254 Assisted Living Communities near San Mateo

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living communities are designed to help residents with the activities of daily living (ADLs) — basic tasks such as dressing, grooming, and bathing — while also helping them to maintain as much independence as possible and to enjoy life. Living in a community makes it easier for seniors to stay connected since they're surrounded by opportunities for social interaction.

Adding to this social interaction are typically activities planned by the assisted living facility to encourage residents to stay active. Exercise programs keep seniors limber and strong, and excursions throughout the local area help them stay happy and healthy.

In these assisted living communities, residents typically enjoy three well-balanced meals a day, so they don't have to deal with the hassles of buying and preparing food. Housekeeping services are also usually included, as is medication management. Many assisted living facilities provide local transportation as well, particularly to medical appointments. All this medical care is typically available around-the-clock, all within a secure and comfortable residential environment.

What Services are Available in Assisted Living in San Mateo?

In San Mateo, services available in assisted living communities can be dependant on size and location; these are some of the general services available at most assisted living near you:

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

As mentioned above, at assisted living communities in San Mateo, residents can feel assured that they'll get the help they may need with their ADLs. In addition, they're freed from having to take care of their own laundry, as both bed linens and personal laundry are typically handled by the facility. They can also enjoy living in a clean, tidy environment since housekeeping is also provided.

In many communities, residents dine together in shared dining halls. Some properties also feature cafes to let seniors grab a bite outside of meal hours, or they may even offer in-room dining. Sometimes, residents have microwaves in their apartments as well.

Transportation is typically available to help seniors get to their medical appointments, and it may be offered for errand running and local visits as well. Some facilities arrange day trips to let their residents explore the local area, taking them, for example, shopping or to cultural events in the city, on explorations of the stunning natural beauty of the Peninsula, or to local events such as the San Mateo Autumn Moon Festival.

Many assisted living communities also offer a wealth of amenities on-site. These may include everything from beauty salons and barber shops to libraries, exercise facilities, game rooms, and swimming pools.

Getting Ready to Move to Assisted Living in San Mateo

When your loved one is ready to move to an assisted living community in San Mateo, they can expect to undergo two evaluations: One by their personal physician, and one by the assisted living facility itself.

At the first evaluation, your loved one's doctor will evaluate their physical and mental condition thoroughly. Among the medical issues reviewed are your loved one's current medications, all treatments and therapies they're currently undergoing, and any special diet needs they have.

The second evaluation is conducted by the staff at the assisted living community you're considering. Here, they evaluate how much help your loved one may need with the ADLs. They want to make sure their facility can provide all the services your loved one needs, while also assessing whether the facility is a good fit. If it's not the right community for your relative, the assisted living staff should be able to make recommendations for appropriate facilities within the San Mateo area.

As your loved one makes a final decision regarding an assisted living community, they'll then have to prepare for the move. This may involve extensive decluttering to accommodate moving into a much smaller space. If they own their own home, they may want to put it on the market, and if they're no longer driving, they may want to sell their car as well.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in San Mateo?

The average monthly cost of assisted living in San Mateo is $5,750 according to the Genworth Cost of Care survey 2017.

Assisted living communities are available in San Mateo at a wide range of costs. While the average cost for private accommodations is around $5,750 per month, you can find assisted living facilities across a wide range of costs from a low of about $2,500 per month to as high as $7,500.

Keep in mind that these costs cover far more than just monthly rent. The fees also include utilities, all meals, and general maintenance, as well as housekeeping and laundry services. In addition, they cover all the non-medical care provided, such as assistance with the ADLs, plus most of the amenities available. These may include landscaped gardens and other outdoor areas, exercise facilities, gathering spaces such as theaters and game rooms, and a wide array of social activities provided by the facility. When you add up the cost for all these services, assisted living communities often prove to be financially quite reasonable.

The higher the fees for an assisted living community, the more it's likely to provide in the way of amenities. If your loved one wants a quiet life and is unlikely to take advantage of lots of activities, a basic assisted living community may be the right answer. Residents can save even more money if they choose to share rooms. Even when you opt for a lower price point like this, you can expect all the basic non-medical services as well as three healthy meals a day.

At the high end of the spectrum, luxury assisted living communities could easily be confused with resort-style hotels. Here, your loved one is likely to live in a large, private apartment and have lavish amenities available, including swimming pools, theaters, and elaborate exercise facilities. Residents at these facilities typically get visits from health care professionals, including physical therapists, podiatrists, and doctors, and nurses may be on-site 24/7. In addition, seniors at these communities typically have many choices when it comes to meals, with a variety of cuisines served and custom meal plans offered.

In the middle of the assisted living spectrum are the smaller boutique communities that provide private rooms or apartments and excellent meal options, while offering fewer of the high-end amenities. These communities still typically feature exercise programs and have well-trained staff on hand around the clock.

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?

Assisted living differs from other types of senior care since it sits in the middle of a spectrum with independent living on one end and skilled nursing facilities, sometimes called nursing homes, on the other end. 

• In independent living communities, very little help is available, if any, to assist with the ADLs. Seniors in these communities typically take care of their own housekeeping, errands and meals, while having lots of activities available to choose from. These communities are appropriate for seniors who want to live an active lifestyle and who don't require much assistance.
• At skilled nursing facilities, which are sometimes called nursing homes, medical services are offered around the clock to residents, most of whom are physically inactive for the most part. Many of the residents typically have significant medical issues that are tended to at these facilities.
• Also available at some facilities are special memory care communities designed to care for residents with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Sometimes these communities function as sequestered and protected neighborhoods within an assisted living community.

Helpful Apps and Websites for Assisted Living in San Mateo

Assisted living community residents in San Mateo can take advantage of free time thanks to the wide variety of on-demand services available through convenient apps. Among the services available in San Mateo are:

• Zeel — This on-call massage service comes to you to help relieve aches and pains the natural way, with trained therapists who are fully licensed.
• Rinse — Yes, your assisted living facility is taking care of your personal laundry, but what about your dry cleaning? Rinse picks it up and returns it so you're ready for special occasions.
• BloomThat — Plants and flowers make even the smallest apartment feel gracious, and BloomThat delivers them regularly or once in a while. Residents can also send flowers to commemorate special occasions easily with the app.

Other apps deliver pet care, beauty services and even some health care services right to the front door of seniors in San Mateo assisted living facilities, all to make their lives a bit easier.

Resources for Caregivers in San Mateo

Caregivers all too often spend all their energy on their loves ones, so much so that they can fail to take good care of themselves. The good news is that San Mateo offers significant resources to give caretakers a hand. Take a look at some of the programs available:

• Bay Area Caregiver Resource Center — Affiliated with the Family Caregiver Alliance, this program provides comprehensive assistance to caregivers of people with adult-onset brain impairments of all types, including strokes and Alzheimer's disease.
• Catholic Charities — This nonprofit offers monthly caregiver support groups, classes on aspects of caregiving, and referrals to local resources.
• Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County — These services are devoted to advocacy, education, and empowerment. They connect caregivers to adult day care resources, legal assistance, health care assistance, and support for those dealing with neurological diseases.

Government Resources for Seniors in San Mateo

In California, the Department of Aging promotes healthy aging through a variety of programs for seniors and caregivers. Seniors on Medi-Cal, California's version of Medicaid, can take advantage of adult day care programs and other senior services, with other resources available to help seniors stay active in their communities.

San Mateo County's Aging and Adult Services department provides support services for seniors, including helping them apply for government benefits, facilitating meal services, and offering protection against scams that target older adults.

The City of San Mateo provides a Senior Center to give elderly adults opportunities for social activities and classes. In addition, its Aging Services department offers health insurance counseling, shopping assistance, a Latino support group, and access to the Benefits CheckUp program developed by the National Council on Aging.

San Mateo Demographics

As part of the San Francisco peninsula, it's not surprising that San Mateo is a relatively wealthy community, with a median income that's almost double that of the United States on the whole. San Mateo is a so-called "minority majority" city, with no one ethnic group holding a majority position; Caucasians make up 44 percent of the population, Hispanics 27 percent and Asians 21 percent. The vast majority of the population have high school diplomas, with almost half also having graduated from college, and most people work as professionals or in the scientific, tech, and health care industries.

San Mateo Weather

Long, dry summers with moderate temperatures and low humidity characterize San Mateo, and an extended rainy season each year keeps scenery looking green and refreshed. While the region experiences cloud cover through much of the year, the mild weather keeps seniors and other locals comfortable.

Transportation in and Around San Mateo

The SamTrans transportation system connects San Mateo to all of the San Francisco Peninsula, north and south. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) runs up and down the peninsula and provides connections to the East Bay with discounts available for seniors. CalTrain also provides commuters with easy, fast transportation all the way from San Francisco to San Jose and even down to Gilroy, along the Monterey Bay. SamTrans buses run locally, and seniors are eligible for discounts of typically about 60 percent.

Fun Facts About San Mateo

San Mateo was originally a weekend destination for wealthy families from San Francisco, who built summer homes here during the late 19th century, journeying to them on the newly established railroad lines.

The city was connected to the east side of the bay in 1929 by the 7-mile San Mateo Bridge, which, when it was built, was the longest bridge in the world. In more recent years, San Mateo has turned toward tech, and it's actually the original home of YouTube.

San Mateo Hospitals

San Mateo features state-of-the-art hospitals and health care facilities, with more available in the nearby communities of San Francisco and San Jose. San Mateo Medical Center is a widely recognized health care leader that operates a hospital in San Mateo and several outpatient clinics throughout San Mateo County.

Assisted Living Ratings, Inspection Reports and User Reviews for San Mateo

California's Department of Social Services licenses assisted living facilities, which it calls Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly, through its Community Care Licensing division. The licensing division regulates the training required of assisted living facility staff and administrators, but it doesn't require any specific staff-to-resident ratios. All facilities that provide medication management and personal care services are included.

San Mateo residents can also check out private ratings on local assisted living communities. User reviews on Yelp provide a particularly good sense of what life is like in each of the communities you're looking at, and Facebook and Google also provide user reviews. In addition, check out the Better Business Bureau's assisted living facility ratings, which consist of grades ranging from A+ to F.

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

When looking for an assisted living facility in San Mateo, here are the top 10 questions you should ask:

1. Does each resident have a personalized care plan? How involved is the resident in the development of that plan?
2. What safety and security measures are in place?
3. What amenities are offered that make this assisted living community stand apart?
4. What health care services are available? Are there extra fees to use these services?
5. What furniture and linens are provided?
6. Is private telephone service included? What about cable/satellite TV and internet service?
7. Are residents free to come and go from the facility as they please?
8. Are all fees, services, and discharge policies included in the contract?
9. Can residents choose their own health care providers, including pharmacies and therapists?
10. What happens if a resident requires a new level of care?

Visiting an assisted living community is the best possible way to see whether it's the right place for your loved one. While you're there, make sure you get all your questions answered. If it's your first time checking out assisted living, we've prepared an extended list of helpful questions to help you get the answers you need.