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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 Walnut Creek

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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County.

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in Contra Costa County CA

The TOP 10 Senior Living & Retirement Communities in Contra Costa County CA

Cypress Meadows Assisted Living

  • Cypress Meadows Assisted Living Profile
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(925) 778-6225
3950 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA 94509

Areas Served: Concord CA, Walnut Creek CA, San Ramon CA, Pittsburg CA,…

Stonebrook Convalescent Center

  • Stonebrook Convalescent Center Profile
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(925) 689-7457
4367 Concord Blvd
Concord, CA 94521

Areas Served: Concord CA, Richmond CA, Antioch CA, San Ramon CA, Walnut…

Diablo Lodge

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(925) 838-8300
950 Diablo Rd
Danville, CA 94526

Areas Served: Contra Costa incl. Walnut Creek CA, Concord CA, Danville CA,…

El Cerrito Royale

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(510) 234-5200
6510 Gladys Ave
El Cerrito, CA 94530

Areas Served: Concord CA, San Ramon CA, Danville CA, Antioch CA, Walnut…

Pinole Assisted Living Community

  • Pinole Assisted Living Community Profile
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(510) 758-0590
2850 Estates Ave
Pinole, CA 94564

Areas Served: Richmond CA, Concord CA, Walnut Creek CA, Danville CA, San…

Chateau Active & Assisted Living

  • Chateau Active & Assisted Living Profile
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(925) 935-1001
175 Cleaveland Rd
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

Areas Served: Contra Costa incl. Orinda CA, Lafeyette CA, Moraga CA, Pleasant…

Vintage Estates

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(510) 237-5182
955 23rd St
Richmond, CA 94804

Areas Served: San Ramon CA, Danville CA, Walnut Creek CA, Diablo CA,…

Merrill Gardens at San Ramon

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(925) 831-3964
18888 Bollinger Canyon Rd
San Ramon, CA 94583

Areas Served: Pleasant Hill CA, Concord CA, Lafayette CA, Alamo CA, Danville…

Byron Park Retirement Community

  • Byron Park Retirement Community Profile
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(925) 937-1700
1700 Tice Valley Blvd
Walnut Creek, CA 94595

Areas Served: Walnut Creek CA, Richmond CA, El Cerrito CA, El Sobrante…

Tips for Choosing Good Senior Living or Retirement Community in Walnut Creek

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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County. Verify all of this information before signing the contract.

Choose Certified Retirement Communities.
In Contra Costa 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.