Elvado Way Board & Care

Pros

• Windward provides exceptional service to its clients.
• The staff are friendly, personable, educated, and accommodating.
• Windward provides excellent caregivers who support clients with regular visits and engaging activities.
• The caregivers are kind and caring, and staff are responsive to changes.
• Penny is consistently available to help.
• Windward Life Care is reliable, affordable, and trustworthy, with an exceptional and compassionate team.
• Shelby is appreciated for her amazing help during difficult days.
• They take extra precautions to protect clients, even in challenging times like COVID.
• Janai and the Windward team are phenomenal resources and highly recommended.
• Janai is invaluable and a trusted advisor to families.

Cons

• Windward is screwing her, big time.
• Windward charges her $31 for a routine check-in call.
• Windward bills insurers $62 per submission and misrepresents it as a visit.
• When Windward makes billing errors, they charge her again to fix their mistakes.
• Windward charges a couple of hundred dollars whenever there is staff turnover to meet the client, even if those staff are not the caretakers.
• It took four lousy caregivers to reach the current, excellent one.
• Windward is taking advantage of the elderly and their families.
• A large portion of bills, sometimes 30% to 100%, is not for caregiving.
• The reviewer views Windward as a crooked company and advises others to avoid them.

Review

Windward Life Care and Home Health is depicted by many clients as a beacon of compassionate, personalized care for seniors and families navigating complex health journeys. In several heartfelt accounts, the team is praised for being friendly, personable, educated, and highly dedicated to fitting care to each family's unique circumstances. One reviewer highlights the overall quality of the care as exceptional, noting that the mobile physical therapy and rehab practice frequently works with the same clients and consistently benefits from a staff that feels both skilled and genuinely attentive. Caregivers are described as taking clients on short walks and outings to introduce variety into their days, with Ashley singled out for her responsiveness whenever changes in care needed to be accommodated. The sense of being supported by a capable, accessible team shines through in multiple testimonials, with many families expressing deep gratitude for the stability and warmth of Windward's caregivers.

Amid the glowing praise, a contrasting opinion emerges from a reviewer who felt the billing practices were misleading and financially burdensome. This reviewer described a sequence of charges they deemed excessive or misrepresented, including calls billed at a set amount, insurance submissions presented as visits, and duplicate charges for corrections. The account also mentions turnover-related fees charged during times when new staff were being introduced to the client, and a pattern of charges for interactions that the reviewer did not view as direct care. The language used signals a strong sense of frustration and concern about the financial side of Windward's services, with an emphatic warning to others to beware of what they perceived as a system that takes advantage of elderly families. This perspective stands in stark contrast to the otherwise consistently positive experiences shared by many clients.

Despite the billing concerns raised by one reviewer, the majority of testimonials emphasize Windward's commitment to patients and families during some of their most challenging days. Several notes celebrate the organization's ability to respond with flexibility and care under a variety of circumstances. A representative sentiment is that Windward is not only capable but deeply invested in making life easier for families, with staff members who are available, kind, and willing to adapt as needs change. One reviewer explicitly credits Penny with being a reliable point of contact who consistently makes herself available to help, and another thanks Shelby for providing exceptional assistance during difficult days. The consistent thread is a sense that Windward's staff genuinely cares about the well-being and peace of mind of the families they serve.

Beyond day-to-day interactions, some reviews foreground Windward's philosophy and the challenges of coordinating care in a complex healthcare landscape. A long, reflective piece underscores the belief that quality care is achievable, but it requires a team that listens, communicates well, and is empowered to navigate the uncharted waters of each family's health journey. The author describes a hopeful trajectory where a well-coordinated intake process and ongoing collaboration yield reliable, affordable, and trustworthy care. The tone conveys not just gratitude for what Windward does in the moment, but confidence in the organization's ability to sustain high standards of care over time, especially for families dealing with chronic conditions like dementia.

Several testimonials center on individual staff members who have become trusted advisers and anchors for families. Janai, in particular, appears repeatedly as a cornerstone of Windward's supportive network. One reviewer describes Janai and the Windward team as phenomenal resources, whose guidance extends beyond immediate caregiving to provide counsel drawn from a broad range of experiences. The appreciation goes beyond practical help to include a sense of personal trust and friendship formed through ongoing engagement. Other comments reinforce this sentiment, noting that Janai's availability, attentiveness, and patient approach have been instrumental in helping families navigate complicated health decisions and daily care logistics.

The long-term relationships formed with Windward are a recurring theme as well. Several stories recount eight years of engagement across different family members, from a father with Alzheimer's to a mother facing dementia. These accounts emphasize not only the professionalism of the Windward staff but also the emotional support and reassurance that come from having a dependable team in place over an extended period. The consistency of care and the ability to lean on a knowledgeable advisor during some of life's most challenging moments emerge as standout benefits, with many families expressing that they would, and have, turned to Windward again for future needs.

Finally, the reviews touch on the practical impact of Windward's services on family members who act as caregivers. People recount that Windward helped them navigate a web of health options, offered professional guidance, and contributed to preserving independence for loved ones. The testimonials about aunties, uncles, and siblings highlight not only the caregiving itself but the supportive framework Windward provides to families who are learning how to manage care, finances, and medical decisions. Across these stories, Windward is portrayed as a company that cares deeply about its clients, strives to ease the burden on families, and brings together a team of compassionate professionals who are committed to doing right by those they serve.

In sum, the collection of reviews presents a nuanced portrait: Windward is widely described as a high-quality, people-centered home health and care provider, with staff members who are compassionate, responsive, and deeply committed to their clients' well-being. The experiences range from consistently glowing endorsements to strong cautions about billing practices, highlighting the importance of clear, transparent communication and careful financial handling in home health care. The recurring praise for individuals like Penny, Shelby, and Janai underscores the personal connections that make a meaningful difference in navigating aging, dementia, and chronic illness - connections that many families say Windward has successfully cultivated over time.

This part of San Diego, California, offers a mix of convenient amenities and recreational opportunities for seniors. With multiple pharmacies nearby such as Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, access to healthcare is easily accessible. The area also features a variety of dining options including McDonald's, In-N-Out Burger, and BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse for residents to enjoy meals out with friends or family. Additionally, there are several cafes like Starbucks and Communal Coffee where seniors can relax and socialize. For those seeking spiritual fulfillment, Corpus Christi Church and Skyline Church provide places of worship within close proximity. Transportation options are readily available with trolley stations such as the 24th Street Trolley Station located nearby. Parks like Mount Helix Park and Balboa Park offer beautiful outdoor spaces for leisurely strolls and picnics. In terms of healthcare, hospitals like Sharp Grossmont Hospital Brier Patch and Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center are in the vicinity along with various physician offices for medical care needs at California Retina Associates or Sharp Rees-Stealy Otay Ranch. Overall, this area provides a well-rounded environment for seniors looking to retire in a vibrant community with access to essential services.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (1.2 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (2.7 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (4.7 miles)
• McDonald's (4.9 miles)
• Jack In The Box (5.1 miles)
• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse (5.6 miles)
• Tacos El Gordo (5.8 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.5 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.6 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Rite Aid (3.3 miles)

Cafes

• Kung Fu Tea (3.1 miles)
• Starbucks (4.3 miles)
• Starbucks (5.8 miles)
• Starbucks (5.8 miles)
• Communal Coffee (6.1 miles)
• Copa Vida (6.3 miles)
• Starbucks (6.4 miles)

Places of Worship

• Corpus Christi Church (4.4 miles)
• Skyline Church (6.1 miles)

Transportation

• 24th Street Trolley Station (4.6 miles)
• Grossmont Transit Center (5.7 miles)
• Gaslamp Quarter Trolley Station (6.5 miles)

Parks

• Mount Helix Park (5.7 miles)
• Balboa Park (6.2 miles)
• Quartyard Dog Park (6.2 miles)
• Balboa Park South Loop (6.5 miles)
• Embarcadero Marina Park South (6.7 miles)
• Pantoja Park (7 miles)

Hospitals

• Naval Medical Center San Diego (5.9 miles)
• Sharp Grossmont Hospital Brier Patch (5.9 miles)
• Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation (6.2 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center/Kaiser Foundation Hospital (6.5 miles)

Physicians

• California Retina Associates (5.9 miles)
• NBHC Eastlake (5.9 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Vandever Medical Offices (6.4 miles)
• Sharp Rees-Stealy Otay Ranch (6.4 miles)
• Internal Medicine Associates (7 miles)