Testimonials

Sonja’s warm and genuine spirit eased my decision and transition in choosing El Cerrito Royale as my home. The same compassion is reflected in the staff who without question, truly care for each individual resident. I must admit that growing old isn’t always fun and we seniors can be impatient at times, however, I have only witnessed smiles and pleasant attitudes when dealing with us. Knowing that my children have peace of mind that I am in a safe environment, surrounded by caring and loving people, is just an added bonus of living at El Cerrito Royale, the place I call, my home.

The Royale is like being in a luxury hotel. The food is of great quality and taste, everyday an exciting menu, which my father loves. The rooms are updated and well kept daily. The staff is dedicated to the health of the residents. I can work and relax with confidence in the care of my Dad at El Cerrito Royale.

It was September of 2007 that I came to El Cerrito Royale. My doctor said I could no longer live alone. My caregivers thought this was the best place for me to be.

Being here at the Royale, I got better. Today, I run the Country Store, I am the President of the Red Hatters and Secretary of our Resident Council. El Cerrito Royale has helped me come a long way.

My mom lived here for about seven years. I found the management to be very responsive. The staff caring for our mother were, to a person, outstanding, responsive, understanding, and patient. The rooms and the facility were always kept clean. Food served was varied and very good. Lots of effort to get the residents engaged with each other and the outside community. Most of the people on staff have been working at this facility for a very long time. I would highly recommend the El Cerrito Royale.

I have a friend who lives here and he always tells me he is pleased with the care he gets. And when I’ve visited I’ve gotten a good vibe and been impressed by the cleanliness, efficiency, and kindness of the staff. They even let me bring my little dog who hadn’t seen my friend in at least a couple of years. They’ve been consistently good as long as I’ve known this place (at least four years).

I cannot recommend this facility more highly. My mother lived there for twelve years, entering fully independent initially. However, over the years, she needed additional help that she was able to receive in her apartment without having to move to an “assisted living” wing. She enjoyed the multitude of activities each day, the wonderful meals and the special events for holidays. The staff, headed by the director, are so caring and ensured my mother was always well cared for. I visited my mother at least three times/week and witnessed the consistent care she received. She lived to be 95…and I’m sure it was the high quality of life she experienced here that contributed to her longevity.

The staff are patient and efficient. There’s a comfort level achieved when your loved ones are living here. They have fun and creative activities. I love to go to their family events. They had a Mardi Gras party with a live band that had me dancing the night away.

My brother and I had to find a place for our 92 year old mother a year and a half ago. Fortunately, El Cerrito Royale is a wonderful place and only two blocks from my brother’s home. The staff are absolutely wonderful — various people, mainly women, from many places in the world, who speak English and display a real caring and affection for the residents, no matter how incapacitated they are. Eventually Mom had to be moved to the Memory Unit where she receives more assistance.

Our mother is artistic and culture is important her, so I love that the walls are covered with both enlarged as well as framed pictures of famous paintings. Before moving to the Memory Unit, she lived in the Monet Room in the Impressionist Wing. Around the corner started the Renaissance Wing. The second floor is the Literature floor with rooms dedicated to famous writers and walls decorated with art related to the writers of that time.

I could go on and on about this place, because we love it. They have lots of activities and cultural events for residents as well as for both residents and families together. We highly recommend El Cerrito Royale for your aged loved ones.

Words cannot express how happy and contented my 98-year old father is now that he is an El Cerrito Royale Assistant Living Center resident. It is his home. His room is large, beautiful, and very comfortable. His caregivers keep he and his room in immaculate condition. The entire staff headed by Sonja Givens-Thomas are compassionate, extremely professional, and treat all of the residents with great dignity. When I visit, which is often, the residents and staff tend to have pleasant demeanors. The place is always full of lively activities. Newsletters are provided monthly. Families and friends are always welcome. A variety of tasty cuisines are served in a lovely dinning room. My deepest thanks and gratitude goes to all those who have enriched my father’s life by giving him the best of care.

My mother lived at El Cerrito Royale for about seven years before her death at age 93 in March of 2014. The staff is very attentive to the needs of the residents and treats them with dignity. My mother was able to have independence and come and go as she pleased. When she finally needed hospice care, she was able to stay at El Cerrito Royale. By that time, she considered it her home. There is a nice dining room that serves three meals a day. My mother’s room was very large with high ceilings. My whole family was pleased with the care that was given to and shown to my mother throughout her stay. The monthly rates are reasonable for everything that is included.

A little over a year ago I was looking for an assisted living apartment for an elderly relative. I didn’t see any reviews for El Cerrito Royale, but it was near my relative’s home, so I went on a tour. There are 3 floors of apartments, with a different theme on each floor. The first floor is fine art reproductions, the second floor is locations around the U.S., I forget what’s on the third floor. Check out the life-size Egyptian mummy!

My relative ended up moving in to the second floor, where each room is named for an American city. Not only are the themes cute, they help people with memory problems remember where they are, or where a friend lives. The apartments are spacious studio layouts and very clean and bright. There are lots of activities every day (movies, clubs, cards, classes, as well as organized outings), and the dining hall is lively and cheerful. The residents look after each other (I often saw one resident pushing the wheelchair of a less mobile resident outside for a walk).

My relative had recently fallen and broken bones and had fairly advanced dementia. Dementia is a grievous illness, that turns a sweet rational person into an argumentative grouch who thinks everyone is out to steal their things. It could be very hard for us to deal with our relative, but the staff at El Cerrito Royale had endless compassion, patience and professionalism, in the face of some fairly outrageous (but apparently, typical) behavior by our relative. Through the year our relative needed more care, and the staff stepped up for what ever was needed, including working with an end-of-life hospice care attendant.

If you have a relative or friend who is in need of extra care in a friendly, caring environment, I can’t recommend El Cerrito Royale enough.