Sonoma House Assisted Living LLC

While Sonoma House represents an innovative concept in assisted living, the ideas behind it draw on decades of experience. In 1988, founder Jim Stroud was faced with a dilemma. His father suffered a stroke and Jim was unable to find anything other than a traditional nursing facility in his father’s hometown. Shortly after entering the care facility, Jim’s dad began taking tray service in his room. Lacking daily physical activity and wellness programming, he lost the will to live and his health rapidly declined.

That experience led Jim into the vanguard of what is today known as assisted living—a radical concept at the time which combined congregate care with skilled medical service. With his industry partners, Jim began to reimagine and rebuild the elder care industry. The company he cofounded, Capital Senior Living, now operates more than 125 assisted living communities serving some 16,500 residents across the nation.

In 2011, Jim and his team began envisioning a new model for assisted living based on research and a conviction that seniors are measurably happier and healthier when placed in intimately scaled care environments. A “small house” design would accommodate seniors in residences designed to be as home-like as possible, with caregivers living, eating, and socializing with residents just as they would their own family members. Opened in 2013, Sonoma House sets the standard for person-centered care, continuing the revolution Jim helped launch over 30 years ago.