. They pureed his food when he developed a problem swallowing and even helped him eat toward the end. Home health came a few times and he had hospice at the end. A special shout out to caregiver Dan, who went above and beyond and was consistently kind and patient, although they were all excellent, remarkable during a time of difficulty staffing. (Husband was at one of the ones on Elm, in a quiet residential setting.) read more

This is an affirmation of my previous review. My Mom passed away in hospice care yesterday. We were able to get hospice at RN3, her home for over 2 years while she struggled with dementia. The hospice agency that came in was "Kindred" and they were also great. During my Mom's time there, there was a change in ownership which went very smoothly. Andy, the new owner was as kind and competent as the previous owner Meina. I can't say enough good things about RN3. They were a Godsend to our family at a very trying time. We appreciate all the kind people that work at RN3 and took care of our Mom, treating her with love and respect. If you are in a similar sad situation my heart goes out to you. If you have similar needs, I highly recommend RN3. read more

This review is long overdue. My Dad had the good fortune of living for over 4 years in two wonderful homes operated by Meina Wu. She is an incredibly compassionate RN who has built a team of equally caring and compassionate caregivers. My Dad needed 24x7 care following a stroke. He spent 3 weeks in another care facility that did not meet my high standards (I am also a nurse). With the help of a geriatric specialist, I found Loving Care Homes. What a difference! Meina is very proactive in caring for her clients. She made sure my dad got up and walking several times a day. They cook homemade meals 3 times a day and all the clients eat together in the dining room. I know that Meina's proactive care absolutely made his quality of life better and also prolonged his life. She was also very proactive in helping me obtain hospice services for him which also made a big difference for him by getting an electric hospital bed and helped us out financially with his medications. Forever grateful. Thank you Meina. read more

My dad had to have surgery at 89, and due to some complications, he was not able to take care of himself or navigate the many steps at the family home. At RN3, Meina and her team took excellent care of him, helping him through his recovery, which took several months, and had other new setbacks. They were patient, professional, and dedicated throughout the entire time. Even his doctor was impressed with the care he got there. They took such great care of him, he recovered enough to be able to move back to Hawaii and live with my brother. I am very grateful for all Meina and Cindy have done for him. read more

I can't say enough good things about the RN3 board and care facilities. The owner Meine Wu and all her care givers (thanks, Doreen!) provide just outstanding service to their residents - they truly care about their well being and do everything possible to make their lives meaningful and comfortable. My mother went there this past August, also under hospice care and she was there until she passed away last week, two months short of her 98th birthday. The care givers are very competent, everything is well organized (meal service in the dining room, personal grooming, bathing, etc). The facility is immaculately clean. I have seen many board & cares in my day, and RN3 is the best - by a wide margin. You can rest assured that your loved one will receive the best of care at one of Meine's homes. BTW, Meine is an RN - her suggestions on eating, exercise, care, etc. were very welcome and spot on. I highly recommend any of the RN3 homes for your loved one. read more

My aunt had stayed in RN3 loving care home for a couple of years after she and our family could not manage her care at home. We had a wonderful experience with the staff and the owner Meina Wu. They were very caring, loving, compassionate and dedicated. The place is clean and comfortable. My aunt felt comfortable and being well taken care of. She also loved their homemade meals 3 times a day. I will not hesitate to recommend RN 3 to any elder who needs care. read more

Re: RN3 Loving Care Homes, 917 Elm St., El Cerrito, CA Our mother is 96, and this is the third time over the past few years she has gone to RN3 Loving Care Homes in El Cerrito for rehabilitation, as El Cerrito is her home town. The first two times were temporary as she had taken a couple of falls, but now that she has developed dementia, and her needs have increased, she is anticipated to remain. After living at home with her two sons, she was admitted to the hospital for a skin condition, which couldn't be treated at home. Between that, and the onset of dementia, when she was ready to leave the hospital it was suggested she be placed in a home where she could be cared for full time. We did not hesitate to contact RN3 Loving Care Homes. Since Meina Wu is a registered nurse, and although this is not a skilled nursing facility, it is comforting to know there is someone knowledgeable close by who can properly handle an emergency situation. Meina, Enjie, and the rest of their staff have worked with our family to make sure our mom has continued to make a full recovery. As nurses and physical therapists visited her over the course of a few weeks, I got nothing but positive feedback, and as her physical therapist put it, "This facility is one of the cleanest, well run places I have ever visited, and be assured your mother is in the right place." Since the Elm Street location is only three blocks from her home, it is very convenient for the family to visit often. Each time we visit, we can see our mother's continued improvement. She will not recover from dementia, but overall, she looks healthier and happier than she has been in a long time. The staff is always cheerful and it is very clear they are attentive to her needs. What our mother is able to share with us is that it is peaceful and quiet, the other residents are well behaved, she enjoys the staff, and she really likes the food. I don't think we could ask for more. read more

After 6 years in an assisted living home and then falling, whereas she had to have a hip replacement, my mother went down hillside quickly; the hospital and manor care did not help in her recovery, whereas she ended up in continual pain. RN3 Loving Care Home on Buckingham Drive assisted her immediately and very soon her pain was gone. Meine Wu and her staff made sure she was well taken care of; each of her siblings, grandkids, son and daughter could not say anything unkind about the establishment. The caregivers were caring and giving, making her very comfortable and making sure she received everything she needed. I have already recommended RN3 Loving Care to another family and they are so pleased. The neighborhood is extremely nice and quiet. Thank you again RN3 for making the last months of her life easy and comforting. I will continually recommend you to others who are in the same situation as we were. read more