Located in the North Pine neighborhood, conveniently situated between the Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center and the City Place Shopping Center, Regency Palms is a senior living high-rise in the heart of Long Beach. The location is ideal for active seniors, since it’s only a short drive to the beach, the port, and many of the city’s most popular attractions. Additionally, Regency Palms features a rooftop deck for dining, socializing, and taking in the 360-degree view of the city and ocean.

If you don’t feel like going out and about in the city very often, Regency Palms has plenty to offer at home. The high-rise apartment building features an on-site coffee shop, a physical therapy room, and even an urgent care unit connected to the main lobby. The staff also hosts nondenominational religious services, recreational activities, and scheduled outings in Long Beach and the surrounding area. We appreciate this variety of on-site amenities and events to help residents socialize, especially for those with health issues that prevent them from traveling into the city regularly.

Regency Palms gives residents 13 unique floor plans to choose from, including several studio rooms, one-bedroom apartments, and companion accommodations. However, the starting price can be a little misleading, as it covers only basic care and room and board for a smaller shared apartment. If you want a private apartment or you have more advanced needs, you’ll likely have to pay much more. Since Regency Palms is not very transparent with its pricing structure, you’ll need to start the application process to find out exactly how much your room and care will cost.

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Regency Palms has the facilities and staff for traditional assisted living and memory care. Residents can expect professional ADL support, personal care, medication management, and on-site nursing oversight. Regency Palms is also more equipped to deal with emergency medical situations than communities like Villa Redondo, as it is just a few blocks from the Dignity Health St. Mary Medical Center and has an on-site urgent care facility. This on-site facility is unique; we don’t see this with many communities, so we’re big fans of the convenient care!

Regency Palms receives praise for its beautiful and spacious rooms and the overall quality of care. One reviewer described the physical therapy as a “miracle” for their family member. While online feedback is generally positive for Regency Palms, there have been people who were very unsatisfied with their experiences. Several reviews referred to the community’s on-site med techs as “lazy” and claimed that the receptionist was frequently rude to visitors. Remember that everyone will have different experiences and opinions with a community, so take all reviews (both positive and negative) with a grain of salt.

Villa Redondo has the perfect location for beach lovers. It is just a 10-minute walk (or a 2-minute drive) from the beach, giving residents easy access to beautiful ocean breezes and fun beach activities. Spending time in nature, including the beach, has many mental health benefits, including stress relief and better physical health, so we love this location. It’s also a great location for shopping and dining, as there is a shopping mall just one block away and dozens of high-end and budget-friendly restaurants nearby.

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While Villa Redondo is in a swanky location with easy beach access, it is a bit short on amenities. It doesn’t offer nearly as many on-site perks as communities like Regency Palms, but it does provide scheduled transportation to medical appointments and daily wellness activities. If transportation is a must for you, then Villa Redondo can at least help you get to and from the doctor.

Villa Redondo also happens to be one of the most affordable assisted living communities in the city, especially if you are a Medicaid beneficiary through Medical. The community participates in California’s Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) program, which means that Medi-Cal could pay for a portion of your monthly fee. However, you’ll need to meet certain requirements to ensure coverage, and there’s no guarantee that the waiver will cover all or even part of your care.

Villa Redondo offers assisted living only. While this may be sufficient for many seniors, it may not be enough for older adults with cognitive decline. Seniors who need memory care would be better off somewhere like Bella Gardens or Crofton Manor Inn. This could be a major drawback for seniors who need assisted living now but may need to transition to a different type of care later on. However, several reviews have mentioned that Villa Redondo can accommodate seniors with Alzheimer’s to a certain degree; the community simply lacks a specialized memory care program and facility.

Villa Redondo receives very positive feedback from family members and residents. Multiple reviews commend the personal touch that the staff puts on activities and events, as well as the overall organization of the facility. While it does not get a lot of negative feedback, one review mentioned that the facility took a long time to fix an air conditioning unit and was not good about communicating with family members about the issue.

Bella Palms Senior Wellness Homes operates three residential communities in Long Beach: Bella Gardens, Palm Gardens, and Aloha Gardens. While all three locations offer exceptional care, Bella Gardens consistently receives high praise from residents. Located in the Los Altos neighborhood of Long Beach, Bella Gardens is situated in a family-friendly area on a small, simple plot with all of the facilities and staff to care for a small community of seniors. This makes it a great choice for those who want to live in a tight-knit community as opposed to a large facility in the middle of the city.

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Since Bella Gardens can accommodate only a handful of residents at any given time, it may not always be easy to secure your spot (though you can also check with the two other Bella Palms locations). However, the small size also ensures a high staff-to-resident ratio and a more homey environment for older adults who don’t want to feel like they’re living in a “facility.” Despite the small size, Bella Gardens offers a lot of perks and amenities, including home-cooked meals, pet therapy, family events, arts and crafts, and fitness classes.

The starting prices at Bella Gardens are significantly higher than the prices at Villa Redondo, Regency Palms, and Vista Del Mar. This is common for residential communities, as they offer a more intimate setting where residents can receive more one-on-one time with caregivers and develop close bonds with other residents. We are big fans of the deeper relationships these communities foster, as they can help prevent isolation, which has many negative health impacts for older adults. That said, if you’re living on a fixed income, you may want to consider a more affordable community.

Bella Gardens has assisted living, memory care, and hospice care. This is more than many residential homes offer, which makes it a great option for seniors who want to live in a homey environment while still being able to age in place as care needs change. The addition of hospice care is also a good fit for older adults who may need greater levels of care or those who are managing long-term illness.

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It’s difficult to find anyone who has something negative to say about Bella Gardens. This community gets high marks and feedback from nearly every reviewer online, with many people praising the family-like environment, cleanliness, and friendly staff. So far, we haven’t read or heard anything bad about Bella Gardens, which, in our experience, is pretty rare for a community (and we read hundreds of reviews for facilities across the country!). This positive feedback is an indication of the high quality of care the community fosters, which we love!

Just a block away from the 4th Street Corridor, Crofton Manor Inn is a senior living facility that’s just steps from great shopping and entertainment. It’s also just a four-minute drive from the beach, making it a great option for seniors who like to get out, have a bite to eat, and enjoy some sun. One of the things that immediately stands out about Crofton Manor Inn is the German-style timber-framed building, which is accented by beautiful landscaping and multiple courtyards. This helps make it a very pleasant and welcoming community to newcomers.

Crofton Manor Inn offers various on-site amenities, including a library, salon, activity room, and sunroom, which are pretty typical offerings for assisted living communities. However, the community is primarily designed for seniors who want optimum care and security. Every room is equipped with an emergency call system and safety features to prevent falls. One in 4 seniors experiences a fall every year, which can lead to serious injury, so these preventive measures are essential.2 The community also offers scheduled transportation for outings, as well as ambulatory transportation.

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A drawback of being a resident at Crofton Manor Inn is that you may have to pay extra for features that are included in the base price at communities like Bella Gardens and Regency Palms. For example, at Crofton Manor Inn, you have to pay an extra $100 per month for weekly laundry service. When you add this to the $3,200 starting price (which applies to semiprivate rooms only ), the cost of care can start to get pretty steep. The one benefit to this a-la-carte structure is that you can choose which services you want so you don’t pay for services that you won’t actually use.

Crofton Manor Inn offers assisted living, memory care, and respite care — perfect for those who want to age in place over time, even as their needs change. Regardless of the general type of care that applies to you, you can also access medication management, incontinence care, and even insulin administration. However, you may have to pay more based on the level of care you need. We appreciate the inclusion of respite care, which can provide much-needed rest for caregivers and help prevent burnout.

Much like Bella Gardens, Crofton Manor Inn receives glowing reviews from family members of residents. We love when communities make it a challenge to find negative reviews! Many reviews praise the staff, particularly when it comes to their professionalism and communication. Several reviewers specifically mention how knowledgeable the staff is, even helping families to fill out paperwork and manage insurance-related issues. Navigating a move to an assisted living community, setting up care, and dealing with red tape can be overwhelming, so the knowledgeable, helpful staff is a huge plus.

Vista Del Mar is located a few blocks from the Los Angeles River and the junction of the 405 and 710 freeways. The location is ideal for older adults who want to enjoy the local parks and scenery, or those who want quick and easy access to the rest of the city and Los Angeles County. The community is also pet-friendly, with an in-house pet beauty salon and third-party pet stylists who come in weekly. If you have a furry friend who won’t leave your side, Vista Del Mar is a great place to call home.

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You can choose from shared or private accommodations, with a shared apartment starting at $2,295 per month, but this does not include most types of care. Instead, this price covers basic room and board, food, and access to the community amenities, like the theater room, coffee lounge, and library. Prices will increase based on additional care and services you require. We wish assisted living communities were a bit more transparent about pricing upfront, as these misleading starting prices are pretty common for the industry. For added safety, each room is equipped with a wireless calling system that puts residents in direct contact with the nursing staff as needed.

Vista Del Mar offers assisted living and memory care. However, Vista Del Mar charges fees using an a-la-carte system, and even allows fully independent seniors to live on the property. This means that older adults can access the facility and pay only for the services they want.

That said, if you require more advanced care, the costs can add up quickly. For example, bathing three times per week costs $300 per month, while dressing and grooming twice per day costs $350 per month. Like Crofton Manor Inn, Vista Del Mar also charges an extra fee for laundry services ($165 per month). All of these fees are added to the base rental fee, which starts at $2,295. You’ll need to do some math and consider the types of services you need as you build your budget.

Vista Del Mar gets a lot of positive feedback for its friendly staff and excellent food. Several reviewers also mention that it is affordable, though this is largely dependent on the type of care and services you require. While Vista Del Mar does not get a lot of negative reviews, one reviewer claimed that the facility had issues with bed bugs and black mold that have gone unaddressed.