The Terraces At Los Altos

Our mother has been an independent resident at The Terraces at Los Alto since 2008 and has been very happy there, even in the midst of the ongoing expansion project (2015 – 2016), which she and many other long-​time residents watch with great interest.
When we first toured the campus with Mom in late 2007, the marketing director informed us of the upcoming expansion project, described the upheaval this would create, and pointed out which of the older buildings (still occupied at the time) would be torn down, so that this would not be a surprise to us.
Since the campus dates back to 1949, the goal was to build more apartments that were ADA-​compliant from the start, not merely update old construction. Mom chose to move into an older building that eventually was torn down, but she did so knowingly and was very happy there, as she is now in her beautiful new apartment.
In response to one negative review, it might be encouraging to know that during this transition — at the request of the residents — the two grand pianos were placed elsewhere on campus, not in storage. The WWII generation is a resilient bunch, and most residents seem to consider the construction a temporary inconvenience.
Although some plantings were lost in the tear-​down, two new buildings now open onto a welcoming park-​like area. Smooth concrete paths and small patios edged with flowers and green lawn are shaded by old oak trees. There is also a separate protected garden area for residents in The Grove (memory care), so that residents with memory issues can’t wander away. As each area of construction is finished, new landscaping is put in place, much of which appears to be drought-​tolerant.
Until the main dining room is built, the Independent Living residents on the far side of the campus are transported in passenger vans to the dining room in the new Assisted Living building, so they won’t have to walk around the construction in the dark. I often have dinner with Mom in the dining room, and the residents arriving by van appear to be in good cheer when they come in.
The technological issues have been resolved. Wi-​fi and cell phone service are in place along with land-​lines & cable TV service, and the dining room sound system was working great when I was there tonight.
We would certainly recommend The Terraces at Los Altos. Mom really enjoys the sense of community, dining with her friends each evening, and watching the Saturday night movies (with popcorn). Since she no longer drives, she is thankful for the Sunday morning church services on-​campus. We, along with Mom, have forged strong friendships with many of the residents and staff, who are very warm and caring.
We’ve found them to be very responsive whenever Mom has a problem, or if we have questions to ask on her behalf. Sometimes we’re told, «I don’t know the answer, but I’ll find out who does.» Someone always gets back to us with an answer. In fact, if there are any issues of any kind, all residents and family members are urged to let someone on the staff know. In each case, there has been good follow-​up, and everything has been resolved to our satisfaction.
I would definitely recommend The Terraces at Los Altos to our family and friends.

My mother lives at The Terraces and she has been very well taken care of. I can’t speak highly enough of the staff there. When we go visit her friends in other units she is frequently greeted with hugs from the staff that took care of her on her previous floor. I’m very grateful that she chose to live at The Terraces. There are classes, outings, and in-​house activities for the residents and a great activities director.

My mother is currently a resident at The Terraces. She was happy there until they decided on a 100 million expansion (I’m not kidding, you can look it up). The beautiful, old magnolia trees and gardens that made The Terraces so lovely are gone. The expansion is expected to take 18 months or more to complete.
A number of residents were required to relocate to alternate quarters that were not satisfactory and the logistics of the moves were hard on them.
All residents lost their dining room and now have to eat in a set of small rooms with extremely poor acoustics. Those who are are hard of hearing and use hearing aides can’t enjoy their meals or talk with their friends and family members. No one thought to reduce the noxious blare of the juice coolers in the dining room, or cut down on the clatter of dishes. The residents complain that the new chairs are so heavy they can’t move them, and no one seems to be listening.
Many residents have to take a bus to their dining hall, when they once were able to stroll leisurely through the gardens. When they get to the hall, often there are not enough seats for them to sit with their friends. The art in the hall is awful, when there are excellent painters among the residents that would gladly contribute their creations. No one asked them.
The two grand pianos that once blessed the community areas with music have been silenced and in their stead is a small electric console.
The phone system had to be changed and has not functioned correctly for weeks. There is no cellular service in the dining hall, nor is the WIFI working. The announcement system, which used to be a pleasant central feature of residential life is an electronic nightmare.
Huge hideous blue plastic garbage bins have been placed where gardens once grew.
The ABHOW management claims to always keep the needs of the residents at the top of their priority list. I don’t see hat happening. I see the residents at the bottom. If management was truly eager to show their residents how important they are it would be easy to circulate among them, find out their concerns, and at least show some kind of effort to mitigate the hardships that their expansion is creating.
When an organization ceases to care about its residents in the interests of profits, the change is usually permanent.
Beware of the Terraces and ABHOW. Find a smaller, more responsive organization for your assisted living.

I love this retirement community! Friendly staffs and great food! The dining room is beautiful. Great staff, good food and A very beautiful community. Highly recommended!