141 Assisted Living Communities near Oakland

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living communities allow seniors to live in a place that provides robust social interaction while still giving them the assistance they may need with the activities of daily living. These are the basic personal care tasks of everyday life, including bathing, dressing, grooming and sometimes eating.

Seniors live in a community and have people to socialize with for exercise classes and other activities. By staying connected to others via these activities, seniors are more likely to remain healthy.

Assisted living facilities, which are officially known as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly in California, also provide other services. Three well-balanced, healthy meals are provided daily, so residents have no need to deal with grocery shopping, cooking and clean-up. In addition, seniors receive medication management assistance and other medical care may also be available, sometimes on an intermittent basis.

What Services are Available in Assisted Living in Oakland?

In Oakland, services offered in assisted living communities can depend on size and location; however, here are some of the typical services you'll find at most assisted living near you:

• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Medication management
• Security & supervision
• Basic housekeeping
• Daily meals
• Health and exercise programs
• Transportation

Assisted living facilities provide secure, comfortable accommodations in a residential setting. In most communities, seniors come together to dine in a large dining hall, and some facilities provide in-room dining or a cafe where residents can get food between meals.

In addition, residents receive basic housekeeping services, with staff handling bed and bath linens as well as all personal laundry. Transportation is typically available for medical appointments and sometimes as well for shopping trips or excursions to local entertainment or recreation.

Even smaller assisted living communities often offer an outdoor area for enjoyment and relaxation, and many have exercise facilities available. In some cases, assisted living facilities provide a wealth of amenities that can include everything from beauty salons and game rooms to swimming pools and movie theaters.

Getting Ready to Move to Assisted Living in Oakland

Your loved one may have a great deal of preparation to handle before moving into an assisted living community, or the process may be simple, depending on their current living situation. Some seniors need to sell their homes to prepare for assisted living, and typically the move involves a fair amount of decluttering and downsizing.

Ask your assisted living facility for suggestions on what your loved one needs to bring to their new home. The staff can also inform you about any items that aren't needed or allowed. Handling details such as selling furniture or vehicles ahead of time can make moving day go more smoothly.

In addition, all prospective residents at an assisted living facility need to go through two evaluations before their move. Your loved one's personal physician will handle the first one. The physician's final evaluation report will include important information about all current medications, all current treatments or therapies, and any special dietary needs.

The second evaluation is performed by the assisted living community staff. They want to evaluate how much help your loved one needs with the activities of daily living.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Oakland?

The average monthly cost of assisted living in Oakland is $4,500 according to the Genworth Cost of Care survey 2017.

In the East Bay area, where Oakland is located, these average assisted living costs of $4,500 per month are a significant savings over the $5,339 average cost for in-home care. While this number may seem pricey on the surface, once you break down what your loved one is already paying for rent or mortgage, utilities, and other elements of their cost of living, you may be surprised to realize how reasonable this figure is.

Remember that assisted living costs cover all meals, all facility maintenance and landscaping, housekeeping services, and all non-medical care, including personal care services. In addition, many assisted living communities offer significant amenities — exercise facilities, social activities and more — and these are typically all included in that monthly fee.

If you want to keep the monthly fee low, look for a basic assisted living community that provides all the standard care and meals with no frills or extras.

On the other end of the spectrum, luxury assisted living communities offer all sorts of amenities. You can expect to find swimming pools, high-end gyms and a wide variety of cuisine choices, sometimes with personalized meal plans available. Most of these facilities offer amenities such as beauty salons, barber shops, game rooms, media rooms and outdoor areas.

In between these two ends of the spectrum are smaller boutique assisted living facilities. These offer all the staff needed to help with personal care and typically provide high-quality dining choices.

Our local Seniorly Partner Agents often have the ability to negotiate monthly rent and fees on your behalf at many of the communities you might be interested in.  This is a free service to you.  To connect to a Seniorly Partner Agent email us now at ask@seniorly.com or call (855) 866-4515.

What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living vs. Other Senior Care Types?

The main difference between assisted living and other forms of senior care is that assisted living is placed between independent living and skilled nursing facilities, also known as nursing homes, on the continuum of care.

While assisted living is a perfect fit for some older adults, others may require other types of residential care, such as independent living communities or skilled nursing facilities.

• Independent living communities: Seniors living in these communities enjoy, not surprisingly, a great deal of independence. These facilities are ideal for seniors who don't need assistance with medication or the activities of daily living and who choose to maintain an active lifestyle.
• Skilled nursing facilities: Skilled nursing facilities, sometimes known as nursing homes, are designed to care for seniors who have significant medical issues or who require close attention on a 24/7 basis. The residents here tend to be physically inactive.
• Memory care: These specialized facilities are designed to help residents with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Special care is taken to protect residents with a tendency to wander.

Apps for Assisted Living in Oakland

A wide variety of apps are available to free up the time of Oakland seniors by delivering services on-demand to make life easier. Take a look at a few convenient services available to residents of assisted living communities in Oakland:

• Omni — This app provides low-cost storage of items you want available but can't store in the limited space of an assisted living apartment. Store an air mattress for those visits from the grandchildren or an air purifier for seasons when allergies strike. Omni picks up and delivers items for free — and you can even make a little extra money by renting out your unneeded items.
• Rinse — Assisted living facilities typically handle personal laundry — but what do you do about your dry cleaning? The Rinse app is available to provide pick-up and delivery of all dry cleaning.
• Qweex — Seniors who are still driving can save a lot of time and effort when they call on Qweex to handle all car washing services right there at their assisted living facilities. Qweex employs waterless washing tech, a big plus in drought-ridden California.

These apps and others bring convenient services — pet care, beauty services and even some health care — right to the front door of seniors who have better things to do with their time.

Resources for Caregivers in Oakland

Caregivers of aging seniors often focus so much on their loved ones that they don't take adequate care of themselves. In Oakland, several resources exist to provide support and resources to caregivers:

• Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center — This organization, which is part of the Family Caregiver Alliance, provides support groups, workshops, classes and other resources to Bay Area caregivers.
• Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay — This nonprofit focuses on seniors with memory decline, providing support services to caregivers and loved ones.
• Oakland Center for Spiritual Living — A regular caregivers' support group meets here to share resources and encourage one another in self-care practices.

Government Resources for Seniors in Oakland

California provides programs to help seniors through its Department of Aging, including adult day care programs for seniors on Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid and other senior services programs designed to promote healthy aging and keep seniors involved with their communities.

Alameda County, where Oakland is located, provides senior services through the Area Agency on Aging. Services include disease prevention efforts, elder abuse prevention services, legal services, health insurance counseling and an ombudsman to help those in long-term care facilities, such as assisted living.

The city of Oakland's Department of Human Services helps seniors find jobs, volunteer positions and spots as foster grandparents. It also helps with food assistance when needed, as well as connecting seniors to paratransit services.

Oakland Demographics

Oakland is a "minority majority" community in which no one ethnic group stands as a majority. While Caucasians constitute a plurality at 38 percent of the population, African-Americans come close behind at 25 percent, followed by Asian-Americans at 16 percent and "other" races at 13 percent. The bulk of the population sits in the mid 20s to mid 40s age range, but with 22 percent of Oakland citizens receiving Social Security income, there are a significant number of retirees in the city.

Oakland Weather

Long, dry summers and short, rainy winters describe the typical weather in Oakland. Low temperatures rarely hit freezing and high temperatures typically don't go above the high 80s. Daytime temperatures are comfortable, thanks to the low humidity, from April to November, which also constitutes the dry season of the year.

Transportation in and Around Oakland

Oakland is connected to the entire San Francisco Bay Area by Bay Area Rapid Transit, commonly referred to as BART. Many people in Oakland, in fact, prefer the speedier option of taking BART across the bay even when they have the choice of driving. Seniors can enjoy discounted fares on BART. In addition, local bus service throughout the East Bay area is available courtesy of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District. Seniors can purchase low-cost monthly passes that offer them unlimited use of the system.

Fun Facts About Oakland

Oakland is full of hidden surprises. You'll spot some if you keep your eyes open when passing utility poles. No one knows who's been painting all those gnomes on the poles, but they're scattered throughout the city.

Also hidden throughout Oakland are hundreds of staircases that connect hilltops to sea level, most of them built after the devastating San Francisco earthquake of 1906.

In addition, Oakland is home to the world's only saltwater lake situated within a city: Lake Merritt. Seniors can visit the lake to relax and enjoy activities including bird walks and lawn bowling.

Oakland Hospital Information

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, located in the heart of Oakland, is one of the top hospitals in the entire San Francisco Bay area. It's particularly highly rated for its colon cancer and heart bypass surgeries. Just across the bay is the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, considered one of the top 10 hospitals in the United States.

Assisted Living Community Ratings, Inspection Reports and User Reviews for Oakland

All assisted living facilities in California are licensed by the state's Department of Social Services, and specifically by the Community Care Licensing division. The licensing covers all facilities that provide medication management and personal care services.

User reviews on Yelp, as well as on Google and Facebook, also provide a window into what residents and their families think about the various assisted living communities in Oakland. In addition, the Better Business Bureau grades these facilities with grades running from A+ to F, also offering an objective way to assess the facilities you're considering for your loved one.

What Questions Should I Ask When Touring Assisted Living Facilities in Oakland?

Here are the top 10 questions you should ask when looking for an assisted living facility in Oakland:

1. Does each resident have a written care plan? Does the resident participate in the creation of that plan?
2. How does the assisted living community bill for services?
3. What special amenities and services are available at the community? Is there an extra fee for these services?
4. What housekeeping, linen and laundry services are provided? How often are they provided?
5. Are worship services held on site, or is transportation to worship services made available to residents?
6. Are telephone, cable/satellite TV, and internet services available to residents? Are they included in the monthly fee?
7. What happens to a resident's apartment if the resident has to go to the hospital for an extended period?
8. What security features are in place?
9. May residents keep automobiles at the facility? What parking is available for visitors and residents?
10. What arrangements are made if a resident requires a greater level care?

These questions are merely a place to start. We want to help you with your decision-making process by giving you this list of helpful questions so you can be equipped to learn the information you need.