Lee & Annie Jones
May 2026
My mother moved into Oakmont of El Dorado Hills in mid-October 2025. We gave notice she was moving out in early April 2026 although our decision was made a few months prior. All trust was lost within the first 3 months of her arrival, and this review is to help others who are considering Oakmont of El Dorado Hills for the care of their loved ones. There is no claim they did anything illegal, nor that she had poor care, this review is about the moral and ethical relationship between a family and the care home they trust for their family. Following the first 3 months after the contract was signed, the payment debited was always more than what we were expecting. Although my brother who lives locally was nominated as Primary Contact, the Business Office Director agreed he would be happy to discuss mom’s care with any of her children. He was contacted mid-December and queried about the continual surprises with invoicing. First step was to request the invoice breakdowns for the billing periods which I finally received after numerous chases and phone calls. Explanation for delay? My emails were not being received so an IT issue. The errors found on the billing were many. The room rental charge was being invoiced at $200 per month over the contracted rate. The Care Fee had been double charged in December. These two errors alone exceeded $1200.00. Although the contract was signed in early September to secure the room, Mom did not move in until mid-October. She was billed for 6 weeks at full rate for an empty room which we understood to be ‘standard practice’. We have since found this is not an industry standard. No meals eaten, no housekeeping or laundry required, and yet still full prices charged. Upon reviewing the contract, there was contractual requirement for a reduced rate when the room is empty, but this was not given. Upon querying with the Business Office Director, a $5.00 per day amount was credited for the empty room. Illegal? No. But ethical or morally fair? By mid-January 2026, I had submitted several more queries from being charged for 2 rooms at full rate on the day of a room move to why a discount that was given on the first room she occupied was then taken away, without notice or comment, when she moved to a more suitable room. The final breach of trust came at the end of January when it was decided by the Business Office Director and Facility Administrator that they were unable to communicate directly with me anymore. I was not the nominated Primary Care person so responses to my queries went to my brother who had to forward them on to me. From mid-December it was OK for me to discuss billing, 6 weeks later it's no longer acceptable? This is one way to stop awkward questions I suppose. In this last communication of 27 January, we were promised no more billing surprises, in writing. The following day we were informed by the Health Services Director that my mother's Care Fees had been reassessed and were going up immediately by over $700 per month. This following an assessment in December when it was confirmed they would remain the same. I’m not sure whether the Business Office Director does not communicate with his fellow Directors or he deliberately intended to mislead us with his no more surprises confirmation. Neither option is good when your family care is under consideration, so we decided at that time Mom needed to move out. If you are reviewing Oakmont of El Dorado Hills for one of your loved ones care, do ensure you fully understand their charging basis as it is solely focused on their profit. Fairness is not in the equation. Not illegal, just unethical in my opinion. Reviewing every line of every invoice is critical. If we had not scrutinized the invoices, I am positive Oakmont would never have identified the series of overcharging and billing errors we experienced. Credit was received but not once did we receive an apology, or explanation, for these errors that amounted to almost $1500. in just 8 weeks of residency. Be very wary.
