The Kensington Sierra Madre

I can't say enough about the people who work with my mom in the Havens unit at the Kensington. They always greet her with such warmth and care. Her face always lights up when they speak with her. All of my interactions are also positive with the staff. Hats off to them! more

My parents were one of the first to move into Kensington. This is their third try to find a place that is engaging, clean, and caring. We found this and more. The food is wonderful, the place is clean and inviting, and the staff is warm and caring. They foster friendships amongst the residents with outings and Happy Hour every evening. My parents are active and even get up and dance once in a while. more

The Kensington Sierra Madre has been a very welcoming and supportive community for my mother and our family. My mother needed to move to a memory care facility rather quickly from San Luis Obispo. They really helped to make that happen and had her move in within a matter of days. The staff is wonderful, loving, and communicative, and they pay a lot of attention to her. They have tons of activities, and they also welcome the families and have them eat meals for free. My mom has dementia, which is really hard on the family, but the staff in the memory care unit is just wonderful and supportive of our family's needs. My mom has been there for five months now, and I can't imagine her being in a different place. more

My aunt has fairly severe Alzheimer's and she has been a resident at The Kensington Sierra Madre since March. The facility was just opening when she started and there were initially a few glitches with her care, but they have resolved everything since then. Everyone on staff is very attentive to her individualized care and they have done their best to adjust their care to suit her needs as closely as possible. They do not treat the residents there like one big group and are in tune with the personalized service needs of each. They are always open to meet with us to listen to our concerns and discuss any adjustments to her care. My aunt is well-fed, which she likes, and seems very happy. She enjoying activities and physical therapy. I recommend The Kensington Sierra Madre to anyone looking for an attentive residence for their loved one. more

I was very impressed with the customer service at The Kensington Sierra Madre. They helped me as a family member feel comfortable, involved, and informed. I think they provide excellent care to my mother who is there. more

I checked out the various assisted living facilities in the area and chose The Kensington Sierra Madre. The location is ideal and the staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. The facility is brand new and beautiful. Making the decision to move is very difficult but the community at The Kensington Sierra Madre is really nice. more

The Kensington Sierra Madre engage with their patients and residents, are flexible with their wake schedule, and excellent at dealing with Alzheimer's disease and frontal lobe issues in their patients. They are specially trained for it. I was impressed with how they ran things, from top to bottom. Additionally, having the doctor on staff was a very effective decision. The people who work there seem like they want to be there, and the environment is very homey. more

My dad was one of the first people to move in here. He needs nothing much physically, but has a lousy memory. They treat him well, know his likes and fix his tv multiple times when he hits the wrong button. They have happy hour every afternoon and that is one of the great times of the day when everyone gathers, drinks and chats. We are able to have dinner with my dad whenever we want (as long as we let them know ahead of time) and that is very nice. The food is not institutional, but restaurant quality. Although, he misses his old life, he understands that this is good for all of us. I hope the quality continues as they fill up with more residents. They are very sweet to everyone and the place is gorgeous. more

The Kensington has very positive, friendly people. My dad settled in right away. Our biggest concern was that he wouldn't like the place, but after only 2 weeks we have been really pleased. The staff are great, and the food is wonderful. I think they really balance the nutrition in terms of the salt and calorie intake of the residents. Our experience so far has been really positive; we are very pleased. For future residents, I think that when you get to a certain age you're not able to take care of yourself. The Kensington is a great place to meet people of a similar age. They do have lots of activities to engage the residents and keep them involved. I would recommend The Kensington to my dad's friends, or someone who was looking for a facility like this. If someone's looking for fun with 24-hour care, this is the perfect environment and the perfect place! more

The staff at The Kensington Sierra Madre is extraordinarily kind, accommodating, loving and conscientious. I've had so many positive experiences with everyone I have encountered because every level of their service is given with heart. My family member who resides there receives phenomenal support and care. Usually, this type of business aren't as good (I've experienced others), but this one is extremely clean. They also seem to want the outside world there and it is a fun place to be. I'm so grateful about how wonderful and classy they are! more

My sister loves being with people; she was an elementary school teacher for 40 years. She had been very lonesome since she had never married and was living alone in a town house for several years, and she hadn't been doing much. Before Kensington opened, I went several times and got to know the people, and my sister and I got very familiar with them. She arrived to open arms, and they knew us already by name. They gave her a 2-room unit with living room, hallway, bathroom, mini kitchenette, and bedroom (no doors). When she saw it, she said "It's a real home!" She is the youngest person at Kensington and she is still able to make friends. They call her "The Ambassador"- if she sees someone sitting alone, she will walk up and befriend them. She's got people who absolutely adore her around her all the time. She has made a lot of progress; she talks way more clearly, although she still doesn't remember peoples' names. But there is a joy about her that wasn't there for a couple of years, and it's all because of that place and the people. They are always aware of her needs- for example, they know what she likes to eat in the dining room. Whether it's dining, reception, or the caregivers (I call them the Women In Blue), everyone knows her by name. If I'm with her in her apartment and there's an activity going on, they come and get her. They have activities all the time: there are two movie showings every day, the facility is right across the street from the park, and they have even gone on field trips to museums. Every Wednesday they have happy hour, and they bring in a rolling bar and they have hors d'ouvres in the back, right at the foot of the mountain. They bring out a piano and everyone sings old show tunes from musicals of their day. People can even bring their dogs, and that means a lot to people who love their pets. My sister used to love going to Starbucks, she would drive there every day. Now, someone walks her down the street every day so she can still get her Starbucks. Who does that?! The caregivers are so amazing. They are always laughing and hugging with the residents like they are family, that's how much they care for these residents. And I see them doing that for everybody, not just my sister! There's always going to be a good ratio of residents to caregivers. I am so so happy for her, and so happy that I don't have to do it all anymore. The caregivers are professional and knowledgeable. They've been trained well, and they certainly know how to treat these people! It is the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed. I have people come just to visit or just to see it, and no one can believe what they see. When I went to other places before Kensington, I would see people sitting around in wheelchairs with no one paying attention to them, and it would just make me sad. But there is nothing sad about this place! I call it the Ritz Carlton of senior living! You just want to be there because it is so lovely. And the food is good! It's so wonderful, I can be there and not be uncomfortable. It's a delight to be there, everything about it is comfortable. My sister says to me, "I'm so happy here." She will never be lonesome again or need to find something to do. This experience has been just as wonderful for me as it was for her! more

My dad was in another facility much larger before going to Kensington Seirra Madre. We moved him here and it's very homey, small, and everybody knows his name. I couldn't ask for better service; he is so much happier now than the other places. He moved there in mid February. They really make an effort to make him feel at home. It's a great place to be and a homey environment with great customer service. He has made really great friends already. Great place to be! more