16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com The need for senior living and care is increasing, but quality is decreasing. By Pam Marino NOT SO GOLDEN It’s lunchtime at Pacific Grove Senior Living, formerly known as Forest Hill Manor, and a group of residents are sitting around a table in the dining room, stumped by the bread that came with the tuna sandwiches. It was advertised on the menu as a croissant sandwich, but instead of a flaky, buttery pastry it’s some sort of muffin-shaped bread with a faux swirl design baked into the top. “This is not a croissant,” one resident says, using the French pronunciation. “What is this thing?” She takes the top of the bread and taps it on her plate, making a clinking sound with each tap. The residents agree the meal is barely edible, but the poor quality food is relatively minor compared to a list of additional vexing issues they have faced since for-profit Pacifica Senior Living purchased the P.G. location in 2022, along with another senior facility, Lake Park, in Oakland, for $34 million from the previous owner, nonprofit California-Nevada Methodist Homes. The nonprofit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021. In recent months PGSL residents say they’ve contended with no heat for sometimes weeks in the main building and a malfunctioning elevator that stranded some residents, along with departures of longtime staff members and low staffing, poorly functioning washers and dryers, among other issues. Meanwhile, fees went up without explanation. A neutral third-party monitor’s report completed for the California State Attorney General’s Office last March detailed how Pacifica cut costs while increasing fees and noted a higher than average number of state citations compared to other facilities. The monitor also noted problems like a lack of emergency lighting and safety issues due to staff cuts. (In California, the transfer of nonprofit-owned health care facilities to for-profit owners requires review by the Attorney General, and in this case, came with a set of conditions and monitoring for compliance.) In August, Pacifica garnered worldwide attention after attempting to improperly evict a 96-year-old woman from PGSL. At a skilled nursing facility in Healdsburg owned by Pacifica, the company settled a wrongful death Above: Pacific Grove Senior Living, formerly Forest Hill Manor, was built in 1926 as the Forest Hill Hotel. Eventually it became a senior community and care facility run by California-Nevada Homes. When that nonprofit filed for bankruptcy in 2021, it was purchased by for-profit Pacifica Senior Living in 2022. Photos by Daniel Dreifuss
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