St. Paul's Towers

The feeling of community at SPT is remarkable. I’m so glad we are here. We enjoy the lake and the gardens the other side of Grand Ave, and if we don’t feel like walking even that far, we have our building’s own rooftop garden.

I would love to live there, but I have to have someone to help me. Delores smith.

This review concerns the Skilled Nursing Area of St. Paul's Towers. A little bit of history-the main donor, who donated the land to make St. Paul's Towers happen, did so on the condition that all the Skilled Nursing patients have the best view in the house-so your loved one will rehabilitate on the 22nd floor with panoramic (and I do mean panoramic views) of the San Francisco Bay and beyond. If on the other side of the building, views of the hills of Oakland/Berkeley await with views of Cal Berkeley and the Campanile. I can't think of a better environment to convalesce. Attention to detail-Initially, patients' beds are not those "hospital" type beds with restrictive rails - the beds do move like hospital beds (to sit up, or move the legs up), but unless patients are a specific fall risk, beds feel more luxurious than "hospital"-ly. This may be trivial, but the TV has every channel known to man! Sports, reality TV, news, whatever, this also may a long way toward making a loved one feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. The Help-The Management and the staff are some of the best around. From the minute you hit the front door, you are in the midst of helpful, supportive and knowledgeable staff. The Security at the front door is fast, friendly and efficient at checking you in and getting you on your way to see your loved one. Management ensures everything runs smoothly and efficiently (I'm not gonna lie, in the beginning, there will be forms to fill out, documents to be digested and information to be relayed on the way to getting things settled). The staff is professional and works hard at accomodating the patient and their needs. From meetings with Management to establish a "game plan" for the patient's stay, to the rank and file that assist patients in every way and the cleaning staff that make sure things don't smell too "hospital"-ly, this is an operation built for getting loved ones the help they need to rehabilitate from whatever ails them. The Medical staff are all on the same page and are a united front when it comes to rehabilitating their patient. Because of the COVID-19 situation, there was no Geriatric Psychiatrist on staff, probably the only thing that I would have liked to have access. Otherwise, there were no complaints and it was apparent how much they cared for their patient while at Saint Paul's Towers. Food-The food staff does their best to accommodate, with meal options such as cut small (chopped), pureed, and every option in between to ensure the patient stays well nourished during their stay. There were always several meal options available and a snack cart that rolled around every so often to cure the in-between meal munchies. Skilled Nursing in COVID times. Another wrinkle in the rehabilitation journey. Expect to have your loved one in isolation and getting familiar with a lot of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment). When we stayed there, there were 3 days of face shields, gowns, masks, and gloves. Pretty much the full-on bunny suit to ensure the safety and health of everyone around. It is inconvenient, but in these times, is something to be endured. Expect visits to be scheduled with management and to show vaccine cards every visit. Elevators have minimum occupancy. This is not optimal, but I feel good that they do their best to ensure the health & safety of patients, staff, & visitors. On being a visitor at Saint Paul's Towers. Expect to have some downtime, while loved ones are being attended to - whether it be a bath, check-up, or physical therapy, there will be times when visitors will be "on their own". Because of Saint Paul's Towers location, this is not a problem, as there is a great coffee shop (Equator) across the street and a Whole Foods right next door. Skilled Nursing stays are not fun for loved ones or their relations. If you are going to stay in Skilled Nursing, make sure it is one of the best. I recommend Saint Paul's Towers Skilled Nursing. We were not disappointed.