Gem's Senior Care

    2989 Penitencia Creek Road, San Jose, CA, 95132
    4.2 · 6 reviews
      AnonymousLoved one of resident
      4.0

      Warm well-run home with concerns

      I moved my parent into this small, six-bed community and overall I'm very satisfied - the owner and staff are personable and helpful, the facility is clean, homey and air-conditioned, activities are excellent, and the menu is pleasing if a bit limited. My main concerns were that no private rooms were available (shared room wasn't the best fit), night staffing seemed thin with inconsistent bedside call bells, staff appeared unfamiliar with C. diff protocols, and it's farther away than I wanted. If shared rooms and distance aren't dealbreakers, it's a warm, well-run place.

      Pricing

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      Amenities

      4.17 · 6 reviews

      Overall rating

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

        3.0
      • Staff

        4.0
      • Meals

        3.5
      • Amenities

        4.0
      • Value

        4.2

      Pros

      • Personable owner
      • Clean facility (multiple mentions)
      • Homey, comfortable feel
      • Well-balanced and pleasing menu
      • Air-conditioned rooms
      • Private room size acceptable
      • Friendly and very helpful staff
      • Handrails in hallways for safety
      • Low traffic/noise levels
      • Small, intimate 6-bed community
      • Good overall care
      • Engaging, high-quality activities
      • New/modern facility

      Cons

      • No private rooms currently available
      • Shared-room option not suitable for some residents
      • Limited food variety despite decent menu
      • Night staffing appears insufficient
      • Bedside call bell issues or absence
      • Occasional unclean smell reported
      • Staff unfamiliar with C. difficile infection protocols
      • Location is farther than some reviewers desired

      Summary review

      Overall sentiment across the reviews is largely positive, with multiple consistent strengths noted alongside a few recurring concerns. Reviewers frequently highlight the facility's small, 6-bed scale, which contributes to a homey, comfortable atmosphere and a sense of personalized attention. The owner is described as personable and staff are repeatedly called friendly and very helpful; several comments explicitly state high satisfaction with both staff and facility. Physical attributes receive strong praise as well: the building is new or recently updated, described as clean and air-conditioned, with handrails in hallways and low traffic/noise levels that support a quiet, comfortable environment.

      Care quality is generally viewed favorably. Multiple summaries mention "good care" and express real satisfaction with how residents are treated day-to-day. The small size of the community is an important factor here — it appears to enable more individualized attention and a feeling of being truly looked after. Activities are singled out as a strong positive, with reviewers saying activities are "great" and make a real difference in resident experience.

      Staff and management receive mostly positive comments: the owner is personable and staff are labeled both friendly and very helpful. This suggests strong interpersonal skills and engagement from the team. However, some service and clinical-process gaps were noted. Several reviewers flagged concerns about night staffing levels, implying that overnight coverage may be thinner than desired. There are also mentions of bedside call bell issues (either missing or not functioning reliably), which can affect residents' ability to get timely assistance.

      Facility and cleanliness feedback is somewhat mixed. Many reviews praise the facility as clean and new, but at least one review reported an "unclean smell," indicating that cleanliness may be inconsistent or that odor control could be an intermittent problem. More seriously, a reviewer noted that staff were unfamiliar with C. difficile (C-dif) infection, which raises an infection-control concern. That comment suggests the need for stronger staff training or clearer protocols around communicable infections, especially given the vulnerability of the population served.

      Dining is described positively in terms of menu balance and pleasing presentation, but reviewers also mention limited variety of options. In short: the food is generally acceptable and well plated, but some residents or families may find the selection too narrow over time. Room availability and configuration are another notable theme: while private room size is described as acceptable when noted, a key negative is that no private rooms were available for some reviewers and the shared-room option was described as "not the best fit" for certain needs. For prospective residents who require or strongly prefer private rooms, this is an important constraint.

      Finally, logistical concerns appear in a couple of reviews: the facility was described as being farther away than some reviewers wanted, which could affect visitation and convenience. Taken together, the dominant pattern is one of a warm, small, well-kept, and activity-rich community with engaged staff and a personable owner, tempered by operational and clinical issues that deserve attention — namely night staffing, call-bell reliability, infection-control familiarity, intermittent odor/cleanliness concerns, limited menu variety, and limited private-room availability. Prospective families should weigh the clear strengths in atmosphere and personalized attention against these practical and clinical considerations, and may want to ask the facility about current private-room availability, overnight staffing ratios, call system functionality, and infection-control training during their visit.

      Location

      Map showing location of Gem's Senior Care

      About Gem's Senior Care

      Gem's Senior Care sits in the Alum Rock-East Foothills area of San Jose, California, with a small, home-like setting that holds up to six licensed residents, and the staff all speak English and American Sign Language, which can really help some folks feel understood, there's private rooms and baths, an indoor and outdoor common area, and a peaceful set-up for seniors age 55 or 62 and up who need daily care but still have some independence. Housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation are all part of the help, and the staff takes care of things like bathing, toileting, hygiene, and clothes, plus there's medication management and support for folks with diabetes, incontinence, or higher needs, and care plans get tailored for each person, which means Gem's tries to fit the unique needs of each resident, including people who need ambulatory care, memory care, or short term respite stays. Residents get three simple, home-cooked meals every day, with vegetarian options if that's their way, and they can have extra nutritional help if they've got special diets such as diabetes or high blood pressure. For fun, there are social activities, daily exercise routines, devotional and Christian services, music therapy, game nights, parties, movies, art programs, animal visits, outdoor trips, and even a mobile hairdresser, so it feels like a lived-in home where people get to know one another. Amenities include things like in-room cable TV, a bedside bell for calling staff, private bathrooms with wheelchair accessible showers, cleaning, and sometimes things like a sauna, reading room, or fitness equipment, but those can change, so it's good to ask about updates. Residents have transportation options for a fee, and there's help to get to medical appointments, shopping, or faith events, and a small parking space is included for those who can still drive or have visitors. The facility allows outdoor smoking, and residents can get help with insulin and two-person transfers if needed. Gem's Senior Care is licensed as a Residential Care Elderly facility and is surveyed by local agencies, so it meets care standards, with funding help available through federal and state programs like Medicaid and Medicare if someone qualifies. The care team is there around the clock for safety, compassion, and comfort, focusing on keeping up independence, dignity, and a good quality of life, and families often get peace of mind knowing there's supervision every hour of the day.

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