From old-growth Redwood forests to white sandy beaches, California has earned its nickname as The Golden State for good reason. California is home to great weather, year-round sunshine, and unmatched beauty. There are many great retirement communities in Southern California and the rest of the state. A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors can help you or your loved one find the best retirement communities in California that meet your family’s needs.
Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 880 independent living communities in California. The median monthly cost of independent living in California is about $3,000.
Moved into Cogir Brentwood in [date removed], and I'm writing to share how truly happy I am with that decision. Living here has fulfilled so many of my needs-there's always entertainment to enjoy, the food...
I have been a resident of Cardinal Pt. since March of 2023. I have found that I have become stronger. The meals are 5 star with a large number of choices. Excellent exercise classes are provided nearly...
Excellent, organized and comfortable place. The staff here are very respectful and very eager to serve and place the elderly.
I think the staff is great very friendly. I see the same people all the time and I like them so that's great. The room size is good very good and the amenities I believe were good ones. Minor thought was...
There's a tremendous sense of community between the residents and staff. The staff is very involved in hosting recreational activities.
Excellent, organized and comfortable place. The staff here are very respectful and very eager to serve and place the elderly.
Excellent, organized and comfortable place. The staff here are very respectful and very eager to serve and place the elderly.
I think the staff is great very friendly. I see the same people all the time and I like them so that's great. The room size is good very good and the amenities I believe were good ones. Minor thought was...
Nikkei Senior Gardens is an absolutely lovely facility! My mother is so happy to be staying at such a nice, peaceful place where the entire staff is very friendly, enthusiastic and always eager to help. As a...
Brookdale South Bay has been a great for my disabled mother. There is a third-party company that has caregivers who can meet my mother's needs. The staff at Brookdale is very friendly and helpful.
They were quick to respond to a request for an interview and walk thru. The facility was clean and seemed very organized. But since we only stayed 2 weeks hard to rate the rest # 4-8.
Everyone is nice and as helpful as they can be. The facility is clean, they feed them well, and if the person is an able body they have plenty of activities.
7! They have been absolutely fantastic!! All of the staff goes above and beyond to help! Questions or requests are answered quickly and thoroughly! Very responsive group! [names removed] all work together...
Westmont has been wonderful from the very beginning. From getting my mother in law relocated there from NV to her constant care in Memory care. They are very transparent and communicate well. My mother in...
Cleanliness of the facility-10! Well taken care of. Had snacks to take anytime... but no special needs diet for diabetics. Bingo, puzzles, group exercise, movies; large TV screen. Ivy includes free: 3 meals...
Independent living communities in California don’t provide care to seniors, therefore they’re not required to have a senior care license. Instead, they’re treated as any California rental, so they must follow tenant-landlord laws. The exception to this is if an independent living community shares a campus with a senior care facility, such as an assisted living or memory care community.
If a California independent living community shares the same campus as a senior care facility, the senior care units must have a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) license from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). To keep this license, the senior care facility must follow California assisted living regulations and memory care regulations.
To access the licensing status, regulatory information, and inspection reports of a California assisted living or memory care facility, you can search the facility’s name using the CDSS Care Facility Search.
Stand-alone independent living facilities in California must offer seniors safe and well-maintained housing, as defined by the California Department of Justice. Seniors can expect the following standards while renting from an independent living facility in California:[01,02]
Landlords must agree to reasonable accommodations and modifications for persons with disabilities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Independent living community owners must cover the cost of accommodations and structural modifications in common areas, while the resident should pay for structural modifications to their individual unit.[03]
Accommodations include changes to independent living community policies that would otherwise restrict people with disabilities. Some examples include:
Modifications include changes to the structure of building common areas or individual units. Examples include:
If your independent living landlord is failing to provide you a safe environment, the Office of the Attorney General recommends documenting written requests and any communications with their landlord.[04] Furthermore, the attorney general recommends getting legal assistance for any landlord-tenant issues. You can find a legal aid office near you to help you fight unresolved issues.
If you have general complaints or questions about an independent living unit, you can report a complaint on the Office of the Attorney General website, or print out a physical complaint form to mail.
California Department of Public Health
1616 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
Phone: 916-558-1784
Let our care assessment guide you
Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.
In California, local housing and health departments perform rental property inspections for independent living facilities. The state doesn’t provide a search tool for all inspection reports, therefore California residents must contact their local authorities. To request an inspection report for an independent living facility in your area, you can contact your county’s housing or health department directly.
Intergenerational Housing for Senior Citizens, California Civil Code § 51.3.5 (1988 & rev. 2017).
California Department of Justice. (2003, November). Legal rights of persons with disabilities, 4th edition.
California Office of the Attorney General. California Department of Justice. (2023, September 6). Legal rights of persons with disabilities.
California Office of the Attorney General. California Department of Justice. (2024, April 1). Landlord-tenant issues.
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The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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