Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill was wonderful. It's a beautiful facility. They're very pleasant and they gave us an amazing tour. It's just too expensive. The dining room looked beautiful. There was so much going on. They were playing card games and checkers, and they also have painting and puzzles. We came just before happy hour.

The staff of Chateau was very friendly and helpful. They had social mixtures and transportation available, and I think they had a small exercise center and a community room with a piano, vidbox, and that sort of thing. I think overall the upkeep was very good, and it had a pleasant atmosphere. The cleanliness was probably fair to good. We looked at the dining room, and they invited us to come back and have a meal if we wanted to or to come back and join in one of the social hours, but it just really wasn't something that she was interested in.

We were very familiar with the area of Chateau Pleasant Hill because that's where we lived before, and our family was in that area. The neighborhood was medium to upper class residential, and it's quiet. I liked the location, and they were clean. The grounds were well kept and gardened. The staff was friendly. The rooms had been redone, repainted, and they were in good condition. They had their own bedroom, bathroom, refrigerator, and a microwave. We had lunch there. They had a very nice dining room. Their menu, which was published monthly, had variety, and it was very good. They had activities like, for those that play, cards, checkers, and bingo, and then they had transportation and trips. We looked at several very good ones in the area, but we picked this one as a combination of price and area. I would definitely recommend them to friends and family.

The facility is very attractive, offering an aesthetic element missing from most nursing homes. My grandmother, who was almost 90 at the time she was there, loved the place. The staff is warm and friendly, offering assistance to both the family as well as my grandmother. Grandma would only say good things about the place when she came over to visit on holidays. She really enjoyed the fact that this facility allowed for pets, specifically cats. Compared to the last facility she was at, this one was more like a hotel. Grandma had more independence as to when she could eat and what activities she had to be involved with. She really enjoyed the large fireplace in the main lobby for sitting and reading. She even said it was her "home away from home." I know, near the end, she made many new friends with both the staff and the clients. I am thankful she spent her last few years at such a warm place.

My mother-in-law resided at Chateau I for about 5 years. The facility is modern, well-maintained, beautifully landscaped and cheerful. The apartments are very nice. Whenever I visited, she seemed happy and well cared for by a pleasant staff. Judging from the notices on the bulletin boards, there are many activities for the residents to participate in. The dining room is nice; I ate there several times and thought the food was pretty good. Once they were even able to accommodate a group of her kids and grandkids in a separate room for dinner for a birthday celebration. The only concerns we had were that sometimes mom stayed in her room too much and didn't socialize with others, and as her health declined we would have liked more help from staff getting her to take her medications, making sure she didn't skip meals, and with hygiene. But overall, a place I would highly recommend.

THIS REVIEW PERTAINS TO CHATEAU I ONLY: Chateau I offers independent living run by Carlton Senior Living, a family-owned business that operates a number of facilities in northern California; family members are still involved in the operation. The staff members are extremely professional. One of them, Phil Altman, is an operational manager who spends an amazing amount of time and attention with anyone who comes in the door. As a whole, management seems to be very involved with residents, but also cares about the greater community. From the outside this facility almost looks like a hotel, with a driveway in a semi-circle in front, allowing cars to pull up in front so that walking distance is minimal for those with mobility limitations. Those who walk in the door of the facility always get greeted warmly by someone there who gives a good and positive view of the place. The reception area near the door is always appointed with beautiful flowers. And the common areas are not carpeted, providing an easy walking surface. There are also benches outside each door where residents can sit and socialize. You will often see clusters of people there"”and they're articulate and friendly and seem engaged. They are also groups of residents gathered in the sitting rooms and common areas; they generally seem to be social and comfortable. There is a range of services offered"”from assisted living through memory care, which is in a locked wing with special activities suitable for residents' acuities. A robust activity program is led by an independent activity director, including a Happy Hour on Fridays complete with alcoholic beverages, which encourages residents to remain as independent as possible. Staff members pride themselves on being very positive and resident-centered"”and they deliver on that, obviously putting thought into making it a vibrant place. They also seem to genuinely care about the health issues that the residents may be experiencing"”for example, holding a Diabetes Fair that provides information and training for residents and their families. The food is of very good quality"”California and comfort food cuisine, with an array of choices every day. Residents are also accommodated if they have preferences, with food made to order if requested. Cost for the smallest alcove apartments range from $2,895 to $3,495 to one-bedrooms at $3,195 to $3,495. A money-back guarantee is offered for those who wish to leave after a 70-day trial period. The facility also operates an excellent website, which is clear and easy to use and includes lots of good information, including prices. The reviewer, Lisa Geron, has been a professional social worker for 8 years and has also worked in a variety of positions including care management and palliative care for several years.