JP Senior Homes - Wilkes

    24982 Wilkes Place, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653
    3.2 · 5 reviews
      AnonymousLoved one of resident
      2.0

      Mixed care; administrative chaos, neglect

      I felt lucky to find this long-standing, Japanese-owned facility - caregivers from Japan and the Philippines were kind, and initial nursing and VITAS hospice care were excellent. But administrative chaos (misplaced papers, missing health-care directive, wrong mortuary transport), poor communication, no on-site RN, and troubling neglect (skipped teeth/brushing, improper bathing, bruises, little stimulation, unkind treatment) are serious concerns. They accept Alzheimer's residents and avoid add-on fees, but verify staff backgrounds and languages - I'm grateful for good caregivers in places, yet I'd be cautious and warn others.

      Pricing

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      Amenities

      3.20 · 5 reviews

      Overall rating

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

        3.2
      • Staff

        2.3
      • Meals

        3.2
      • Amenities

        3.2
      • Value

        3.2

      Pros

      • Long-standing ownership (around 20 years)
      • Japanese ownership / Japanese cultural component
      • Caregivers from Japan and the Philippines
      • Accepts Alzheimer’s patients
      • Reported instances of exceptional nurse care
      • Positive reports of good initial care and feeling well cared for
      • Hospice care coordinated (VITAS mentioned)
      • Multiple small-home locations (five homes in Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills)
      • Reported as a safe place with caring staff
      • Reported cost advantage compared to facilities with add-on charges

      Cons

      • No on-site RN; nurse is on-call
      • Not a Skilled Nursing Facility (limited medical services)
      • Administrative errors (misplaced papers, wrong mortuary transport, missing directives)
      • Poor communication and responsiveness from administration
      • Reports of neglectful care (oral hygiene not performed, improper bathing)
      • Reports of bruises and unkind treatment of residents
      • Inconsistent quality of care across cases (wide variability)
      • Potential need to verify staff backgrounds and spoken languages
      • Lack of sufficient stimulation/activities for residents

      Summary review

      Overall impression: The reviews for JP Senior Homes - Wilkes present a strongly mixed picture with both notable strengths and significant, sometimes serious, concerns. Several reviewers emphasize positive, culturally specific aspects—Japanese ownership and a Japanese staffing component, long tenure in business (around 20 years), and multiple small-home locations in Mission Viejo and Laguna Hills. These attributes are associated with a homelike environment, feelings of being well cared for, and cost advantages compared with some facilities that levy many add-on charges. At the same time, other reviewers report troubling incidents of neglect and administrative failures, producing a polarized set of experiences that prospective families should weigh carefully.

      Care quality and clinical support: Care quality appears inconsistent. Some reviews explicitly praise the clinical and nursing care—one reviewer called the nursing care "exceptional" and another described good initial care and hospice coordination through VITAS. However, there are also reports of serious neglect: failures to perform basic hygiene (not brushing teeth, improper bathing), bruises observed on residents, and reports of unkind treatment. The facility accepts Alzheimer’s patients, which is an important positive for families seeking dementia care, but it is not a Skilled Nursing Facility, and the nurse is reported to be on-call rather than on-site. That combination suggests limited capacity for intensive medical or continuous skilled care. The mixed reports indicate that day-to-day care can vary significantly by caregiver or home.

      Staffing, languages, and background considerations: Reviews note caregivers drawn from Japan and the Philippines and emphasize the Japanese cultural component as a strength for some families. At the same time, reviewers suggest verifying staff backgrounds and the languages actually spoken by caregivers. The absence of an on-site RN and the clarification that the homes are not SNFs are important operational facts that limit the level of medical oversight available. Given the variability in care reported, prospective residents and families should ask specific questions about staff-to-resident ratios, RN availability and response times, staff training in dementia care, and language abilities relevant to the resident.

      Administration, communication, and safety incidents: Several reviews call out administrative problems that went beyond minor inconvenience. Examples include misplaced paperwork, a missing health care directive, and even an instance of incorrect mortuary transport—errors with real and distressing consequences. Multiple reviewers complained about poor communication and unreturned calls from administration. These management and coordination failures are recurring themes and are particularly concerning at transitions of care or end-of-life situations, where timely, accurate administration and clear communication are critical.

      Environment, activities, and overall atmosphere: Some reviewers describe the homes as safe and staffed by good people; others find them lacking in stimulation and activities. The small-home model and cultural orientation (Japanese ownership) are seen as positives for creating a homelike atmosphere for certain residents, but the reported lack of sufficient stimulation suggests activities programming may not meet all residents’ needs, particularly for those requiring more engagement or cognitive stimulation.

      Patterns and recommendations: The dominant pattern across reviews is variability—excellent care and compassionate support are reported by some families, while serious neglect and administrative lapses are reported by others. Because of this split, prospective families should conduct thorough due diligence before choosing one of these homes. Recommended steps include: verify RN coverage and emergency response protocols, confirm whether the home’s services meet the medical needs of the prospective resident (especially for dementia care), ask for references from current or recent families, inspect procedures for handling important documents and end-of-life logistics, observe staff-resident interactions during a visit, and clarify activity programming and staffing levels. Families who prioritize a Japanese cultural environment and small-home setting may find strong positives here, but those who need consistent clinical oversight or robust administrative reliability should confirm those capabilities in writing and consider alternatives if requirements exceed what a non-SNF, on-call-nurse model can provide.

      Location

      Map showing location of JP Senior Homes - Wilkes

      About JP Senior Homes - Wilkes

      JP Senior Homes - Wilkes is a small assisted living community in Laguna Hills, California, and it's set up to take care of up to six residents at a time, which means everyone gets personal attention and support for daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, grooming, or helping out with meals, and if anyone needs help with more specific things like getting in and out of bed, managing incontinence, or help with feeding by spoon, staff are ready to help, all day and through the night with an on-call nurse around. The place offers respite care for short-term stays to give family caregivers a break, and there's help with medication reminders, health checks, and wellness programs that cover speech and occupational therapy and also activities like games, crafts, movie nights, music, and trips out so people can stay active and connected. There's an exercise room to use, a space for reading and books, and you'll see big balconies, gardens, and outdoor areas where folks can get fresh air, and private laundry spaces so everyone can keep things comfortable. Residents get three homemade meals every day, and requests for special diets like for diabetes or low-salt can be handled, and someone can even come in to cut hair with a salon on site. There's transportation for doctor visits, errands, and group activities, as well as family parking, and family support meetings so the whole family can stay informed and feel included. The apartments are designed for safety and include ADA-compliant bathrooms, call systems for emergencies, and options like studios or one-bedroom layouts, sometimes private and sometimes shared, all furnished and with air-conditioning, internet, and cable TV. Pets are usually welcome, and the whole community is overseen by California's Department of Social Services, with staff looking after regular health checks, medicine needs, and keeping everything clean with laundry and housekeeping included, and all utilities are covered in the cost, so there's no worrying about bills. There's also hospice care and memory care available for those who need it, and the facility tries to set up a home-like, safe spot for seniors age 55 or older to live as independently as possible, with support close by when needed, and the community's been serving seniors since 1990.

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