Aegis of San Rafael

We recently moved my Mother-​in-​Law there after a bad experience at another local Assisted Living facility. They were wonderful to her!
Unfortunately, her days there have ended but her last days were pampered, loved and treated with care and respect! Isn’t that what we all want for our loved ones?
Thank you…

My Dad lived at Aegis for 2 years. He has been in another facility in Marin for the past year and a half. I would strongly recommend that you avoid Aegis. But you need not take my word for it… call the Marin County Ombudsman and ask about how many complaints they have had in recent years (more than their share… as I found out when I called to make my own complaint when they mishandled my father’s decline and dumped him in my lap «for a few days»; he ended up at Marin General, and that is when we moved him to another facility where he has been very happy and has received skillful, kind care). Or you can ask about staff turnover: during the time my Dad was there, we saw 3 different nurses/​medical directors (who were all intended to be permanent employees), and a complete turnover in all their major administrative positions (Executive Director, Resident Services coordinator, Public Relations, and of course nurse/​medical director). And their front line staff also shows a lot of turnover, and they are mostly not interactive with the family members who come for visits. Sure, the food is good, and they try to create a cruise ship type of atmosphere, which makes is easier to place your loved one there. But the actual care is substandard, and will lead to much inconvenience, worry, and perhaps even unnecessary crises… at least, that is what happened in our case, and at least one other case with which I am familiar.

If your senior is very independent, needing very little help with activities of daily living (ADLS) this place is probably okay. DO not entrust them with the care of your senior if he or she needs help with ADL’s, or is wheelchair bound. The care of my beloved mom-​I entrusted them will at a very high cost thinking «nothing but the best for the mom I love» I made a terrible mistake in trusting them. I ended up having to file a report with the State of CA about major safety and health problems. I was told by a state investigator they were being placed under investigation. Here is just a small sampling of experiences that caused me to have to move my mom because I feared for her safety. My mother was dropped from the wheelchair lift of their van, hitting the back of her head on the pavement, while sitting in the courtyard a worker either dropped or threw a large metal flue from the roof, hitting her in the head, dementia patients were housed with the non dementia population and dementia patients wandered into my mothers room while she was asleep, or went through her things, stole things. Dementia patients routinely wandered the halls, urinated in the halls, wandered confused and unassisted. They took deceased out the front door in full view of all the seniors sitting in the lobby-​totally insensitive and disrespectful of both the dead and the residents. They lost all of my mother’s custom fit pressure hose and instead were dressing in someone else’s pressure hose that was cutting off her circulation and causing ulcers on her feet and toes to the point of needing medical treatment. They didn’s shower her more than at most once per month. They routinely were in quarantine where seniors are confined to their rooms for weeks at a atime because of outbreaks of e-​coli and viral infections due to unsafe sanitation practices such as having caregivers help with toileting and bathing and then having to go down and work in the kitchen and dining rooms. The toilets routinely overflowed and no sanitation procedures were done to clean up. I wont’ continue but certainly could. Please, don’t let the beautiful building and all the parties fool you. Check behind the scenes to see what is really happening in the way of care for your senior .the staff to resident ratio is too low to be appropriate for the disabled seniors who are no longer totally independent.

There are some really great things about Aegis: beautiful, clean, well organized facility, helpful friendly staff, interesting activities, and delicious food in the dining room.
On the other hand, it’s REALLY expensive.
My favorite people are Bill (general manager), Ernie (nurse), and Claudia (activities director). Whenever you see one of them, you are know that they are looking after business, i.e., making sure the folks are happy.
On the other hand, it’s REALLY expensive.
All of the staff are trained in dealing with seniors, and the memory issues that often come with age, like dementia & Alzheimer’s. Even if they weren’t trained, I would bet that they would still be compassionate, because that’s just how they are.
On the other hand, it’s REALLY expensive.
They bring in musicians at least once a week, and and often decorate for the season or whatever party they hold for the residents. Very upbeat, very good for folks who can remember the words to an old song, but not what they did an hour ago.
On the other hand, it’s REALLY expensive. But, I would definitely recommend Aegis of San Rafael, if the money issue is not a problem.