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November 3, 2024
A group of friends plays dominoes at their senior living center and retirement community.

Tips for Choosing Good Senior Living or Retirement Community in Burbank

Choosing a retirement community requires lots of thought. It's important that the retirement community you select is a good fit. To help you make the right decision regarding which San Fernando Valley retirement community is right for you, The Prime Buyer's Report has provided this list of tips to use as a guideline in finding good senior living in San Fernando Valley.

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in San Fernando Valley CA

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in San Fernando Valley CA

Sherman Village Health Care

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(818) 760-8127
12750 Riverside Dr
North Hollywood, CA 91607

Areas Served: North Hollywood CA, Burbank CA, Van Nuys CA, Panorama City…

Windsor Terrace Healthcare Center

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(818) 787-3400
7447 Sepulveda Blvd
Van Nuys, CA 91405

Areas Served: Van Nuys CA, Sherman Oaks CA, North Hollywood CA, Reseda…

Canyon Oaks Nursing & Rehab

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(818) 887-7050
22029 Saticoy St
Canoga Park, CA 91303

Areas Served: San Fernando Valley, Burbank CA, Northridge CA, Studio City CA,…

Country Manor

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(818) 890-2193
11723 Fenton Ave
Sylmar, CA 91342

Areas Served: San Fernando Valley, Tarzana CA, Burbank CA, Topanga CA, Studio…

Magnolia Gardens Convalescent

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(818) 360-1864
17922 San Fernando Mission Bl
Granada Hills, CA 91344

Areas Served: San Fernando Valley, Sherman Oaks CA, Burbank CA, Van Nuys…

Chatsworth Park

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(818) 882-3200
10610 Owensmouth Ave
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Areas Served: Chatsworth CA, Canoga Park CA, Northridge CA, Porter Ranch CA,…

Holiday Manor Inc

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(818) 341-9800
20554 Roscoe Blvd
Canoga Park, CA 91306

Areas Served: San Fernando Valley, Burbank CA, Encino CA, Chatsworth CA, Calabasas…

Panorama Gardens

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(818) 893-5948
9541 Van Nuys Blvd
Panorama City, CA 91402

Areas Served: San Fernando Valley, Burbank CA, Northridge CA, Studio City CA,…

Tips for Choosing Good Senior Living or Retirement Community in Burbank

Take Time Choosing Your Retirement Community.
Take your time choosing an assisted living facility. It's a huge decision and choosing right can mean the difference between regret and a happy retirement.  Each retirement community will come to the table with different skill sets, experiences, services and philosophy. If can plan early enough to interview several-even if you like the first one you meet, your odds of a successful outcome will improve.

Write it Down.
We mentioned this in another article, but it's important. Think about what services or amenities you need from an assisted living facility or nursing home. Jot down all your notes about any details that seem important. Sit down and write this out as detailed as possible; write down everything that comes to mind, no matter how trivial. By writing it down you'll be able to hand each potential retirement community a clear, consistent summary of what you're looking for and expecting. It will also be easier for them to give you clear, complete answers to your questions and concerns.

Get Several Separate Estimates.
When selecting a San Fernando Valley assisted living facility, it's not about just finding the lowest bidder. Getting several estimates helps because it will not only help you get an idea of the market value of the service, it will give you a chance to sound out the personalities and policies and customer service of each retirement community before getting involved with them.

Get Everything in Writing.
Nothing is official until it is written and signed. So insist that your retirement community provides you with a detailed document that describes the services, fees, policies, pricing, and any guarantee information. Get it in writing.  Everyone will feel better.

Do Your Homework Before You Sign An Agreement With a San Fernando Valley Retirement Community.
To narrow down your choices, do some detective work. Research the retirement community's licensing, insurance and reputation. To help with this, see our article: Key Consumer Resources for Assisted Living and Retirement Communities in San Fernando Valley. Verify all of this information before signing the contract.

Choose Certified Retirement Communities.
In San Fernando Valley, there is an upper echelon of highly regarded retirement communities and assisted living facilities that insist on delivering the best customer service possible. Seek out local retirement communities that have earned awards or certifications for customer service and you are much more likely to have a better outcome.

Visit the prospective Assisted Living Facility During Different Times.
Before making a decision, it's a good idea to do some drop-in visits during different times to observe overall conditions, cleanliness, the demeanor and appearance of residents, presence of qualified staff, etc. You might also want to drop by unannounced at lunch and dinner to sample the food being served. Do you see family members visiting? Look around; talk to residents, and any visiting family members. This will give you a better sense of the realities of daily life than just taking the scheduled tour.
 
Know Your Rights.
If you have the misfortune of arriving at a disagreement or legal impasse with your assisted living facility, you are protected by certain rights. Start with the California Department of Consumer Affairs Web site (www.dca.ca.gov).

If An Assisted Living Facility or Retirement Community Doesn't Measure Up, Fire Them.
If your chosen assisted living or retirement community turns out to be inadequate in any way, look to the terms of your contract: what obligation do they have to make good? Do you have rights spelled out in the event of legal impasse?  What are they? Essentially, a retirement community's failure to perform under a contract constitutes grounds for dismissal.  But before you decide to terminate residency, weigh your options carefully.  Moving a fragile or elderly person can be much more disrupting than weathering the occasional disagreement with staff at your chosen facility.  Also keep in mind that really good facilities often have wait lists; if you suspect that you might have to move, examine your options thoroughly and get on waitlists as soon as possible.