Overall sentiment across the reviews for Bayshire San Dimas (including references to Serento/Bayshire) is mixed and polarized: many reviewers highlight compassionate, attentive staff and a lively social environment, while a significant number of reviews raise serious concerns about staffing levels, care consistency, management responsiveness, billing practices, and at least one major health/safety incident.
Care quality and staffing: Care experiences diverge sharply. Numerous reviews praise individual caregivers, nursing leadership (Memory Care director Maria is singled out positively), and staff who know residents by name, provide accommodation to requests, and create a caring atmosphere. Conversely, an equally strong pattern describes short staffing, low caregiver-to-resident ratios, and unprofessional or dishonest caregivers. Several reports describe concrete care failures: medications or physical therapy not delivered, lack of nurse follow-up, slow or unanswered pendant calls, and in extreme cases residents reportedly left in bed or neglected. There are also alarming claims that non-medical staff have made medical decisions. These opposing views suggest that resident experience may vary by unit, time period, or specific staff on duty.
Management, communication, and business practices: Communication and administration are recurring friction points. Many reviewers report difficulty reaching managers or clinical leadership, unresponsiveness to phone calls and emails, poor interdepartmental coordination, and confusion about who to contact. Some residents and family members felt the administration is business-focused, with forgotten incentives, delayed installations (TV), extra charges, and problematic accounting or billing practices. A subset of reviews notes that communication and organization improved over time or after management changes; other comments express discomfort about management and uncertainty tied to ownership transitions and a reported sale/closing notice. This mixed but consistent theme suggests administrative reliability is uneven and a key area of concern for prospective families.
Facilities, cleanliness, and amenities: Many reviewers describe the physical environment positively: attractive decor, well-kept grounds, roomy common areas, holiday displays, and multiple patio areas. Amenities such as on-site salon services, shuttle, rehab/therapy center, and occasional wine with dinner are cited favorably. However, criticisms exist: some find rooms smaller than expected, gym equipment scarce, and sporadic maintenance/cleanliness problems (dirty common areas reported by some). A few reviews mention an antiseptic smell in model rooms/hallways indicating heavy cleaning—interpreted positively by some as cleanliness and negatively by others as too clinical.
Dining and activities: Activities are a consistent strength—many reviewers describe a robust activity calendar with musical guests, excursions, birthday celebrations, and daily social offerings; several families appreciated staff responsiveness when adding new activities. Dining opinions are divided: some describe food as fine or satisfactory with many menu options, while others call the food terrible or limited with few meal choices; salt/sugar content was noted as something to watch. The living experience for many residents is described as hotel-like with dining assistance available, but meal quality and variety appear inconsistent.
Safety and health incidents: One of the most serious negative reports involves water contamination (parasites and Legionella), a long water outage, and temporary outhouse placement in front of the community—an account that raises substantial safety and public health concerns. Multiple reviews also mention care neglect and slow emergency response. These safety-related claims stand out and should be investigated or clarified by prospective residents or families.
Cost and value: Cost is a recurring concern. Many reviewers label the community as expensive or pricier than competitors; some feel the fees are justifiable given services and location, while others see poor value—especially when paired with reports of unmet promises, extra charges, or declining care quality. All-inclusive/flat-fee pricing is mentioned as available, but billing transparency issues were also reported.
Trends and notable patterns: Reviews indicate variability across time and units. A number of reviewers say service and cleanliness improved after an ownership change, while others report ongoing problems and even a reported planned closing in early 2024—creating uncertainty. Praise for specific staff members (e.g., Memory Care director Maria, Bernice) recurs, suggesting pockets of strong leadership and caregiving. Conversely, the repeated themes of short staffing, administrative unresponsiveness, and isolated but severe safety complaints suggest systemic weaknesses.
Bottom line recommendation: Prospective residents and families should weigh the facility’s positive aspects—active programming, friendly caregivers in many accounts, attractive grounds, memory care leadership, and useful amenities—against repeated warnings about staffing levels, inconsistent care delivery, management responsiveness, billing issues, and at least one serious reported water contamination incident. If considering Bayshire San Dimas, visit multiple times (including mealtimes), speak directly with nursing leadership and the director of operations, request recent inspection/health reports and water-safety documentation, verify contract terms and any incentives in writing, and ask for references from current families in the same care level. Given the mixed reviews, due diligence is essential to determine whether you would experience the praised, attentive side of the community or encounter the documented care and administrative problems.
