MyLivingChoice

Grossmont Gardens Senior Living

5480 Marengo Ave

3.8(51 ratings)

Grossmont Gardens Senior Living — photo 11 / 6

Quick Facts

Year opened
1985
Care continuum
Independent living through skilled nursing on one campus
Respite care
Short-term stays available after hospital visits or surgery
Appointment transportation
Staff drives residents to outside doctor appointments
Care level changes
Facility, not family, decides required care tier
Couples risk separation
Spouses with different needs may be housed apart

What Families Think

Grossmont Gardens is a long-established La Mesa community offering a full continuum from independent living through skilled nursing and memory care. Reviews are sharply mixed: many families praise attentive, communicative staff (especially names like Gemma, Reggie, and Vika) and a caring atmosphere, while a notable number of reports describe serious lapses in care, staffing shortages, elevator failures, and management/billing problems, particularly in the skilled nursing and memory care areas.

The Good

  • Staff frequently praised as caring, communicative, and responsive
  • Multiple levels of care available in one location
  • Clean grounds and well-maintained facilities noted by many
  • Strong activities and social programming mentioned repeatedly
  • Smooth move-in coordination and help with paperwork/benefits
  • Long-tenured, low staff turnover noted by one reviewer

The Bad

  • Multiple reports of neglect, pressure sores, and a resident death
  • One detailed account of inadequate night staffing ratios and fall risks in memory care
  • Several complaints about unresponsive or unempathetic management
  • Reports of billing for services not rendered and surprise added fees
  • Repeated elevator outages, including a resident trapped for 20 minutes
  • Couples with differing care needs may be separated between buildings

AI-generated from reviews and community data.

About Grossmont Gardens Senior Living

Grossmont Gardens is a fun and friendly senior living community that makes the most of the beautiful Southern California climate. In close proximity to the many dining, shopping and entertainment options available in San Diego, Grossmont Gardens offers active seniors an easy-living retirement lifestyle with the added peace of mind that assisted living and skilled care is available right here in the community.

Carefree Living in a Friendly Community at Grossmont Gardens

Grossmont Gardens has been part of the La Mesa community since 1962. Our all-encompassing, friendly senior living community offers a lifestyle of comfort and convenience. Our community is perfect for active seniors who want to enjoy retirement on their terms – all maintenance and housekeeping is included, so days are spent enjoying life, not doing chores. Plus, we deliver added peace of mind with assisted living and skilled nursing care available if the time comes when extra help is needed beyond independent living services. 

We take our residents’ preferences into consideration in every way. Our community is pet friendly. Private apartments are available. Menus feature multiple choices of chef-prepared meals — including vegetarian meals — served restaurant-style in our dining room. Fun activities are planned according to the interests of our residents. And when residents want some peaceful quiet, our patio, courtyards, nine acres of lush open space with walking paths and comfortable indoor gathering spaces are just right for reading or contemplation. 

What really underscores carefree living at Grossmont Gardens is our capability to meet the needs of our residents, even as those needs change. We provide independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care right here in the community, so if our residents’ needs change, they receive the care and support necessary to enjoy as much independence as safely as possible, as long as possible. 

Full-Service Staffing

One of the many things our residents compliment us on is our staff. Our 24-hour resident care staff, as well as our culinary staff, housekeeping and activities coordinators are completely devoted to making our residents happy and at home.

Amenities

•    24-Hour Resident Care Staff
•    Outdoor Heated Pool
•    Pet Friendly
•    Classes, Activities & Outings
•    Planned Social Events & Entertainment
•    Scheduled Transportation
•    On-Site Healthcare Center
•    Restaurant-Style Dining
•    Move-In Coordination

Living Options

Independent Living

Our Independent Living community delivers the best in retirement living for active seniors, with added security and convenience. Here, you’ll appreciate the services and amenities that make an active lifestyle special, as well as the social benefits of living in an independent senior living community. And should the time come when you need some extra support, additional care is available right here in the community. Our Independent Living apartments offer spacious living rooms, natural lighting, and kitchenettes, perfect for living an independent lifestyle.

Assisted Living

Assisted living means seniors who need help managing daily tasks get to enjoy a safe, independent and comfortable lifestyle – with added security. 

Our assisted living residents get all the support and help they need – around the clock – to enjoy life on their terms. From dressing and bathing to medication management and more, we provide expert assistance and encouragement, even as their needs change. And that help is provided by fully trained staff in comfortable surroundings.

Skilled Nursing

When advanced care is needed, our Skilled Nursing delivers the 24-hour nursing and rehabilitative care to help restore as much independence as possible. We provide a comprehensive approach to your well-being, which includes medical and therapeutic care, personal assistance and daily programs and activities to nurture your soul. Best of all, that care is provided right here in the community you call home. 

Respite Care

When caregivers need a well-deserved break and peace of mind, they trust us for the professional and compassionate respite care of their loved ones. 

People come to us after a hospital visit or surgery, when family caregivers go on vacation, or as a trial period before moving in. We provide the expert personal care that seniors need and a cheerful, comfortable environment they can call home. Our safe and private accommodations are appreciated as much as our professional staff who are specially trained in all aspects of personal care. 

Care Coordination

At Elmcroft Senior Living, we’re committed to helping residents stay healthy.

We coordinate with outside third-party healthcare providers of your choice – from primary care physicians and dentists, to podiatrists, orthopedists, cardiologists and pulmonologists – whenever needed. And, we provide residents transportation to and from appointments for their convenience and your peace of mind.

Types of Care

Assisted LivingAt-Home CareHome Health and HospiceIndependent LivingRespite / Short-Term CareSkilled Nursing / Long Term Care

Amenities

Room Amenities

  • Private Rooms

Meals & Dining

  • Dietary Accommodations (Gluten-Free, Low / No Sodium, No Sugar, Vegan)
  • Professional Chef

Community Amenities

  • 24-Hour Staff
  • Fitness Center
  • Gathering / Activity Spaces
  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry Service
  • Medication Management
  • On-Site Medical Staff
  • Outdoor Patio
  • Pet Friendly
  • Security
  • Transportation Services
  • Walking Paths

Activities

  • Social Activities (Happy Hour, Wine Tasting, Dances, Karaoke)

Need help deciding?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll match you with communities that fit — free, and you choose who contacts you.

Help Me Choose

Reviews

3.8overall · 51 ratings combined

3.8★ on Google (51)

Amy Cumming

Jul 2026

via Google

Grossmont Gardens has been the perfect place for my mother, she is appropriately placed on the memory care floor. We have been there for a year now. Gemma has been so supportive through the whole process. She has guided my family through the paperwork and process of the move in and a temporary move out for skilled nursing. Then, Gemma and Lynn helped us with the transfer paperwork and settling back in. Both Gemma and Lynn have patiently and promptly responded to our questions and concerns. Furthermore, the caregivers and medial staff on the 4th floor are kind, patient, and efficient in caring for their residents. My mother is now bed-bound but she is calm and content. Their care and guidance has allowed me to take a small step back. Knowing that she is well cared for allows me to breathe easier and allows me some time to myself. Thank you so much.

Tina Marin

Jun 2026

via Google

Avoid this place at all cost. If you care about your loved one, do not send them to this facility. The patients are neglected. I wrote a review in Yelp with a couple of examples, if you need further details. My brother and my my mother were at the facility. My brother got a large pressure wound/bed sore. He passed away. When I witnessed an incident of severe neglect with my mother, I immediately moved her out.

Alan Viveros

Jan 2026

via Google

Young white girl at the front desk has no idea of the lay out on this place hire better staff!!!!!

Kevin Montgomery

Dec 2025

via Google

A few months ago, my 94-year-old mother-in-law decided on her own to sell her house and move into Grossmont Gardens Senior Living. My wife and I had almost no involvement in that decision. We were, of course, concerned that the change would be difficult and that she would be disappointed by her new living arrangement. What a relief! Moving to Grossmont Gardens has been the happiest decision she could have made. She loves it. She has made many new friends and spends hours every day socializing. Her one-bedroom apartment is perfect for her. She is largely blind and requires some assistance to move about the beautiful grounds. The staff provides that assistance daily, and supports all her other needs well. Beyond that, we needed some modifications made to her apartment to support her vision deficit, including much brighter lighting, augmented entry hall lighting, and voice-activated heating and cooling. Facilities head Marsha and customer contact Gemma worked together to help solve all our problems quickly and effectively. We could not be happier about the decision my MIL made to move to Grossmont Gardens!

Request information

Ask about availability, pricing, or a tour. Your details go only to Grossmont Gardens Senior Living — never sold or shared.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of care does Grossmont Gardens Senior Living offer?

Grossmont Gardens Senior Living offers Assisted Living, At-Home Care, Independent Living, Respite / Short-Term Care and Skilled Nursing / Long Term Care.

Is Grossmont Gardens Senior Living pet friendly?

Yes — Grossmont Gardens Senior Living lists pet-friendly accommodations among its amenities. Ask about any size or breed policies when you visit.

Where is Grossmont Gardens Senior Living located?

Grossmont Gardens Senior Living is located at 5480 Marengo Ave in La Mesa, California.

What do families say about Grossmont Gardens Senior Living?

Grossmont Gardens is a long-established La Mesa community offering a full continuum from independent living through skilled nursing and memory care. Reviews are sharply mixed: many families praise attentive, communicative staff (especially names like Gemma, Reggie, and Vika) and a caring atmosphere, while a notable number of reports describe serious lapses in care, staffing shortages, elevator failures, and management/billing problems, particularly in the skilled nursing and memory care areas.

Work at Grossmont Gardens Senior Living? Claim this listing to update photos, pricing, and details — it's free.

Nearby Communities

Other senior living options within 25 miles of La Mesa.