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AssistedLiving.org Trusted Communities

AssistedLiving.org spent dozens of hours researching the top assisted living communities in the San Mateo area to allow seniors and their families to find the community that’s right for them. Click through the facilities listed below to read in-depth reviews, what residents are saying, and details such as base pricing, room types, and more.

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COVID-19 Rules for Assisted Living in San Mateo

For assisted living communities, COVID-19 rules and regulations are typically set at the state level. You can view specific rules on our guide to assisted living in CA. These rules change often, and many communities have policies in place that go above and beyond what’s required by the state, so you should contact your local community for more information. Additionally, you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging to learn more.

How to Pay for Assisted Living in San Mateo

With fees averaging $6,319 per month, San Mateo is at the high end of the affordability scale in California for assisted living. The typical senior pays approximately $1,069 more than the average Californian and $1,819 more than the norm for the country.

Assisted Living in San Mateo vs. Nearby Cities

For seniors considering assisted living in the Bay Area, San Jose is a more affordable option, as its average fees of $6,000 are $319 per month below San Mateo’s. Moving down the coast or inland can also see savings, as Santa Cruz’s seniors typically pay $5,550 and Stockton’s pay $3,649.

  • San Mateo: $6,319
  • California: $5,250
  • National: $4,500
  • San Jose: $6,000
  • Santa Cruz: $5,550
  • Stockton: $3,649

Assisted Living vs. Other Types of Senior Care

San Mateo’s typical assisted living fee of $6,319 is significantly more affordable than most other types of care. Only adult day centers offer lower rates — usually in the region of $1,950 per month. However, seniors will need to factor in their existing home maintenance costs if they compare day centers with assisted living. This is also true for homemaker services and home health aide support, which typically cost $6,864 and $7,150, respectively. The costliest option is nursing home care, with fees averaging $11,566 per month for a semiprivate room.

  • Assisted Living Facility: $6,319
  • Homemaker Services: $6,864
  • Home Health Aide: $7,150
  • Adult Day Health Care: $1,950
  • Nursing Home Facility (semiprivate room): $11,566

Note: Data for San Mateo was unavailable, so data for the nearest city, San Francisco, was used instead.

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in San Mateo

Paying for assisted living in California graphic

Other Ways to Pay for Assisted Living in San Mateo

Since not everyone can afford to pay for assisted living out-of-pocket, it’s important to find alternative methods to help make assisted living more affordable. Some of these options include:

  • Veterans Benefits
  • Life Insurance Policy
  • Long-Term Care Insurance
  • Reverse Mortgage

For more information about your options for making assisted living more affordable, visit our guide to Assisted Living in San Mateo.

Free and Low-Cost Assisted Living Resources for Seniors in San Mateo

There are many organizations in and around San Mateo that provide free and low-cost resources for older citizens. They include nonprofits that offer legal advice and tax assistance and government agencies that investigate complaints in care facilities and help veterans get their full entitlement of benefits.

Resource Contact Service
County Veterans Service Office (650) 802-6598 The County Veterans Service Office of San Mateo helps U.S. military vets, their spouses and their families get the local, state and federal benefits they’re due. It can also refer vets to other resources dedicated to helping those who served, such as the California Veteran College Fee Waiver.
San Mateo Senior Center (650) 522-7490 San Mateo Senior Center is a hub for city residents aged 50 and older. It’s popular with seniors who love to play music, as it has its own band and chorus. There are also classes for members who want to learn more about computers and technology, and there’s standard senior center fare too, such as bingo, billiards and book discussion groups.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman (650) 780-5707 Seniors with concerns about the standard of their care can raise their concerns in confidence with the Long-Term Care Ombudsman. This will likely trigger an investigation, with the ombudsman pursuing a resolution with the care provider on the senior’s behalf. Other services include providing copies of inspection reports for seniors comparing facilities in San Mateo for their long-term care.
The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (650) 558-0915 The society provides legal advice and support to San Mateo County residents aged 60 and older. It can help those who may be victims of elder abuse, worrying about debts or concerned about who will make their health care decisions should their condition deteriorate. The society also helps seniors get the benefits they should and prepare final wills and testaments.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program (888) 687-2277 The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program is a free service for all, with priority given to seniors and the disabled. Its purpose is to help clients prepare and submit their taxes. There is an online version, where seniors can use free software and get help from IRS-certified volunteers when they need it. Alternatively, they can drop off their tax documents at the nearest AARP-approved location, where a volunteer will prepare their taxes for them, with the senior only becoming involved at the final stage before submission.

Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in San Mateo

Assisted Living Communities in San Mateo are required to follow a set of rules and regulations that are determined by the state. For more specific information, talk with your local community or Area Agency on Aging.

Laws and regulations for assisted living in California

The Top Assisted Living Communities in the San Mateo Area

In order to find the top assisted living communities in the San Mateo area, our team of researchers:

  • Sorted through 97 communities using our unique methodology
  • Spent over 15 hours researching assisted living communities in San Mateo
  • Read more than 775 reviews left by residents and their family members

After filtering out facilities that didn’t meet our high standards, we were left with 10 assisted living communities that earned our seal of approval. Through this process we discovered that the average cost of assisted living in the city of San Mateo is $6,319, which is considerably higher than the state average of $5,250 and also considerably higher than the national average of $4,500.

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Jonathan Frank
Licensed Social Worker and Certified Dementia Practitioner
Jonathan Frank
Licensed Social Worker and Certified Dementia Practitioner

Jonathan Frank is a Licensed Social Worker with over 10 years experience working with the geriatric population in a variety of different settings. He received his Masters degree from Rutgers University with a certificate in Aging and Gerontological Services. Additionally, he is a Certified Dementia Practitioner accredited by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners. Jonathan also has Bachelors degree in psychology and worked as an Emergency Medical Technician for 14 years. His passion lies with the elderly and ensuring they age with dignity.

Read on for in-depth information about the top assisted living facilities in San Mateo, a brief dive into our methodology for determining the best assisted living communities, and a searchable directory of 97 communities in the San Mateo area.

Our Methodology

It’s not what we research, but the way we research that makes AssistedLiving.org stand out. We start by identifying problems and challenges in the senior care industry by gaining insight from conversations with industry professionals, older adults, and those that care for them. Next, our research team led by industry experts apply our data-driven research techniques to understand the magnitude of the challenge and how to overcome it. Finally, we present our findings in easy-to-understand guides and studies and share our actionable results with influencers and caregivers, as well as the general public.

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Facility Features (40%)

Facility Health Services Graded on health services provided
on the facility including, but not
limited to, on-site nursing,
pharmacy, skilled nursing,
medicine administration, etc

Facility Amenities Graded on the available
amenities.

Affordability Financial assistance acceptance
and overall costs and value.

Residential Quality (40%)

Resident Satisfaction Polling & survey of overall facility satisfaction.

Facility Complaint and Violations Number of complaints and violations the facility had. Taking into account improvement over time.

Online Reviews Aggregated verified online reviews.

Location (20%)

Location-Based Benefits Including, but not limited to, proximity to
hospitals, ambulance response times, senior
resources available, and state and city
financial assistance.

Location Quality Local crime rates, incidents against older
adults, air quality, climate.

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