Crescendo Senior Living Assisted Living and Memory Care

    351 E Palm Dr, Placentia, CA, 92870
    4.8 · 85 reviews
    • Assisted living
    • Memory care
    AnonymousLoved one of resident
    5.0

    Loving staff, strong memory care

    I moved my mom here and we're very pleased. The staff are loving, responsive, and truly engage residents - lots of activities (art is her favorite), great meals and desserts, clean well-maintained grounds and inviting indoor/outdoor spaces. Memory care is strong, the push-button necklaces and caring caregivers give us real peace of mind, and she's made many friends. There have been management changes, staff turnover, occasional glitches (laundry, tiny rooms, inconsistent skills) and price increases, but overall it's an excellent, welcoming place I'd recommend.

    Pricing

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    Amenities

    4.75 · 85 reviews

    Overall rating

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

      4.4
    • Staff

      4.6
    • Meals

      4.4
    • Amenities

      4.4
    • Value

      4.1

    Pros

    • Welcoming, friendly staff
    • Compassionate, patient caregivers
    • Responsive to call button / quick assistance
    • Personalized, attentive care
    • Strong memory care expertise (many positive reports)
    • Clean, updated property and rooms
    • Beautiful grounds, courtyard, and patio
    • Good variety and improved food quality
    • Active, engaging activities (bingo, karaoke, sing-alongs, live entertainment)
    • Salon and in-room hairdressing services
    • Social, family-like community with lots of laughter
    • Safe, secure environment
    • Accessible dining and mobility-friendly spaces
    • Reasonable/affordable cost / good value (as reported by many)
    • Convenient, walkable location near shops and doctors
    • Well-furnished common and gathering spaces
    • Responsive administration and timely problem-solving (many reviews)
    • Respite and short-term care options available
    • Effective housekeeping and laundry service (many positive mentions)
    • Quiet, peaceful atmosphere in courtyard and inner spaces
    • Many residents report happiness and improved quality of life
    • Staff actively participate in and lead activities
    • Flexible meal times and accommodating service
    • Engaging therapeutic programming for memory care
    • Supportive transition assistance (hospital-to-community help)

    Cons

    • Management issues and periods of poor leadership
    • High staff turnover and inconsistent staffing
    • Short-staffed and overworked caregivers at times
    • Inconsistent caregiver technical skills (e.g., device use, TV)
    • Medication errors or medications given late/not at all in some reports
    • Unusual or extra charges for services (showering, dressing, meds)
    • Maintenance problems and slow repairs
    • Pest issue reported (cockroaches) in at least one review
    • Laundry mistakes and forgotten items
    • Small or sparsely furnished/tiny bedrooms
    • Memory care limitations (less nice than assisted living, restricted garden access)
    • Large or confusing layout in parts of the facility
    • Price increases and loss of clinical staff after management change
    • Inconsistent communication or lapses in family support (isolated reports)
    • Wide variation in experience — some families report poor value or misery

    Summary review

    Overall sentiment: Reviews for Crescendo Senior Living Assisted Living and Memory Care are predominantly positive, with many families and residents praising the staff, social atmosphere, activities, grounds, and perceived value. A clear majority of summaries describe warm, compassionate caregivers who form close relationships with residents, responsive on-call systems, a safe and clean environment, and an active calendar of social and therapeutic activities. At the same time, there is a distinct and recurring set of concerns around management stability, staffing consistency, maintenance, medication handling, and occasional billing practices. The result is a mixed picture where many people are highly satisfied while a minority report serious problems.

    Care quality and staff: The most frequent and strongest positive theme across the reviews is the quality of direct caregiving. Many reviewers use words such as compassionate, patient, understanding, and loving to describe staff. Numerous comments highlight caregivers who go “above and beyond,” administrators who are hands-on, and staff who actively engage in activities with residents. Memory care staff receive particular praise in many accounts for patience, dignity, and expertise, and families often describe peace of mind and improved quality of life for their loved ones. However, this strength is tempered by repeated reports of high staff turnover, short-staffing, and inconsistent skill levels among newer employees. Several reviews specifically cite caregivers who lacked routine technical skills (e.g., operating devices, charging electric items) and accounts of overworked staff. More serious concerns include reports of medication errors or delayed medication administration in some cases — a high-severity issue reported by multiple reviewers that families should investigate directly.

    Facilities, cleanliness, and maintenance: Many reviewers praise the property as clean, updated, and attractive, with well-kept grounds, an inner courtyard, and inviting gathering spaces that contribute to a homey, social atmosphere. The dining room, salon services, and accessible layouts for residents with mobility needs are also frequently mentioned positively. Conversely, there are discrete but notable negative reports: at least one review described a cockroach problem, others reported slow or incomplete maintenance (e.g., a shower unrepaired for days), and recurring mentions of laundry mistakes or forgotten items. Room size and furnishings are also mixed: while many noted well-furnished common areas and comfortable rooms, others called bedrooms tiny or sparsely furnished. The facility also appears to have multiple wings or a two-story layout; some guests find sections large and confusing, and there are mentions that memory care on the second floor may restrict garden access — a relevant factor for families prioritizing outdoor access.

    Dining and activities: Reviews consistently point to a robust activity program with diverse offerings: bingo, karaoke, sing-alongs, mini-golf, arts and crafts, exercise classes, live entertainment, happy hours, and special social events. Residents and families repeatedly mention that activities keep residents busy and socially engaged, fostering friendships and laughter. Food quality is another commonly noted area: many reports praise tasty and varied menus, desserts, and an improved food program over time. There are occasional comments about lack of on-demand meals in earlier periods, but several reviewers explicitly say food quality has improved and is now a strength.

    Management, billing, and patterns over time: Multiple reviewers refer to management changes (including an ownership/management change to Meridian historically) and to periods of instability tied to leadership transitions. Positive reviews often name specific administrators or staff (Hilda, Susan, etc.) and praise an involved, responsive leadership presence; negative reviews cite “horrible management,” unexplained extra charges for services (showering, dressing, medication administration), price increases, and the loss of clinical staff such as a nurse after management shifts. These comments point to variability over time — some families describe an improving environment under a new, passionate team, while others describe degradation linked to turnover and policy changes. This suggests that experiences can be strongly influenced by timing and which staff are on duty.

    Notable patterns and recommended due diligence: The reviews reveal two consistent patterns. First, when staffing is stable and leadership is engaged, residents and families report exceptional care, strong social integration, and improved quality of life. Second, when turnover, short staffing, or management lapses occur, serious issues surface — including delayed medications, maintenance neglect, billing disputes, and inconsistent caregiving. Because of that variability, reviewers repeatedly recommend that families tour the community, meet the staff and memory care team, observe an activity, and ask pointed questions about current staffing levels, medication administration protocols, extra service fees, maintenance response times, and whether memory care residents have outdoor access. Also inquire about recent management changes and staff turnover rates.

    Conclusion: Crescendo offers many strengths — compassionate, engaged caregivers; an active social life and meaningful activities; appealing grounds and communal spaces; and generally positive dining and housekeeping services. These strengths create a strong, home-like experience for many residents. However, the facility also shows variability, with a subset of reviews reporting serious concerns tied largely to management, staffing consistency, maintenance responsiveness, and billing practices. Prospective residents and families should weigh the positive patterns heavily but perform targeted due diligence (current staffing, medication safety, written fee schedules, recent inspection/maintenance records, and a tour of both assisted living and memory care areas) to ensure the current operational reality matches the positive experiences reported by many families.

    Location

    Map showing location of Crescendo Senior Living Assisted Living and Memory Care

    About Crescendo Senior Living Assisted Living and Memory Care

    Crescendo Senior Living Assisted Living and Memory Care sits in a quiet Placentia neighborhood, not far from shopping, dining, and banks, so if someone feels like taking a stroll or has errands, things are close by, which is handy. The community welcomes both men and women who meet a minimum age requirement, offering a range of care types like assisted living, independent living, memory care, nursing home support, respite care, and hospice services, making sure people can move in at different stages and find what fits. Staff helps with bathing, dressing, medication management, and daily activities, and there's always a nurse on staff and nurses or doctors on call, so round-the-clock care is in place, and residents can get occupational, physical, or speech therapy as well as podiatrist visits without heading out. Some days are busy with scheduled activities, fitness classes, and gardening, while others might feel quieter if someone wants to play UNO in the cozy common areas or enjoy the beautiful large courtyard.

    Devotional services are available if someone likes spiritual support, and everyone can gather for meals in a restaurant-style dining room three times a day-with snacks too-and the food's known to be good and made from quality ingredients. Staff provides housecleaning, laundry, trash pickup, and someone's always around for maintenance and emergencies at all hours, so life becomes pretty maintenance-free, which some folks appreciate quite a bit. There's a business office manager, activities director, and housekeeping team on-site, making sure things run smoothly and that residents always have a friendly face when something's needed. WiFi, cable, and utilities are all included, making the day-to-day more convenient, and there's parking for those who still drive or want to have their car nearby. The community provides complimentary transportation for doctor appointments, outings, and errands, which is helpful for those who prefer not to drive.

    Pets are allowed, so small companions can join, but smoking isn't allowed in any indoor areas, which keeps things cleaner and healthier for everyone. Beauty and barber services are onsite for those who want to keep up with haircuts or get pampered without leaving the building. Memory care here includes a secure, supervised neighborhood with furnished or unfurnished suites, full-time staff, special programming for people with dementia, and spaces designed for safety, comfort, and engagement. Individualized care plans are built for each person, especially for those with Alzheimer's or memory loss, and activities focus on cognitive support, social connections, and keeping routine and energy up. Management has over two decades of experience creating custom plans and a welcoming culture, trying to help people maintain independence for as long as possible, while staff are often described as helpful, kind, and attentive.

    Every community has its challenges, and Crescendo isn't an exception-people sometimes mention staff turnover or occasional maintenance or odor issues, especially in memory care, which can happen in large communities working with high-need residents. Still, the place is known to be lively, cheerful, and filled with compassion, and suites are accessible and feel pretty home-like to many who move in. With housekeeping, laundry, fitness classes, social gatherings, and safe places for walks or get-togethers, Crescendo Senior Living tries to give seniors a friendly place to live, with care that adapts as needs change, and spaces that feel both energizing and welcoming.

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