Wish Board and Care in Granada Hills, CA

Pros

• The owner offered a first month on a trial basis with a pro-rated refund if it didn't work out.

Cons

• The owner Florence allegedly promised a pro-rated refund for leaving early but refused the last five days' refund due to safety issues.
• Eggs were not refrigerated for over three hours in heat, risking salmonella, and staff argued with the reviewer about the issue.
• Adele's daughter's family visited unmasked during rising Covid, potentially exposing the elderly resident to risk.
• The owners would not answer multiple calls about concerns.
• Residents were fed cheap frozen meals heated in microwave containers.
• The facility did not turn on the air conditioning in hot weather, leaving the home at 85 degrees or higher.

Review

Wish Board and Care in Granada Hills is best suited for families that must balance budget with a willingness to supervise care closely, understanding that safety, sanitation, and responsiveness may be uneven. The one-in-one review notes a policy at intake offering a month-long trial with a pro-rated refund if the home proved unsuitable, a benefit that could attract families seeking a low-risk entry. In practice, the hoped-for protection collapses once safety concerns surface, so the overall fit is narrow and guarded. This is a setting that demands vigilance and frequent check-ins, not hands-off trust. Those needing reliable hospital-level oversight or robust safety standards will likely find this environment misaligned with expectations.

Families contemplating alternatives should be mindful that any sense of value hinges on transparent, dependable operations and responsive management. If a resident requires consistent temperature control, sanitized food handling, and timely communication, other homes with documented procedures and better staffing discipline are advisable. Likewise, if there is a need for dietary customization, rigorous infection control, or a culture of proactive problem-solving, this facility may fall short. In short, the decision should hinge on whether affordability can coexist with unwavering adherence to basic elder-safety norms - something this review flags as problematic.

The few procedural positives are overshadowed by clear, ongoing safety risks. The owner's trial-offer appears to be a genuine attempt to reduce risk for new residents, but the subsequent refund denial for the last days in residence undercuts trust and signals potential inconsistencies in policy application. Beyond that, there is no evidence of meaningful gains in resident well-being that would offset the concerns raised. No mention is made of structured activity programs, medical oversight, or protective measures that routinely reassure families. The absence of these assurances is itself a warning sign for anyone evaluating ongoing care for a vulnerable senior.

The most egregious red flags are concrete and measurable. Eggs left unrefrigerated for hours create a real salmonella risk, a fundamental lapse in basic food safety that should never occur in a senior-living setting. Temperature control is described as routinely inadequate, with indoor climates hovering in the mid-80s, undermining comfort and possibly health, especially for elders sensitive to heat. Communication gaps compound the problem: calls from the family seeking accountability go unanswered, and residents are described as unprotected during gatherings when unmasked visitors pass through the home. The meals themselves are described as cheap and microwaved, a combination that raises concerns about nutrition quality and portion control. Taken together, these factors shed doubt on the facility's ability to provide a consistently safe, clean, and dignified environment.

In weighing the positives against the negatives, the punitive math is clear. The only plausible advantage - an upfront trial-and-refund philosophy - fails in practice when refunds are not honored, and it cannot offset the daily hazards described. The absence of reliable climate control, sanitation discipline, proactive communication, and nutritional standards dwarfs any potential cost savings. For families, the choice becomes a risk management exercise: is there a tolerable level of safety uncertainty acceptable for a budget option? The answer, given the review, leans strongly toward not risking a resident's health and well-being for financial savings alone.

For families moving forward, actionable due diligence matters most. Insist on written policies for refunds and terminations, request recent temperature logs and food-handling procedures, and demand a clear, published plan for staffing, oversight, and provider communication. If the current operators cannot furnish verifiable assurances, or if the atmosphere remains unresponsive to concerns, alternatives should be pursued. Consider facilities with transparent health and safety audits, better climate control, higher-quality meals, and responsive management that promptly addresses safety issues, sanitation, and resident welfare. In the end, choosing care means prioritizing risk reduction and reliability over price alone, and this particular setting appears misaligned with those fundamentals.

This part of Granada Hills, California offers a variety of amenities within close proximity. With several cafes, restaurants, pharmacies, hospitals, places of worship, parks, transportation options, theaters, and physicians in the area, residents can easily access essential services and recreational activities. The presence of multiple Starbucks locations provides convenience for coffee lovers while popular dining options like In-N-Out Burger and Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill offer diverse culinary experiences. Nearby hospitals like Veterans Administration and Kaiser Permanente Emergency ensure access to medical care when needed. Additionally, parks such as O'Melveny Park and Lake Balboa Park provide opportunities for outdoor recreation. Overall, this part of Granada Hills presents a convenient and bustling community for seniors looking to reside in a vibrant neighborhood with easy access to various amenities.

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.2 miles)
• Porto's Bakery & Cafe (3.2 miles)
• Starbucks (3.5 miles)
• Starbucks (4.2 miles)
• Winnetka Bowl (5.8 miles)
• Starbucks (7.2 miles)

Restaurants

• In-N-Out Burger (0.7 miles)
• Del Taco (1 miles)
• Sugar Suite (1.9 miles)
• McDonald's (2.4 miles)
• McDonald's (2.5 miles)
• Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill (3 miles)
• Yard House (3 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.7 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Rinaldi Convalescent Hospital (1.7 miles)
• Veterans Administration (1.8 miles)
• Tebi, Sina Dr - Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Diabetes Education (3.1 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Emergency (5.3 miles)
• Olive View Ucla Medical Center (5.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Immanuel Bible Church (2.8 miles)

Parks

• O'Melveny Park (3.3 miles)
• Holleigh Bernson Memorial Park (4.3 miles)
• Lake Balboa Park (5 miles)
• Encino Bike Path (5.3 miles)
• Parthenia Park (5.6 miles)
• Chatsworth Park North (6 miles)
• Playground (6.5 miles)

Transportation

• Van Nuys FlyAway Bus Terminal to LAX (3.7 miles)
• Van Nuys Airport (VNY) (4.1 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Porter Ranch 9 (3.8 miles)
• Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria (7.5 miles)

Physicians

• Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Center (4.9 miles)
• Southern California Orthopedic Institute (5.2 miles)
• UCLA Health Woodland Hills (7.5 miles)
• Evan Bachner Evan J Bachner MD (7.9 miles)
• Center For Orthopaedic Specialists (8 miles)