Pricing ranges from
    $3,500 – 6,500/month

    Casablanca Retirement Home

    1055 Ina Dr, Alamo, CA, 94507
    4.3 · 7 reviews
    • Independent living
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    5.0

    Warm caring staff, quick move-in

    I put my mom here on short notice and I'm so grateful - Sheila (the manager) and the staff bent over backwards, were warm, caring, communicative, and an RN and awake night staff were on hand. It's a small, family-like place (18 capacity) with a large, clean room and balcony with great views, and the move-in was easy in under 72 hours. Downsides: I wanted a private room but had a semi-private, the upstairs needs a stair lift to access, the bathroom is a bit aged with mold in the grout, and it can be noisy/chaotic at times. Overall she was well-dressed, ate well, received excellent care, and was happy - I highly recommend the staff.

    Pricing

    $3,500+/moSemi-privateAssisted Living
    $6,500+/moSuiteAssisted Living

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    Amenities

    Healthcare services

    • Activities of daily living assistance
    • Assistance with bathing
    • Assistance with dressing
    • Assistance with transfers
    • Medication management
    • Mental wellness program

    Healthcare staffing

    • 24-hour supervision

    Meals and dining

    • Diabetes diet
    • Meal preparation and service
    • Special dietary restrictions

    Room

    • Housekeeping and linen services

    Memory care community services

    • Mild cognitive impairment
    • Specialized memory care programming

    Common areas

    • Dining room
    • Garden
    • Outdoor space
    • Small library

    Community services

    • Move-in coordination

    Activities

    • Community-sponsored activities
    • Scheduled daily activities

    4.29 · 7 reviews

    Overall rating

    1. 5
    2. 4
    3. 3
    4. 2
    5. 1
    • Care

      4.2
    • Staff

      4.5
    • Meals

      5.0
    • Amenities

      4.0
    • Value

      4.3

    Pros

    • Caring, attentive staff
    • Warm, family-like atmosphere created by staff
    • Sheila (manager) described as wonderful and helpful
    • Registered nurse (RN) on staff
    • Awake night staff
    • Strong level of medical/care support
    • Good family communication
    • Quick, easy move-in process (under 72 hours reported)
    • Facility described as well-kept, clean, and organized
    • Large, sparkling room with balcony and excellent views (reported)
    • Resident comfort and dignity — clean, well-dressed residents
    • Residents reportedly ate well and were happy in their last days
    • Small size that fosters close relationships (18 capacity, 16 residents)

    Cons

    • Noise issues — described as 'very noisy' and 'frat-house atmosphere'
    • Constant harmonica playing reported as disruptive
    • Inconsistency in staff presence at times
    • Limited access to upstairs without stair lift
    • Majority of residents congregate downstairs and are escorted daily (potential mobility segregation)
    • Some rooms are semi-private; desire expressed for more private rooms
    • Aging bathroom with mold in grout noted
    • Small facility size may limit room options and privacy
    • Mixed reports about overall atmosphere — very positive for care but problematic for quiet/serenity

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment from the reviews is strongly positive about the quality of personal care and the staff, with several consistent remarks that staff go above and beyond to make residents and families feel supported. Multiple reviewers emphasize compassionate, attentive caregivers who treat residents like family; specific praise is given to the manager (Sheila), and mention is made of an RN on staff and awake night staff, which supports a perception of reliable medical oversight. Families reported clear, helpful communication and an easy move-in process (including an example of a move completed in under 72 hours). There are poignant testimonials indicating residents were clean, well-dressed, ate well, and spent their final days in a place they loved — strong indicators of both personal attention and dignity in end-of-life care.

    Staff and management are recurring strengths in the reviews. Words and phrases used by reviewers include ‘‘heart of gold,’’ ‘‘bent over backwards,’’ and ‘‘makes everyone like family,’’ signaling that the caregiving culture is warm and committed. The presence of an RN and awake night staff increases confidence in medical care and monitoring. The manager receives repeated positive callouts for being easy to work with, organized, and accommodating, which aligns with reports of a smooth move-in process and effective family communication. These operational aspects appear to contribute heavily to families’ trust and willingness to recommend the facility.

    Facility-related comments are mixed and should be weighed alongside the strong praise for staff. On the positive side, at least one reviewer described a ‘‘large, sparkling room’’ with an outside balcony and fabulous views — evidence that private, attractive room options exist. However, other reviews note aging infrastructure in places (an example given was mold in bathroom grout) and the prevalence of semi-private rooms where some families wished for private accommodations. The facility is small (18 capacity, 16 residents reported), which creates an intimate environment but also limits room availability and options for privacy or moving between unit types. There is also a logistical note that upstairs access requires a stair lift, and many residents tend to congregate downstairs and be escorted daily, which may reflect mobility limitations among the resident population and potential constraints for residents who want or need upstairs access.

    Noise and atmosphere are the clearest recurrent concerns. Several reviewers used strong language — ‘‘very noisy’’ and even ‘‘frat-house atmosphere’’ — to describe aspects of daily life. One specific recurring nuisance was ‘‘constant harmonica playing,’’ cited as disruptive. This contrasts sharply with reviewers who praised the homelike, family feeling, indicating that while interpersonal care is excellent, the environment may not be restful or perfectly suited for residents who need quiet. Additionally, there are notes about occasional inconsistency in staff presence; while most comments praise staff as attentive and loving, a few mention times when staffing presence felt uneven.

    In summary, Casablanca Retirement Home appears to deliver high-quality, compassionate personal care with a management team and staff that families deeply appreciate. The small size contributes to close relationships and rapid, flexible admissions but also introduces limits on room choice and privacy. Prospective residents and families should weigh the strong care culture, RN coverage, and positive family communication against concerns about noise levels, certain maintenance issues (e.g., bathroom grout mold), semi-private room prevalence, and accessibility to upstairs areas. For those prioritizing warm, hands-on caregiving and quick, supportive placement, reviewers overall highly recommend the facility; for those prioritizing quiet, modern finishes, or guaranteed private-room availability, it would be wise to tour current rooms and ask about noise-management practices and an up-to-date maintenance plan before deciding.

    Location

    Map showing location of Casablanca Retirement Home

    About Casablanca Retirement Home

    Casablanca Retirement Home sits on 2.5 acres at 1055 Ina Dr, Alamo, CA, and has a single-family residence style that feels peaceful and homelike, with grapevines out back that even help produce California Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes for a pleasant view and quiet walks under staff supervision, and those grapevines really help with making the place feel more inviting, with shaded areas where residents can relax outside. The staff speak both English and Spanish and stay on duty around the clock to help residents, whether that means offering memory care for those with Alzheimer's, assistance with dressing, bathing, or medication, or support with nursing or therapy needs, and they've also got trained staff who handle behavior issues, wandering, confusion, and aggression in the secured memory care area so families know their loved ones are as safe as can be. Residents can choose private or semi-private rooms, each with a private bathroom and an ADA-accessible tub, and cats are allowed, too, with staff to help feed and care for them if needed. There's a community dining hall for meals-including vegetarian dishes-where folks gather and talk, and there is dry cleaning, housekeeping, laundry, and cable TV in rooms, all set up for comfort and convenience.

    The grounds have landscaped spots and both indoor and outdoor common areas, so residents can move around, talk, or just sit quietly. Casablanca Retirement Home offers multiple care types like assisted living, nursing home, residential care, independent living, memory care for dementia and Alzheimer's, hospice, respite care, home care, and adult daycare, and the staff provide help with medication-including injections and diabetes care, general personal care, and incontinence-plus nurses and visiting doctors stop by for regular medical attention. The facility uses special technology and sometimes bracelets to keep seniors from wandering off, which is especially important for those with memory issues. Meals get served in the dining room, and residents have activities to look forward to, with social events, wellness programs, educational things, crafts, entertainment, and other planned gatherings designed to keep everyone busy, active, and able to make friends.

    People can smoke outdoors, not indoors, and pets are allowed if they're cats. Transport to medical appointments comes at no extra cost and the staff provide help getting in and out of vehicles with different transfer options, including mechanical lifts. Casablanca accepts both women and men, even under 55, and offers separate areas when needed, with some programs or rooms set just for women or men. Each resident's care adjusts as their needs change, so seniors can age in place and get more help as their abilities change, without having to move away. Staff help with grooming, reminders for daily activities, and manage all medication, whether it's just reminders or handling injections. There's resident parking, WIFI, cable, and everything's set up to support comfort and reduce confusion, and seniors always have someone nearby to call if they need something, whether it's health support or just a helping hand. The management regulates noise and addresses hunger and comfort, so the community feels safe and calm for those who call Casablanca Retirement Home their home.

    People often ask...

    State of California Inspection Reports

    10

    Inspections

    1

    Type A Citations

    1

    Type B Citations

    5

    Years of reports

    11 Feb 2025
    Found the site was temporarily closed due to a fire in April 2024 and remains under construction, with no running water, electricity, flooring, or walls, gutted and not yet finished, with no staff or residents. Noted no deficiencies and advised the licensee to notify the department prior to reopening so a new inspection could be conducted.
    08 Apr 2024
    Determined that a kitchen fire caused extensive damage, activated sprinklers, and produced smoke and water damage, prompting evacuations of residents. Residents were relocated to other homes, and the administrator planned not to reopen and to close the home.
    08 Apr 2024
    Confirmed fire incident resulting in facility closure, residents relocated to other care homes. No deficiencies cited during visit.
    18 Jan 2024
    Found no deficiencies and noted good safety and maintenance, with functioning detectors, sprinklers, recent fire drills, and adequate food supplies. The administrator held a valid certificate; staff had clearances and first-aid training; hot water was 107.9F; capacity was 18 with hospice waivers; records for residents and staff were reviewed.
    18 Jan 2024
    No deficiencies were found during the visit by the Licensing Program Analyst. All safety measures and regulations were met by the facility.
    12 Oct 2023
    Identified an incomplete medication administration record and noted a deficiency. Requested several documents—resident roster, designation of administrative responsibility, administrative organization, personnel report, emergency disaster plan, and liability insurance—to be submitted by 10/21/2023.
    12 Oct 2023
    LPAs found deficiencies in the facility's medication administration record and requested various documents to be submitted within a certain timeframe. Additionally, an incomplete resident roster was identified as a deficiency during the inspection.
    20 May 2022
    Investigators identified unlocked medications on an office table accessible to residents. Four staff members had health screenings and TB tests on file, and a mitigation plan plus routine screening records for residents and staff were in place.
    20 May 2022
    Unlocked medications were observed accessible to residents during the inspection.
    • § 87465(d)(3)
    25 Feb 2020
    Identified deficiencies in safety protocols and documentation during an inspection of the facility.
    • § 87465(h)(2)

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