As a married woman with two kids, and a full time career, helping a parent transition into senior…read moreliving is an emotional and often overwhelming experience. When my mother moved into La Costa Glen, I wasn't just looking for a place that looked nice--I wanted a community where she would feel respected, independent, safe, and genuinely happy. We looked at Carlsbad by the Sea, the Meridian San Marcos and Santianna by Oakmont. We landed on La Costa Glen. From the very beginning, La Costa Glen exceeded our expectations. The campus is beautifully maintained and feels more like a vibrant neighborhood than a "facility." What stood out most, though, was the staff. Every person we interacted with--from the sales team to the dining and activities staff, and the executive director - are patient, professional, and truly kind. They took the time to get to know my mom as a person, not just a resident, which gave our family tremendous peace of mind. My mother has settled in wonderfully. She has access to a wide variety of activities, social opportunities, and amenities. It's clear that residents are encouraged to live full, engaged lives, and the community has a positive, energetic atmosphere. Many residents in their 80s and 90s along with 70s, for which my mom is 76. As someone who lives nearby and visits often, I can confidently say that La Costa Glen feels like a place where seniors are valued and supported, not managed. Knowing my mother is in a community where she is thriving has been an enormous relief for our entire family. I would highly recommend La Costa Glen to other families who are navigating this transition and want a place that truly cares about its residents.

Brad Logsdon at La Costa Glen is a great communicator. He is super knowledgeable and helpful.read more

My mom loves her beautiful apartment in assisted living. The staff are kind, helpful, and…read moreresponsive. Her room has a lovely view and the food is excellent. The dining room and bar are bright and cheery and decorated for every holiday. The facility is very clean, modern, easy to navigate, and is relatively small so it feels more intimate. Her room and laundry are cleaned weekly. The reception staff is welcoming and maintenance responds promptly to any concerns. The med team is great, very proactive in reaching out with any concerns. I am happy knowing my mom is in a warm, caring, clean, and safe place.

Clean / and very caring environment. A wonderful place to live. Highly recommend La Marearead more

Beautiful community and wonderful knowledgeable staff!! Incredible location and amenities as…read morewelll! Go check them out!

My wife and I have lived at Carlsbad by the Sea for over twelve years. We have made many friends…read moreamong the residents. Carlsbad by the Sea is relatively small and is likely to remain an intimate face-to-face community in which everyone gets to know each other. There are many events and activities, most of which bring people together. Staff is a constant presence and very caring toward the residents. Since we are all equally human, none of us is happy about everything all the time. Some of us like to run things. Others don't. Some of us grumble. Others of us smile. Many of us do both. Sometimes dining service is slow. Some people complain that our menus have too many choices. That's no different from our lives before Carlsbad by the Sea. In sum, for us--and most of our friends--this is a great place to grow old. Those residents who with time come to need care services are admirably tended in the skilled nursing facility, which is separately licensed but closely associated with Carlsbad by the Sea. Re the business model, residents do not pay for long-term care insurance in our fees. That means we pay only for the health care we use. While that can be costly for some, it's more affordable for those who need less care. There is no care-inclusive option such as that offered at some other similar communities. Most residents pay an entry fee which becomes nonrefundable after about five years. There is a refundable option at double the price. Carlsbad by the Sea is part of Front Porch, a corporation that runs a number of communities and other senior serving entities. Local community business operations are integrated into the larger corporation. The compelling attraction for Carlsbad by the Sea is its location on the beach in the Village area of Carlsbad, a well-managed seaside community. There is a train station just a block away to the East and public buses pass by the entrance. In addition, the community itself offers a well-regarded transportation service, though many residents continue to maintain their own cars.

There are numerous negative reviews here that are simply not based on reality…read more "Pets are not welcome on community grassy areas, nor allowed to be leisurely walked down the streets, sharing this healthy activity with others.You must leave the park with your pet, and will be subject to constant scrutiny and unjustified accusations of unhygienic practices." First, the majority of residents at LSG do not have dogs. You are allowed up to 2 dogs as a resident. Most owners simply do not want dogs taking over our community. POOP, if you know what I mean, etc. These guidelines favor the residents and the management. We have no problem walking our dogs outside of the park. Nor have we not had one instance of "constant scrutiny and unjustified accusations of unhygienic practices". As far as the price of housing at LSG, it is extremely affordably. Certainly not as affordable as when we purchased in 2015. We paid $115,000 and today our rent is below $1400. Even if we had a house payment plus our rent, we would still be paying far less than we would be paying anywhere else. Yes, fortunately, the values have increased like all other housing costs in Southern California including rents. Where are you going to live this well for these prices. I usually drop by the Open Houses and have only seen one home listed at $445,000. As a matter of fact, I have not seen one single sale for that amount. From personal observation the homes are more likely to fall between $175,000-$275,000 or more if you insist on a new to newer home. And, yes, rents are higher if you insist on living on the water here. We have made many close friends since we moved into LSG. And, you can be as active in the community as you want to be. I still people I have never even seen before in our Park. I only wish we had found LSG at age 55. Lakeshore Gardens is one of the BEST places to live in all of SoCal. If you are thinking of making a change, come see our community. You will be VERY glad you did. Remember, there are always negative Nancy's (nothing personal Nancy) who manage to look for and find the worst in everything.

Location. Location. Location, and a few other positive features. Walking distance to beach (great…read moreoutdoor temperature regulation, courtesy of Mother Nature) and across the street is Poinsettia Village Plaza (also on Yelp), which has a grocery store and drug store, along with many restaurants and more. Very convenient. They have a nice center green grassy knoll with a very small pond w/ fountain (which explains all the ducks across the street at Ralph's). They also have a good-sized center clubhouse with indoor and outdoor seating. It is a retirement community, so be ready for the rules. You can't rent out your unit for any time shorter than 6 months. So, if you think you are only going to be there for the winter and will rent your unit for a month or two in the summer for a vacation rental - that's not happening. Because of it's proximity to the coast, there can be a mold problem in mobile homes. Must use dehumidifiers. If a unit is selling for around 30k, you will probably have to replace it entirely. You rent the land underneath you from Lakeshore; it cannot be purchased. If you want to live here, walk around and talk to the neighbors. People there like to talk, and will tell you all about it. Generally a friendly place.

The care our relative got was excellent. Very warm and caring nursing team. They accommodated his…read moredietary needs, meals on time, facilities clean. We used their services for one year.

Our father's last few months and holidays were filled with attention, care and love. My sister and…read moreI realized that our 96 year old father would need senior, residential care last August. We discovered The Gardens By The Sea, toured and soon moved our father into a comfortable room. It was an adjustment for him, but he was well cared for, still welcomed many visiting friends and family, enjoyed the weekly entertainment groups, the delicious food as well as the Turner Classic Movie channel on their cable. Elsa and staff were friendly, detailed and professional. Owner, David Cooper, was often present to say "Hello" and ask if all was good. We definitely made a wise decision for the benefit of everyone in our family. Thanks to everyone at The Gardens by the Sea! J&J

Beautiful environment and atmosphere. Friendly staff. Good…read morescreening and security. Excellent food, friendly servers. Medical Team exceptional to every detail. Bravo to the Administrators

Top-notch professional staff across the board from the PT/OT staff, nursing and all care…read more assistants, to the kitchen staff (wonderful meals), admittance and social services staff, recreational activity staff. Many have worked together for years (that says a lot about management) we (my husband and I) have "rehabbed" here a few times now and highly recommend Carlsbad by the Sea Care Center. They're the best!! Claudia and Bob Thomas

In short, this facility and the management team DO NOT recognize Advance Health Care Directives…read morethat are legally binding. The management team is easily swayed by the emotional taunts of family members who are thousands of miles away rather than relatives who live with and have cared for their loved one for years. The management team supports the assignment of Power of Attorney WITHOUT the patient's knowledge or signature in spite of the patient being of sound mind and body.

I have written at least 5 reviews for this business over the years, some of them are listed under…read morethe previous name (Emeritus). I always held something back for fear of retaliation. Brookdale is a conniving business. After my father's passing I can speak more candidly, so here I go. I must dilute my description of the executive director because words can not describe her. At first glance she seems inert, but when she is in attack mode she becomes a dragon. Imagine a heinous woman whose gaze is enough to shock a person into a panic with a voice that makes the hairs up and down your spine stick out like razor blades in a defense. Now multiply that by 10 and you can imagine this woman. My father moved to this facility many years ago and signed a contract that had annual cost increases fixed at 5% and a maximum care level that was within his budget. He bought his monthly fee down by paying a large up-front fee with the intention to live the rest of his like there. More on that to come... Over the years we have had a personal caregiver onsite at least every other day and have witnessed how the residents are treated and the way that they do business. During this time I have seen so many unprofessional things happen to list including: lack of respect for a patient's dignity, failure to comply with HIPPA rules, organized attempts to falsify investigations by the health department, staff losing his medical directive forms, and other devious tricks. Never in my wildest dreams could I anticipate all of the challenges we had to endure, but their final act was reprehensible. On May 26, the day my father passed, the executive staff called my brother and told him that my father had died of choking, a horrible end which caused grief for our family. We eventually found out that they made up the story and that he passed peacefully and quickly after talking to the nurse on duty. I can not imagine any reason that they would fabricate such an awful story which caused pain on so many levels. After a few years of living at this facility my dad began packing on weight. We asked them to feed him a 2,000 calorie diet but they said that they offer residents a variety of food and they must make their own choices. The menu includes high calorie options like Denver Omelettes for breakfast, huge lunches complete with dessert and another full meal with dessert at dinner to people who are unable to manage their lives. I finally had his physician write up a prescription for a healthy diet but he still kept packing on pounds and there was nothing that I could do to get them to control his caloric intake. One of the numerous incidences that our family calls poopy pants occurred a few years ago. When our caregiver showed up and he was sitting in a pile of his own filth. She requested that they change his clothes and discovered that they had merely changed the outer layer of clothing and left his soiled underwear on. Another similar incident occurred on a Sunday after he soiled himself and our caregiver requested a change of clothes and a shower. The caregivers flat out refused to bathe him stating that he can only be bathed on pre-scheduled days and he would just have to wait in his feces. I made a huge "stink" about this incident and asked for documentation. They flat out refused to document this in their records and essentially gave the employee a vague form to sign stating that respect for people's dignity was important. I was tasked with keeping a large stock of gloves, towelettes, and personal hygiene items. The alternative is to buy these items at a huge markup from Brookdale, they like to make a profit on every item people use. Brookdale charges for medication management and will only buy them at Vitas, a company that sells blister packs of medication and does not accept insurance. They refuse to order medications through insurance so be prepared to pay street prices. We submitted some complaints to the health department but learned that they get advance notice when a visit is imminent. The entire staff has a procedure to go through everyone's rooms and all common areas and cleanup all of the things that are not allowed which I think should be illegal. They also gave me a stack of another patient's confidential medical records one time violating HIPPA laws. After Brookdale took over the Emeritus facility they completely changed the business model and the personal care rates nearly tripled from what we signed up for. My father was being released from a three month stint in the hospital and being transferred to a hospice program onsite. The wicked executive director threatened to kick my father out of his death bed if we did not sign a new contract agreeing to an excessive new fee structure. That woman has a heart of stone and cares much more for her performance statistics than the well being of her patients. If you are in the market for elder care I hope that you read my review and find a better place for your loved one.

My dad lives here and it is fantastic. All of the staff is amazing and friendly. I eat there every…read moreweek and the food is fantastic with large portions allowing you to split your food into two meals. My dad enjoys the monthly trips and daily exercise classes.

I moved here after several years at a pricey CCRC nearby. CLSM is resident owned and managed and it…read moreshows in the attention to detail and obvious pride of ownership. The food is amazing! Owning my condo and paying half of the monthly fees as before will save me hundreds of thousands, and prevent billionaire CCRC owners from reaching further into my pocket. Be sure to understand the difference between CCRCs, monthly retirement communities, and equity ownership before you make the leap.

If you are looking for a clean, caring, compassionate place for your loved one, look no further…read more Owner Richard Axtel and his caregivers are amazing. Your love one will be well looked after, fed healthy homemade meals and made to feel as though they are truly cared about. After several horrible years at a large assisted living facility I am so happy I found Arbor Victoria. I will say, when I moved my father into Arbor Victoria I was so pleased to find such a lovely home that I didn't think to ask a few questions. It was only after moving in, that I realized most of the residence are either sedentary or bed-ridden. At the time my father was still quite mobile and could hold a conversation. Most of the residence at Arbor Victoria are in various states of dementia. I only mention this so that you have that conversation with Richard. If you are looking for an active home, at this particular time it might not be the right place. With that being said, I wouldn't change anything. I always knew my father was being well cared for and nourished. Richard and his team are always on top of any health concerns and quick to let you know what is going on with your loved one. This made it easier for me to breathe. My father recently passed and I could not have made it through that day without Richard. My father needed extra care in the last few months and Richard and his caregivers went above and beyond in helping him. As we know the cost for board and care is a lot, but Arbor Victoria is worth every penny.

My sister has been here for over 5 years. Alzheimer's is a bitch. But this place is awesome. The…read moreowner lives on sight and the employees are awesome. It's individualized care in a small beautiful facility. I'm here every week and pop in unannounced and am always welcome and my sister is always loved and cared for. It's not a big place with organized activities and an event schedule like where my in-laws live. However, they have coordinated trips to the senior center, entertainment and outings. If you are looking for a place for your loved ones, this is the best you will find. I have 6 close family members in assisted living, at 4 places, in north San Diego county and this place is the best. Come talk to Richard the owner and check it out.

I made one phone call to this place to get information on a place for my mom to stay. She said she…read morecannot help me in suggestive active care, which is basically a offshoot of a place for mom which I made the mistake of contacting and got 40 phone calls that wouldn't stop for a month. She took my information, Sue, at Bressi Ranch active care and gave it out without my permission. I'm not sure if I could trust this place with my family if I can't trust them with my phone number. I did have the feeling this was going to happen, I got a very bad feeling when she mentioned this place, and said I should call her. I wanted to say to her I would prefer not to. And you should not share my number. I just assumed that a place like this would take a persons privacy into consideration I was so wrong and I'm so annoyed right now. I texted Kathy Ellis back, and I said Sue should not have shared my number and to never contact me again. I also mentioned I was going to leave this yelp review because I was making private phone calls about my private life and my mom's private medical condition and she decided to share it with somebody with no permission. I am only prattling on because I am so freaking pissed.

This facility Rocks! My mom has Alzheimers, and finally we…read morehave found a place that is caring and understands the issues that the patients are going through. My mom now is healthy and for the first time participating in activities. This place allows the residents , graceful living and truly awesome care!