5 Continuing Care Communities in Kern County, California

Debra

My mom has only been at Magnolia Place for about a week, but so far they have been very compassionate, very helpful, kind, and friendly. There have been some issues for which I think it is just a matter of time to resolve. The communication has been a little bit lacking, though. We furnished her room, and we had to do some cleaning when she first moved in. The room is pleasant, and it has nice windows, so there is a lot of natural light coming in. It's a Jack-and-Jill room where there is another resident on one side and a bathroom in between them. The facility itself is nice. They have some exercises, they play bingo, they have daily devotionals and news updates, and then they have some learning activities. She gets pretty good food, too.

Jan

My mother-in-law has been in Columbus Estates for five years now. We decided to keep her there because it is less expensive than other places. She gets good care there, and we also have a nurse going in and helping her there. They have a library and a dining hall. They serve them snacks, they take good care of them, and they clean their apartments once a week. When we enter the place, they're very courteous, and the lady who runs the place is very courteous, too. They have a one-bedroom, and my mother-in-law has a studio. They have a beauty salon and a courtyard. They are doing some activities. They still are having church and whatnot, and they have really good food, too.

John

I visited Columbus Estates two months ago; it was a good visit. The property was clean, the yards were well manicured, and the people at the facility were very friendly and very informative. The apartments were a little small, but they were nice. We actually stayed for lunch, and their meals were good. They only have a small two-bedroom, they normally have larger ones, and little cottages, but they were all full at that time and we didn't get to look at one. They have a library, a courtyard, and a recreation room. They do movies and they keep everybody busy, so there are activities, but they're very limited. They used to have a bar where they had coffee, but they stopped that because of COVID, but they try to still do activities. It was a nice place.

Gail

I'm in Columbus Estates, and so far, so good. The staff is very nice. My apartment was clean when we moved in, but not anymore. The size and the layout are perfect. They're providing meals, and the food is good. They like to bake carrots, but I don't like carrots.

BS

My mother is in a senior living facility that she loves. She is now in Pacifica Senior Living Bakersfield. It will be about three weeks since she has been a resident there. It's very nice. The food is delicious. The staff is on top of all the issues. Lovely facility. They treated my mom with dignity and respect. We haven't had a single problem with them yet. She is in an apartment; she is in a studio. They have exercise, they have games, and they have parties. Well, they just have a lot of different things where they interact. They try to pull in all the new residents into group activities so that they come familiar with others. They're very inclusive. They do have restrictions. All the residents have to wear a mask when they go outside their rooms, and only a certain number are allowed within the community area. They may choose one meal a day to eat out of the community in the dining hall, but the residents must remain 6 feet apart. They have an outside area; it's beautifully landscaped. They have a beauty shop, they have a library, they have a TV room, and they'll have someone who serenades them. I think they'll start doing that when they can move out and eat dinner, somebody who serenades them on the piano in the evening. They have several things.