Foster City Care Home in San Mateo, CA

Pros

• Evelina and her staff are unbelievably caring.
• They truly love their residents and always treat them with dignity.
• The Redwood Shores home provides three home-cooked meals a day plus plenty of snacks.
• Evelina ensures there is plenty of food and buys residents’ favorite foods.
• Over almost five years, 5 Star Care Home has had no staff turnover, unlike the prior facility.
• The caregivers demonstrated genuine care by grieving alongside the family when the mom passed away.
• If an opening arises at a 5 Star Care Home, it should be taken, as families will be pleased with the care.

Cons

• The prior large facility had such high staff turnover that it made the reviewer’s head spin.
• The mom ended up in the ER almost every month from dehydration at that facility.

Review

This community is best suited for families seeking a small, home-like setting where an elder with dementia can receive deeply attentive, personalized care. Foster City Care Home in San Mateo operates as one of Evelina’s two intimate residences, including the Redwood Shores location, and emphasizes continuity over turnover. The lone testimonial underscores a level of compassion that feels more like a family member’s care than a facility’s service: meals prepared from scratch, staff who know each resident’s preferences, and a steadfast commitment to dignity. The caregiver team remained constant for almost five years, a rarity in memory-care settings, and the result is unmistakable: fewer ER trips and a sense of stability even as the disease progressed. This enduring stability is the anchor feature for families evaluating emotional safety and routine fidelity.

Explicitly, those who may want alternatives are families seeking more robust medical oversight or a larger, programmatically oriented memory-care campus. The small-home model excels in affection and routine, but it may not deliver the breadth of medical resources or structured group activities found in bigger facilities. If a loved one needs 24/7 on-site nursing, highly regimented cognitive-stimulation programs, or rapid access to specialized therapies, exploring other assisted living communities with larger footprints may be prudent. Those weighing this option should compare staffing ratios, availability of on-site clinicians, and the range of memory-care services to ensure alignment with evolving needs.

Core advantages are tangible: unwavering caregiver continuity, personalized attention to dietary preferences, and a setting where staff grieve alongside families when a resident passes. Three meals a day plus snacks are provided, with Evelina actively ensuring favorite foods are on hand, demonstrating an extra layer of commitment to nourishment and comfort. The absence of staff turnover during the lengthy stay translates into fewer confusing interruptions and a more predictable day-to-day for someone with Alzheimer’s. In contrast to prior experience at a larger facility plagued by turnover and frequent ER visits, this home demonstrates how stable relationships can lower hospitalizations and improve overall well-being.

Yet, potential limits exist in the small-scale model. With only two homes and a limited resident population, opportunities for a wide range of activities, peer socialization, or on-site advanced clinical care can be more constrained than at larger communities. Families should assess whether medication management, wound care, or emergency medical coordination are readily available and timely. For a resident whose needs escalate beyond routine supervision, contingency plans and transparent processes for staffing coverage during weekends and shifts become essential to maintain continuity of care.

The advantages, in practice, more than offset these tradeoffs when the priority is consistent, compassionate care anchored in knowing the individual’s preferences. The commitment to dignity, the willingness to customize meals, and the staff’s demonstrated grief with the family signal a level of relational care that is deeply protective for someone living with dementia. The practical impact, fewer ER visits over years and a comfortable, familiar environment, speaks to a care philosophy that prioritizes stability over maximal clinical intensity. For many families, that is the decisive factor driving confidence in a choice that honors both the person living with dementia and those who love them.

Ultimately, this community is a strong recommendation for families who value warmth, continuity, and person-centered care in a small, intimate setting. Those seeking a facility with expansive medical teams, broad activity programming, or aggressive clinical interventions may find a better fit elsewhere. Prospective movers should schedule visits to both Foster City and Redwood Shores locations, inquire about staffing ratios, dementia-specific training, and how meals are tailored to preferences, and request a clear understanding of how care plans evolve as needs change. When alignment on these points exists, the decision becomes straightforward: prioritize proven compassion and stability and move forward with confidence.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.8 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (3.9 miles)
• Chick-Fil-A (5.4 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (5.7 miles)
• New England Lobster Market & Eatery (6.7 miles)
• In-N-Out Burger (7.1 miles)
• Lark Creek Grill (7.5 miles)

Parks

• Leo J Ryan Memorial Park (1 miles)
• Marlin Park (2.8 miles)
• Central Park (3.4 miles)
• Coyote Point County Park (3.9 miles)
• Washington Park (4.6 miles)
• Laurelwood Park (4.7 miles)
• Burton Park (5 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.1 miles)
• Walgreens (3.1 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.3 miles)
• Walgreens (3.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (3.9 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4.1 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (1.5 miles)
• Philz Coffee (6 miles)
• Starbucks (6 miles)
• Coffeebar (6 miles)
• Starbucks (7.5 miles)
• San Francisco Giants Clubhouse (7.9 miles)
• Café Venetia (10 miles)

Transportation

• Hillsdale Station (3 miles)
• San Carlos Airport (SQL) (3.8 miles)
• San Carlos Airport Control Tower (4.1 miles)
• Redwood City Caltrain Station (6 miles)
• Millbrae Caltrain Station (7.3 miles)
• Boarding Area C (7.4 miles)
• Boarding Area D (7.4 miles)

Theaters

• Cinepolis San Mateo (3.1 miles)

Hospitals

• San Mateo Medical Center (3.4 miles)
• Mills-Peninsula Radiology (3.6 miles)
• Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center (5.9 miles)
• Sequoia Hospital (6.2 miles)
• Mills-Peninsula Health Services (6.9 miles)
• A & C Convalescent Hospital (7.8 miles)
• VA Medical Center-Menlo Park (9 miles)

Physicians

• Bundy Opticians (3.6 miles)
• California Skin Institute (3.8 miles)
• Urology: San Carlos Center: Palo Alto Medical Foundation (3.8 miles)
• California Skin Institute (5.9 miles)
• Kaiser RWC Birch Building (6 miles)
• Redwood City Women's Health Center (6.3 miles)
• CCRM Fertility of San Francisco (7.4 miles)