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March 29, 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 San Rafael

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 Marin County 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 Marin County.

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in Marin County CA

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in Marin County CA

Aegis of Corte Madera

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(415) 927-4200
5555 Paradise Dr
Corte Madera, CA 94925

Areas Served: San Rafael CA, Novato CA, Larkspur CA, Mill Valley CA,…

Tamalpais

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(415) 461-2300
501 Via Casitas
Greenbrae, CA 94904

Areas Served: San Anselmo CA, Mill Valley CA, San Rafael CA, Tiburon…

Windchime of Marin

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(415) 482-4100
1111 Sir Francis Drake Blvd
Kentfield, CA 94904

Areas Served: Mill Valley, San Rafael, Novato, San Anselmo, Fairfax CA, Woodacre,…

Deer Park Retirement Residence

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(415) 897-0054
646 Canyon Rd
Novato, CA 94947

Areas Served: Marin County incl. San Rafael, Sausalito, Mill Valley, Ross, Tiburon,…

Northgate Convalescent

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(415) 472-0524
40 Professional Center Pkwy
San Rafael, CA 94903

Areas Served: Marin, Novato, Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Tiburon, San Anselmo,…

Countryvilla San Rafael

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(415) 479-5161
81 Professional Center Pkwy
San Rafael, CA 94903

Areas Served: Novato, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Tiburon,…

Villa Marin

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(415) 499-8711
100 Thorndale Dr
San Rafael, CA 94903

Areas Served: Novato, San Rafael, Sausalito, Corte Madera, Tiburon, San Anselmo, Mill…

Drake Terrace

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(415) 491-1935
275 Los Ranchitos Rd
Terra Linda, CA 94903

Areas Served: Mill Valley, San Rafael, Tiburon, Sausalito, Belvedere, Fairfax CA, San…

Marin Convalescent & Rehab

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(415) 435-4554
30 Hacienda Drive
Tiburon, CA 94920

Areas Served: Novato, San Rafael, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, San Anselmo, Tiburon,…

Tips for Choosing Good Senior Living or Retirement Community in San Rafael

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 Marin County 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 Marin County 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 Marin County. Verify all of this information before signing the contract.

Choose Certified Retirement Communities.
In Marin County, 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.