Atria Willow Glen — Attraction in San Jose

As a professional in the Senior Living industry I can say, without a doubt, that Atria Willow Glen stands heads and tails above the rest! I have been a Realtor specializing in selling homes for seniors moving to Senior Living Communities for over 10 years now. I have a vast array of experience with communities across the Bay Area and Atria Willow Glen has always been a stand out for a number of reasons.

Atria Willow Glen has not only the kindest, most caring, and supportive staff for their residents but they also have longevity in employment. In the ten years that I have been working with them there has been very little staff turnover. Felicia Horkins has been the Community Sales Director and a resident/family favorite for nearly every resident in the community for 8 years. Kurt Gursu has been the Executive Director for nearly ten years and I always find him interacting with residents throughout the community when I stop in. Jenny Lockwood has been the Engage Life Director for almost four years and is well known around the community for the events she plans and her individual attention to each resident.

The community itself is home to energetic and active seniors who move for no other reason than to free themselves of the day-to-day responsibilities of a home in exchange for the ability to enjoy all life has to offer. Because Atria Willow Glen has the help needed for all stages of life you will also find that when assistance is needed many turn to Atria Willow Glen for their exceptional reputation for care. While helping those who need assistance they also strongly encourage engagement with the community around them thus keeping them active and from further decline for as long as possible. They even have a solution for those needing memory care. They have one of the very best memory care options in the area. Once again, they excel in keeping their memory care residents active, engaged, and feeling productive in their time with them. Living in a community with all levels of care is so important as we age, making more than one later in life move is not only stressful but comes with consequences that affect overall health and well-being. Atria Willow Glen has solved that problem and continues to be the best at what they do.

I could go on and on but I will end by saying that if my Mom needed a Senior Community, Atria Willow Glen would be my number one choice. When I talk with residents that are living there I never hear anything but rave reviews. When I talk to families moving there it’s always Felicia Horkins and how wonderful she is that becomes the center of the conversation. And in my ten years working with them we have never had anyone call to move out of their community and into another.

If you are considering Atria Willow Glen, stop second guessing yourself and make the move...you won’t...

A couple great things about his place but that's where it abruptly ends. The residents here are lovely and the grounds are beautiful! However the management and staff leave MUCH to be desired.

When signing contracts with them make sure you take away the paper work and read through every line and examine the phrasing. Later you won't be able to prove anything they said to you, only what you signed. They have lots of stipulations they they gloss over and hope you don't pay too much attention to. The most egregious one being an upfront, NON-REFUNDABLE "facility fee" at the tune of at least $3,600. They say it is for programs and maintenance of the community, however if that is true it would be more fitting that that be factored into the rent or added as a monthly fee. Instead the fee is required upfront and no matter how long you stay it will not be returned to you. Of course Atria is hoping you pass away or move as quickly as possible to pocket as much cash as possible.

My mother in law stayed at Atria for 4 months and had to leave due to declining health. She left her apartment in excellent condition. When we asked about what they had referred to as a deposit when signing rental paperwork now the "deposit" had suddenly turned into a "facility fee" and would not be returned. SO SHADY! My mother in law did not use $750 a month of programs or community resources!! When we pushed a little asking why this was a upfront fee and not a more fair monthly fee we were given a "you're the ones who signed the contract" canned response.

Shame on our family for not being more critical of the paperwork we signed, but honestly shame on Atria for taking advantage of senior citizens on a fixed income and being so underhanded and cold about it. Oh, and the food is terrible. Overall definitely would not recommend Atria to anyone I care about.

UPDATE 2/6/20: I would not like to speak with anyone to tell us more of what we've already heard. I know what Atria did was legal, it's just not moral. It is more important that we warn anyone considering Atria of your predatory practices. I see there is no defense of the structure of your "facility fee" which is understandable seeing how it is unreasonable.

If Atria is really concerned about your "commitment to being a great place to live" as a company you would make it clear to those signing contracts with you what they are signing. Atria would not just give a big legal middle finger when questions are brought after you had already pulled the wool over residents' eyes. OR BETTER YET, you would fix your "facility fee" system to be fair.

Atria is not compassionate, Atria is a corporation interested in wringing out every penny in the most heartless...

For starters, pets are welcome. Who doesn’t love furry friends? Atria offers culturally diverse choices that meet the different cultural dietary, linguistic and religious-based needs of local populations. There is a specialized memory care program which features a unique layout to promote familiarity and reduce confusion. This community works to keep couples together and helps accommodate couples with different needs. Medical transportation services are provided, weekly housekeeping/laundry, maintenance, a full-service salon, and an entire department dedicated to providing recreational programs/activities. And last but not least, respected receptionists who keep the show running. The list goes on, but I’ll stop here and dive a bit into the cultural side of things.

Culture has played an important role in shaping my attitude toward elder care. From a traditional perspective, it is not uncommon for Asian parents and grandparents to continue living with their adult children. In some traditional Asian cultures, speaking openly about death is taboo and even considered disrespectful. The world of senior living felt like uncharted territory along with an uncertainty about the distinction between independent living, assisted living (different from a nursing home) and memory care. Though, after seeing the different levels of care here at Atria Willow Glen and its dedication to cultivating their own culture, Atria has positively influenced my perspective on...