The Answer Is Yes! Bring Your Cat! Your Dog! Your Bird!
One of the most common questions we get asked is whether or not pets are welcome in assisted living communities. The answer is usually YES! Many Los Angeles facilities allow pets and welcome them as community members. Often, a fee will be required upon move-in, and there may be a weight limit. In most communities, residents must be able to completely care for their pets.
Retirement communities in Los Angeles, from independent living spots to assisted living, and even some memory care facilities, welcome your pets. In particular, dogs are welcome at most senior living communities and many are provisioned to make caring for your dog easy. Cats are allowed in almost all Los Angeles retirement communities. We’ve even seen a few birds as weve toured different communities around the metro LA area.
Rules For Pet Owners in Senior Living
There are a few rules for bringing your dog, cat, or bird to a senior living home in Los Angeles:
1. Care: The primary one is that the resident must be able to take care of the pet on their own. That means they must be able to walk their dog, or if a cat, change the litter box. Of course, family members may assist as long as it is not the responsibility of the community. Some communities do offer dog or cat care services for an added cost.
2. Planning: Having a Plan B is also required when allowing a pet to live in an assisted living community. The senior living community will accept a pet only if there is an arrangement for who will care for the animal should the resident become unable. If there is a hospitalization, the resident’s capabilities decline, or should the person pass away, the facility wants to know that they will not become responsible for the pet.
3. Appropriateness: Just like the prospective resident, dogs often go through their own in-person assessment before being admitted. Communities usually have a size restriction and evaluate pets to make sure they are not aggressive or in other way a hazard to the older residents in their charge.
4. Cost: A pet deposit is required at most senior living facilities. The amount varies from community to community.
Favorite Pet-Friendly Senior Living Communities
Below is a curated sampling of some of the Assisted Living Locators Los Angeles team’s favorite pet-friendly Los Angeles communities. But, please don’t make your decisions based on internet lists! You should always consult with a local senior living expert like us, whose job it is to know the strengths and weaknesses of the various communities and make sure you are making a wise decision. So start here, have a look at some options, then give us a call at 310-853-8282. Our service is available at no charge to you.
Silverado Beverly Place, Mid-City
Our absolute favorite Los Angeles pet-friendly senior living community is a memory care facility, Silverado Beverly Place, located in LA’s mid-city neighborhood near The Grove. Silverado is unique in every aspect and a remarkable dementia community, but what truly sets them apart when it comes to pets is that the dogs roam free within the community, like they would in your home. Silverado believes that their dogs provide therapeutic benefits to their dementia care residents. While I’ve seen one dog on a leash, many live freely, coexisting with the residents. They ride the elevators to go visit, snuggle with people in their rooms, and generally can be seen, tails wagging, in the lobby and common areas bringing joy to those around them.
Where do their dogs come from? The residents bring them. A few have been adopted from shelters. And most awesomely, if a resident passes away, they keep the dog. Because Silverado is caring for people with dementia, they do not expect the residents to be able to care for them. They do have a dog walking club that has the benefit of getting people outside and exercising, but the community takes care of feeding, grooming, and tending to the animals’ other needs.
Kingsley Manor, Hollywood
Another top retirement community for pets is Kingsley Manor in Hollywood. This four-acre continuing care retirement community offers independent living and assisted living all on one campus. Kingsley Manor has a large, beautiful green quad and about a mile of walking path circuiting the entire property. Opened in 1912, Kingsley Manor’s outdoor space is lined with mature rose gardens, trees, and shrubbery. Not only does Kingsley Manor offer plentiful outdoor space equipped with a dog care station, but it also offers various living options, including standalone cottages for flexible pet-friendly living. As a non-profit, their value pricing combined with their great outdoor space makes this one of our favorite communities for pet owners.
The Watermark, Westwood
The Watermark at Westwood Village stands out as a pet-friendly retirement community for the facilities that have been incorporated specifically for dog owners. A gated dog run complete with a dog-washing station and dog-level water fountain shows the facility’s commitment to accommodating those with furry friends. Make a left out of the front door, and there’s a lovely residential neighborhood perfect for dog walking. Make a right, and you are smack in the middle of Westwood Village, a great place to stroll with your pooch while taking in the sights. For added green, the UCLA campus is just around the corner.
Yes, The Watermark at Westwood Village is among the priciest senior living communities in Los Angeles. But, it also is one of the most amenity-filled and its location, with Westwood shopping and dining right out the door makes it a terrific choice for those wanting to spoil themselves while they spoil their furry friends.
Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens, Santa Monica
Bring your pup or your feline friend to Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens and start each morning with a walk along the Santa Monica bluffs. Located on Second Street, two blocks from Ocean Avenue and just a few short blocks to Montana Avenue, Brookdale Santa Monica Gardens is a pet lovers dream location.
Fairwinds, West Hills
Fairwinds in West Hills has a ton of inviting outdoor space with many ground-floor apartments that open onto nice courtyards. They also have a sizeable walking path running the circumference of the property that is just made for dog walking. This is a picture of one of the Fairwinds ladies getting ready to take her pooch for a stroll.
While this blog focuses mainly on dogs, please know that your cat is as welcome. We just don’t see the cats since they are not roaming the halls and outdoor spaces like the dogs do. Cats are a great comfort to older adults who may not have the mobility or stamina to care for a dog. So, do bring your furry companion with you. Seniors deserve all the love they can find.
About Assisted Living Locators
Since 2003, thousands of families have been helped by Assisted Living Locators, one of the nation’s leading free senior living placement services. The Los Angeles office is operated by Sarah Ordover, owner of Assisted Living Locators Los Angeles. Her team services clients from Glendale and Burbank to Santa Monica, including West Hollywood, Century City, Westwood, and everything in between. The office also represents clients looking for senior living south of Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley in neighborhoods such as Sherman Oaks, Encino, and Studio City. The Los Angeles office can be reached at assistedlivinglocators.com/contact-us.
