8 Independent Living Communities in Carmichael, California

JimSm

The Atrium advertises its many community activities, but if you plan to participate, be sure to bring a heavy winter coat. For years, the social activity rooms and hallways have remained unheated due to a long-broken heating system. Despite repeated assurances that repairs are coming, nothing ever changes—leaving shivering seniors to endure the cold.

Barbara

My mother is presently at Atria El Camino Gardens. It's a marvelous place for her, and she's 105. They treat her very very well. The caregivers are kind and considerate. The place is run like clockwork, and the administration is very responsive and caring. We have no complaints about anything that she receives. They've handled the pandemic marvelously, too, with minimal exposures, and only a few residents in their memory care unit came down with the virus. Sadly, some died, but not like what we hear about in other places. I think they've done a great job. They're very active; they have a lot of activities for the residents to participate in, which is great. She's in a studio apartment. She has her bathroom, a kind of an alcove for her bed, and a small living area. It also has a small kitchen with a refrigerator, a sink, cupboards, and no stove because there's no cooking in her apartment. She had a microwave, too, but she had it disconnected because of non-use. They have a lovely library and a full-service beauty parlor. They have two technicians there, and they do a good job. They have a craft room and a movie room, and there's plenty for them to do. They often have musicians to entertain and other social activities. Of course, it has been curtailed in recent years because of COVID. Right now, they've curtailed a lot of their dining activities because of COVID but before they shut down, we ate a lot with her in their dining room, and it's tremendous. My mother is not on a fixed income, but she can afford it there. The pricing is pretty much within the range of other places we've looked at.

Barbara

My mother was at The Atrium at Carmichael before she moved to her current place. She was there for ten years. It's a lovely facility. They're called Atrium because the apartments surround a central grassy area with a pond and ducks, which is just a beautiful water feature. She had an apartment, a one-bedroom with one bath, a full kitchen, a living area, and a sliding door that opened to the outside. Some apartments are in the grassy area. They had a large dining area, and the food we experienced there was very good. The staff was quite responsive. She had light housekeeping. They would do laundry, but we chose to do laundry for her. They had transportation -- a bus -- that was available for residents. The dining area staff was very good. When she got older and needed more time to eat, they were very responsive in trying to assist her when she started needing a little more help. I'm very impressed with that; it seemed like they really care about their people. We found the management to be very helpful in everything, too. There's a large area for people to sit when you walk in the door at the front desk. There weren't so many activities. They had a large activity room, but they mostly used it for bingo and crafts. She liked it there. In the apartments, there were little courtyards, and you could sit outside in covered areas, which she utilized well while there. They also had an ambulance station there that provided paramedics with an apartment that they could rest in, because there was always an ambulance right there. So paramedics were always available, which was very nice.

Valerie

We went to The Landing at Carmichael. The lady who gave us the tour was the office manager, and she was very nice. She showed us the studio and the one-bedroom unit, and they're both reasonably priced. However, my client did not like the space, so we didn't move forward. The studio was a bit too small, but the one-bedroom was really good sized. The cabinets needed some work. Other than that, it was a pretty decent space. They offer a meal plan that you can take advantage of for $150 more. They have activities and transportation for doctors' appointments. They also have an "errands day" where you can go anywhere within ten miles of the residence. They offer housekeeping, and they have emergency pull handles inside the unit for emergency reasons if they fall or anything like that. They have a living area where they can go, watch TV, and mingle. It is a smoke-free facility, but they have an area for smokers. The staff was nice and answered all our questions. She accommodated us, and she asked us if we wanted water. They have elevators, so that was good because my client can't climb stairs or anything like that.

Jeannie

Atria Carmichael Oaks was a very nice place. It was very warm, homey, and the people there were really nice and accommodating. They answered all my questions, and I'm very satisfied with the tour. We were interested in their studios and one-bedroom apartments, but my uncle said he'd rather have a studio because he has COPD and doesn't want to do a lot of walking. The rooms looked brand new, they were freshly painted, and everything was clean. Their dining room has large windows so you can see the nature and all the vegetation when the warm weather comes, and that was very nice because he likes nature. Allison was very patient and very delightful. I also met Kimberly in the hallway, and she helped me get all the information that I needed, so they're all great.