Cheek's Communinity Care Home in San Diego, CA

Pros

• They take residents on mini trips and outings to provide social engagement and reduce loneliness during recovery.
• The facility is very clean and the staff are kind, knowledgeable, and helpful.
• The staff greet visitors warmly and make them feel welcome.
• The wound care team is courteous and effective, and wounds heal nicely.
• The staff are compassionate, attentive, and go above and beyond to meet residents' needs.
• The facility provides top-notch care in a warm, homelike environment.
• The meals and activities are well received, and staff support residents' engagement and well-being.
• The administration and nursing leadership are professional and dedicated, earning high praise from families.

Cons

• The center is described as horrendous, with uneaten meal trays left all day, dirty floors, soiled bed and clothing, an unpleasant odor, and medication on the floor, indicating a severe lack of care and doctor oversight.
• A loved one was brought to an outside doctor unattended, wandered, and ended up in the hospital and then passing away.
• A nurse was described as consistently rude and unprofessional, including a remark implying they didn’t want the patient there.
• The administrator/director allegedly placed a family member in the facility behind the family’s back, which was deemed unethical and potentially illegal.
• The social worker was seen as disorganized and unprofessional, ignoring patients’ needs and cries for help.
• A premature discharge led to a fall and hospitalization, with the facility failing to rectify the situation.

Review

This San Diego community tends to be best suited for older adults who need rehabilitation services, physical and occupational therapy, wound care, and subacute recovery, and for families that value a warm, engaged staff and a home-like atmosphere. When care is aligned with its strengths, residents experience attentive nursing, consistent therapy, and meaningful daily activities that help speed healing and reduce loneliness. Many reviews praise the cleanliness of the environment and the genuine kindness of caregivers, along with a sense that staff members go out of their way to build relationships with residents and their families. In short, this facility can feel like a supportive, people-focused rehab home for those who want a proactive, hands-on rehabilitation experience.

Those who may want to consider alternatives include families seeking strict, fail-safe medical oversight or memory-care environments with very high staffing ratios and formalized, fail-proof safety protocols. A subset of reviews paints a more troubling picture: delayed or forgotten medications, inconsistent communication, and care gaps that left family members frustrated or alarmed. There are reports of unsafe situations, unattended doctor appointments, medication found on the floor, wandering residents, and, in at least one instance, a patient being discharged prematurely after a serious wound or mobility issue. For seniors with high medical or cognitive needs, or for families unable to supervise care consistently, other facilities with stronger guardrails and clearer accountability may be the safer choice.

The strongest proofs of value lie in the facility’s clinical strengths and the staff’s interpersonal warmth. Numerous accounts highlight diligent wound care, robust rehab programs, and nurses and CNAs who are described as kind, knowledgeable, and responsive. Families repeatedly praise administrators and frontline staff for accessibility, transparency, and ongoing communication. The rehab and therapy teams receive particular commendations for helping patients regain function and for creating a reassuring, supportive environment. On the other hand, the main cons, sporadic lapses in medication management and variable daily operations, do not disappear simply because some residents thrive. The facility’s advantages can offset concerns for some residents, but only if there is active family involvement and a clear plan for ongoing oversight.

Safety and consistency gaps emerge as the most consequential concerns. Several reviews recount serious lapses: medicines late or forgotten, basic hygiene and cleanliness not consistently met, and care tasks delayed for long stretches. A few families report distressing experiences surrounding doctor visits and hospital transitions, which underscores the risk for residents who require steady medical coordination. These are not universal experiences, but they are persistent enough to demand frank consideration. For families with residents who demonstrate wandering or confusion, or who require strict, predictable routines and immediate access to medical staff, these reports should prompt a cautious approach and a highly detailed, written care plan before admission.

Operational realities paint a picture of a capable, compassionate team strained by the realities of consequence-laden aging care. The community is frequently described as clean, with a culture of kindness and prompt responsiveness from many caregivers. Yet ongoing complaints about supply shortages, uneven med passes, and uneven OT/PT scheduling reveal a pattern of bottlenecks that can magnify stress for families and residents alike. Call-light noise and aging facilities aren’t fatal flaws, but they are reminders that a well-run oversight regime, clear point persons, scheduled med passes, and a reliable care coordination process, must be established and maintained from day one. Prospective residents should demand concrete assurances on these fronts.

Bottom line: this community can be a strong choice for rehab-focused seniors who enter with clear goals, proactive families, and a plan to monitor care closely. It is not the automatic fit for every resident, particularly those with high medical complexity or significant memory-care needs where safety and consistency are non-negotiable. Families considering this option should insist on meeting with the admissions director and the lead nurses, request a clearly defined care plan with med-pass timelines, and seek recent references from similar cases. Tour during a typical shift, verify OT/PT scheduling practices, and confirm a named care manager who will coordinate across disciplines. With rigorous oversight, this facility can deliver the compassionate, results-oriented rehab experience many families seek; without it, the risks highlighted by a subset of reviews render alternatives worthy of serious consideration.

Located in the eastern outskirts of San Diego, this neighborhood offers a variety of amenities that cater to senior living. With multiple pharmacies within close proximity, easy access to transportation options such as the Grossmont Transit Center, and reputable hospitals like Sharp Grossmont Hospital and Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center nearby, residents can enjoy convenient healthcare services. In addition to healthcare facilities, there are also several cafes for socializing over coffee and an array of restaurants offering diverse dining options. For recreation and relaxation, there are parks like Mount Helix Park and Town Center Community Park within a short distance. Places of worship such as El Camino Grace Church provide spiritual support while theaters like AMC Mission Valley 2 offer entertainment options. Overall, this neighborhood provides a balanced mix of essential services and leisure activities for seniors looking to settle down in a well-equipped community.

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (0.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2 miles)
• Sharp Grossmont Hospital Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Kaiser Zion Pharmacy (3 miles)
• Rite Aid (3.2 miles)

Cafes

• The Simple Coffee House (0.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2 miles)
• Starbucks (5.1 miles)
• The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (5.6 miles)
• Starbucks (5.8 miles)
• Communal Coffee (6.5 miles)

Restaurants

• McDonald's (1.8 miles)
• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (2.2 miles)
• Jack In The Box (2.4 miles)
• Jack In The Box (2.4 miles)
• Brigantine Seafood Restaurants (2.9 miles)
• Sombrero Mexican Food (3.3 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (3.3 miles)

Transportation

• Grossmont Transit Center (2 miles)
• Montgomery Field Airport (MYF) (5.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Sharp Grossmont Hospital Brier Patch (2.4 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center/Kaiser Foundation Hospital (3.1 miles)
• Stanford Court Nursing (4.3 miles)
• Sharp Soc (5.2 miles)
• Rady Children's Hospital (6.3 miles)
• Rady's Children's Hospital San Diego Large Waiting Room, Frost Street, Entrance 8 (6.4 miles)
• Sharp Memorial Hospital (6.5 miles)

Physicians

• Kaiser Permanente Vandever Medical Offices (3.3 miles)
• Fereshteh Jahanpanah Medical Clinic (4.9 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Viewridge Medical Offices 2 (5.2 miles)
• Dr Dominguez And Dr Ancona-Young Office (5.4 miles)
• Elahe Toulouie, MD (6.4 miles)
• Sharp Rees-Stealy San Diego Radiology (6.6 miles)
• Pushpanjalie Wijeratne, MD (7 miles)

Parks

• Mount Helix Park (4 miles)
• Town Center Community Park (5.3 miles)
• Shadow Hill Park (6 miles)
• Civita Park (6.3 miles)
• Cal's Point (6.8 miles)
• Lindbergh Park (7.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• El Camino Grace Church (4.2 miles)
• Foothills Christian Church (4.8 miles)
• Skyline Church (6.4 miles)

Theaters

• AMC Mission Valley 2 (6.4 miles)
• AMC Fashion Valley 18 (7.4 miles)