Admitting that I could no longer adequately or safely care for my elderly mom and that I would have to find a home for her was one of the most humbling and sobering realization in my life. I checked out a number of places for my mom who has advanced dementia. My mom needed a place that would meet her particular needs. She can be stubborn; she can be moody; she can be euphoric; she can be curious. She is challenging and even though her mind betrays her, she can still be loving. I visited a few places, and everyone in the places I visited seemed nice, but I feared that my mom in these homes would be lost. The ratio of residents to caregivers was high and I didn’t know whether my mom would receive the attention she needed. Despite losing her ability to speak, my mom wants to connect. Without ample interaction with her caregivers, she could become anxious, shut down and refuse to eat.
At Julie’s Care Home, with a small caregiver to resident ratio, my mom receives the critical attention from staff that she needs in order to thrive. They respect her whims while realizing that she still has needs. Her daily pills are crushed and mixed with sorbet (she is lactose intolerant). She is clean - showered at least a couple of times per week. She gets a regular haircut and has her nails trimmed. The staff make sure that her bedding and clothes are always washed. They monitor her diet, but at the same time, they have expanded what she eats. My mom had become a picky eater when she started developing Alzheimer’s, but at Julie’s Care Home, she is now eating a greater range of food - and liking it. Knowing that chewing will be a significant problem for people with Alzheimer’s, the food that the caregivers prepare is easily chewable for my mom. My mom’s weight which had been in decline prior to moving into Julie’s Care Home, has now stabilized. My mom doesn’t like to drink fluids which can lead to dehydration. The caregivers regularly offer her soy milk and water every few minutes to ensure that she maintains her intake. The caregivers take mom, who is immobile, to the garden to enjoy the sun. This has inspired my mom to want to move around more. She wants to walk around the facility, explore and smile at everyone. The place is clean; it is bright; it is cheerful. I see her bond with caregivers and other residents and that. She is not anxious. She is happy.
When I was searching for a home for my mom, I worried that she would be forgotten at the facility. Julie’s Care Home dissolved my fears. My mom, as well as all the other residents, are treated with dignity and kindness. It is heartbreaking to see my mom become weaker in mind and body. I miss her adventurous spirit terribly. And I know what has vanished will never come back, but when I visit my mom at Julie’s, I still see that smile that tells me that the joy she has always exuded is still there.
When my dad suffered a stroke that left him wheelchair bound and incontinent, we had to look for help taking care of him. We visited 5 different facilities in SF, and ultimately decided on Julie’s Care Home because 1) the manager Sarah was very professional and competent, 2) the home was nicely remodeled and had wheelchair accessible bathrooms/shower, 3) there were caregivers present night & day (my dad needs 24/7 care), 4) the price per month was reasonable for SF, 5) and we met my dad’s roommate who had been a resident at Julie’s Care Home for 10 years. We figured the care home must be good if a resident has chosen to stay here this long. And indeed, after a few months of observation, I can say that this home really cares about the well being of their residents and treats you like part of their family.
We moved my dad into the home in Feb 2026. It’s a small cozy place, initially with my dad and two other wheelchair-bound residents on the downstairs floor. During the 1st month, Sarah really put us at ease by sending us pictures with updates on my dad. She even sent a short video of my dad doing his morning exercises happily. I was joking with my sisters that this was like child day care except for the elderly! Sarah is also very approachable & answered our questions promptly, which I feel is key to making sure that your loved one gets the care you expect.
The day shift care takers that we met during our visits provide excellent care, are super nice & always cheerful. I really appreciate them because I know caregiving is a tiring & hard job. Aside from helping him with his meds, bathing him, changing his diapers, changing/washing his clothes & helping him brush his teeth, they provide specific care tailored for each resident. For example, during the 1st month of my dad’s stay, he required soft foods because he had fractured his cheek bone. The caregivers made him congee with minced vegetables and meat, or noodle soups and cut up the noodles and meat really small. Dessert is usually fresh fruit, and one time when I visited, they even cut up every single fresh blueberry in half for my dad! I couldn’t believe it, and felt bad that she spent so much time doing that because I know they are busy taking care of other residents as well. Thankfully, my dad can eat solid foods now, so they can give him the same food as others. When we visit our dad 2 to 3 times every week, there is always 1 caregiver downstairs watching over the residents, and I saw that my dad’s meals were things like wonton soup, pork stew with veggies over rice, baked salmon and rice, pork chops with asparagus and potatoes, and one time even bitter melon and pork stir fry (my dad loves bitter melon!). My dad said the food was tasty; and the Kaiser speech therapist that visits my dad said the meals here are nutritious and well balanced.
The caregivers here are also very thoughtful. Before the stroke, when my dad was at home, he used to go outside to his backyard every single day, and so when they found out he liked going out to the backyard, they would wheel him out to their backyard after his shower, and sit with him for 30 min so he can enjoy the sunshine a bit like his “good old days”, which is nice because his current bedroom window in the care home doesn’t get sunlight. Another example of their thoughtfulness was the purchase of a baby wipes warmer. They told me that during diaper changes, my dad would always say “cold, cold” when the baby wipes hit his tush, and so they decided to buy him a warmer so the wipes wouldn’t shock him as much. Wow, that is really considerate. Also, for Easter, Sarah made all the residents a little goodie bag of easter candies, and flower arrangements, so that the residents had festive treats to look forward to eating for a few days. My dad loved it because it wasn’t junk candies—there was a large Dubai Chocolate egg in the treat bag! It’s these little thoughtful touches that make me feel fortunate that I chose Julie’s Care Home for my dad, because they treat the residents as part of their family and take good care of him.
I would strongly advise against placing a loved one in this facility. Our experience has been marked by significant safety concerns, lack of professional management, and a failure to meet basic care standards.
Serious Security Failures: The front door was always completely unlocked and unattended. Despite Form 602 requiring supervision for my elder when leaving the building, my elder, who has an Alzheimer-dementia diagnosis, often went out by herself, since no staff monitors the entrance.
Poor Living Conditions: The facility was very cold when we arrived, and the small space heaters provided are both insufficient and inappropriate for this setting. These devices represent a significant safety hazard, especially for residents with cognitive impairments who may not be able to operate them safely. The building has a central heating system, so I told them to turn it on which they did.
My elder was also woken up every morning between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM because the residents in the adjacent room got up early and turned on the light which poured into my elder's room through the shared wall-window – the facility needs to mount blackout curtains to resolve this.
Location: The building is on a hill and it’s hard to find parking. Then there’s a two-hour parking limit.
Steep Stairs: There are steep stairs to the upper level, dangerous for seniors. There are also stairs to go down to the dark, basement level.
Neglect of Hygiene: While my elder's contract explicitly guarantees two showers per week, the administrators failed to provide this service. My elder got her first shower after I told the facility to bathe her. She was not offered two showers per week.
Nutrition: The contract promises healthy food, but my aunt was served canned veggies, processed foods, canned fruit, and potato chips at meals. The facility needs to make homemade food from scratch, using fresh ingredients. Elderly people have a lot of health issues and the food needs to be appropriate for that.
Safety Hazards: When my elder first arrived in the room, there was only one lightbulb in the ceiling light, so the room was very dark. We requested that they add the two missing bulbs. The lamp on the nightstand had a very faint lightbulb, making it hard to see in the room, so we requested that it be replaced with a brighter bulb.
Social Isolation: The atmosphere is gloomy and "dead." We were promised a socially active environment, but instead, it is cold and isolated with no staff positioned to facilitate conversation or supervision among residents. The walls are painted a depressing shade of grey which further adds to the gloom. If your elder wants to socialize or participate in activities, look elsewhere.
Severe Lack of Supervision: My loved one was placed on the upper level of this facility, only for us to discover that there are absolutely no caregivers stationed on that floor. Leaving elderly residents completely unattended creates a dangerous, isolated environment. If you are looking for a facility that actually monitors and ensures the safety of your family members, look elsewhere.
Fortunately, I was able to transfer my elder to a cozy, professionally run care facility.
