Life At Carlton

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Why Carlton?

We help residents live their lives with attractive senior housing options, acclaimed services and our legendary “culture of care.”

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Our Mission

We’re a family-founded, family-focused company, and taking care of you and your loved ones is our mission and our passion.

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Service Principles

We aim to love, honor and care for our residents with exceptional service, enthusiasm and integrity.

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Senior Living Surprise

While vacationing in San Francisco I decided to take a quick trip up to Pleasant Hill to see an old dear friend of mine who lives at Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill. I must say you guys do it right! The food was incredible (especially the salad bar!) I was quite impressed with the staff who went out of their way to make me happy. Very clean and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. As I left a fun county band started to play... I wanted to stay but had to leave, hopefully next time I will catch them. Keep up the great work Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill!!!Dr. Wright

Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill Assisted Living Is Truly Special

Special thanks to Lisa Spivey at Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill, on my visit to see my dear friend, you were so warm and welcoming and thanks for the nice chat. You and your whole team are gifts to all the resident that live their. If I retire in Pleasant Hill someday, I wish to call Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill my home. Thanks again and lunch was delightful.S Pelegrino

The Best Senior Living Community

I visited Carlton Senior Living Downtown Pleasant Hill and I was very much impressed with how you guys run this senior community. I live in Florida and what I've seen in my parts is not even close to what you have assembled here. The food, activities and staff are all above board. Very lively place as well. I'm impressed.John B

Assisted Living That Is Like Coming Home

Warm and friendly staff at Carlton Senior Living San Leandro! They make you feel welcome. Very nice apartments, lots of activities and the Sunday Brunch that I was fortunate to attend was OUTSTANDING! Really as good as anything you will find anywhere in the City. Not sure how you do it but I'm sure glad you do. John loves it there.Kathy Oslow

Wonderful Retirement Community

Thank you to the Carlton Senior Living managers and team, for all of the care, patience, time and efforts you put in to helping my father, he was a blessed and happy man until he passed in March. My husband and I appreciate all that you did for him. We really want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sending us flowers on his funeral. Thanks again!Betty Shrine
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Our Memory Care

“Everyone is helpful and caring. It is such a relief that my mom is taken care of at Carlton’s Memory Care. I never worry about her care or well being and she is happy when I visit. Thank you all!” – Alice C.

From the Carlton Senior Community Blog

A Message of Thanks to All the Amazing People at Carlton Senior Living

A Message of Thanks to All the Amazing People at Carlton Senior Living

The families of owners Tom MacDonald and Don Engle send a message of thanks to all of the dedicated hero's that have been helping keep the residents as happy and healthy as possible during these challenging times. http://https://youtu.be/k-30o9NUnnw Read more

Resident Spotlight - Donna Rolls

Resident Spotlight - Donna Rolls

Meet Donna Rolls, Carlton Senior Living's spotlight resident - Donna de Saint Croix Rolls was born on August 6, 1931 in Arlington, Massachusetts to Frances and Donald Wood. She was named Donna after her father and her unique middle name had been passed down through her mother's family for four generations. Naturally, when Donna gave birth to her own daughter, Allison, she also passed on the middle name. Donna was raised Unitarian Universalist, a religion which traces its roots back nearly 450 years to 16th Century Transylvania. Her mother took care of the home and family while her father was a self-employed gold and silver smith. Due to the nature of her father's profession, Donna's family moved around the New England states. At ten years old, she recalls waiting in the car during the birth of her brother, Christopher, because children were not allowed to accompany their parents into the hospital during that time. By then, the family was living in New Haven, Connecticut. Two years later, Donna had an unexplainable stroke while on the school playground and she remembers her mother trying to keep her awake as they quickly drove to the New Haven hospital. Before Donna was released from the hospital, her father decided to let her select where the family would move next. She chose the bustling borough of Brooklyn, New York where her parents purchased their home. [caption id="attachment_15709" align="alignright" width="172"] Donna at around age 11 and her mother, Francis.[/caption] Following her graduation from high school, Donna started working at a hospital in the x-ray department. After about a year on the job, her father strongly encouraged her to decide what she'd like to do with the rest of her life. Donna then applied and was accepted at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland where she majored in English and minored in philosophy. Although she admits it was a bit difficult, Donna graduated with a Bachelor's Degree. At the age of 24, Donna began working at Hanover bank and saving her money so that she could begin life on her own. Once she saved enough money, young Donna moved to San Francisco and immediately began attending church services. While attending church, Donna met her husband-to-be, William Rolls, and the couple was married after a six-month courtship. The newlyweds started their family in the Victorian house and later relocated to Richmond to be closer to William's new job. Donna and William had three children; Christopher, Allison and Roxanne, all of whom were raised as Unitarian Universalists. The Rolls family were members of the Society for Creative Anachronisms and Donna recalls the happy times the family had with the SCA while acting out scenes from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Donna also enjoyed her seven years as a Girl Scout leader which allowed her to spend time with her daughters. [caption id="attachment_23193" align="alignright" width="200"] Donna and Venice at the CPH annual barbecue, 2016[/caption] Donna and William decided to split after 20 years of marriage and she moved to her own place and began her career at Pacific Horticulture from which she would retire 17 years later. During that time, Donna became very active in the Berkeley church with which she would travel to Transylvania in Romania on three separate occasions to learn more about her religious origins. [caption id="attachment_23190" align="alignleft" width="214"] An art piece by Donna[/caption] After retiring, Donna lived in Walnut Creek for 13 years until eventually moving to Carlton Senior Living Concord. She now calls Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill her home. Here Donna enjoys creating art, laughing and joking with her neighbors and always offers a friendly smile. View additional Resident Spotlight articles.   Read more

Resident Spotlight - Elsie Gabby

Resident Spotlight - Elsie Gabby

Meet Carlton Senior Living spotlight resident, Elsie Gabby - Elsie Jane (Bradbury) Gabby was born December 22, 1946 to parents Clara and Byron Bradbury. She has five younger siblings: Robert, Shirley, David, Sharon, and Brian. Her family home was in Johnson City, New York, a rural village along the New York/Pennsylvania border. She has wonderful memories of her childhood. Johnson City is “kind of a country town” and they spent lots of time outdoors and lived in a wonderful, big house. She enjoyed climbing trees and eating popsicles with her friends. She fondly remembers another friend who would bring her oranges. Elsie and her siblings were close until she moved away from New York. Elsie attended Union-Endicott High School in the neighboring town of Endicott. Her favorite subjects were math and English. After high school she studied nursing at the Binghamton Hospital School; she had known since she was a child that she wanted to become a nurse. She got her first nursing job at Ideal Hospital in Endicott. During the Vietnam War, Elsie and a friend decided to join the U.S. Air Force together. She served ten years, three months, and a few days. She entered at the rank of First Lieutenant and had earned the rank of Captain by the time she left. She was stationed in California but also spent time in Italy for flight nurse training. Flight nurses are trained to provide medical care during air travel. They keep patients stable until the aircraft arrives at a healthcare facility. After she left the military Elsie continued in her nursing career. She moved to Davis, California 25 years ago, when she got a nursing job at Sutter Davis Hospital. She retired from Sutter about 10 years ago. She moved to Carlton Davis in November 2018. She and her late ex-husband, John Gabby, had two children together: John III and Kathleen. She has five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. She likes animals and has had several cats and dogs over the years. Here at Carlton Senior Living Davis, Elsie enjoys the friendly employees and residents. She is a frequent activity attendee; her favorite activities are Jeopardy and bean bag baseball. Her favorite movie is Dune, a 1984 science fiction film based on the novel of the same name. She loves Irish music and the scent of lilac. Her favorite food is fried shrimp. Her favorite dessert is classic cheesecake, with a little fruit on top. Elsie is very grateful for all the educational and career training that she has had throughout the years; this remains her favorite life experience. Her philosophy is to “plan one or two days in advance.” She suggests that others “be honest with what they feel.” She describes herself as kind, patient, and friendly. She most admires her mother—her mom was her rock and she and Elsie were always very close. View additional Resident Spotlight articles. Written by Ben Slade, Resident Liaison at Carlton Senior Living Davis Read more

Resident Spotlight - Donna Skinner

Resident Spotlight - Donna Skinner

Meet Carlton Senior Living spotlight resident, Donna Skinner - Donna was born in Kansas on March 6, 1940 to parents Marie and Donald Roof. Donna is an only child. She grew up on a farm and her favorite childhood memories revolve around the farm—she fondly remembers helping with chores, including gathering eggs and working with the pigs. When Donna was a child, she wanted to become a nurse. Her mom was a nurse and she knew many other women who were nurses; in those days, it was one of the few careers open to women. Donna attended Ness City High School and was involved with a couple of different clubs, including Latin Club and Science Club. She loved high school. She did her undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas and her graduate studies at the University of Iowa. Donna taught preschool and elementary school for twenty years and then switched to teaching adults for the rest of her career. She taught teacher training courses, preparing her students to be elementary and secondary school teachers. She also supervised student teaching and teaching certificate renewals. Over the course of her career, she taught in public schools in Costa Rica, Iowa, and Kansas, and at Fort Hays State University, in Hays, Kansas. She met her husband, Eugene Skinner, while studying at the University of Kansas. They married in 1966 and were together for 48 years. They have three children: Elizabeth, Erik, and David, and five grandchildren: Ben, Ethan, Elliot, Nathan, and Zoey. Donna lived in Kansas for 30 years, Iowa for 10 years, Mexico for 5 years, and Costa Rica for 5 years. Donna and Eugene moved to Albany, California in 1999 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They moved to Davis, California in 2002. She moved to Carlton Davis in February 2020. She has traveled extensively over the years. She visited the Soviet Union three times in the 1970s and 80s, when Soviet policies were very restrictive. She spent a month in Vietnam in 1955. She has also visited numerous countries in Europe, Africa, and South America. Although Donna has many favorite life experiences, one of her fondest memories is the work she did with southeast Asian refugees in the 1980s. Donna describes herself as helpful, bright, and positive. She believes in trying to find the positive wherever you are. She would like to be remembered as somebody who did good for others. She advises others to deal directly with people, rather than gossiping or going behind someone. Donna enjoys folk music and Spanish-language literature. Her favorite book is Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude. Her favorite food is chicken tarragon, which she likes to cook herself. Her favorite desserts are chocolate cake and red velvet cake with lots of cream frosting. Her favorite scent is cinnamon. Donna most admires President John F. Kennedy, for his compassion and his desire to help people. Here at Carlton Senior Living Davis, Donna loves the social atmosphere that exists between the employees, residents, and administration. View additional Resident Spotlight articles. Written by Ben Slade, Resident Liaison at Carlton Senior Living Davis Read more

It's National Nurses Week

It's National Nurses Week

It’s National Nurses Day and the beginning of National Nurses Week which concludes on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nightingale was a celebrated social reformer, statistician and is known as the founder of modern nursing and was dubbed “The Lady with the Lamp” because of her habit of making rounds at night. Today kicks off our celebration nurses who are on the frontlines every day caring for others. In addition to spending their careers tending to patients, many nurses extend this caring into their personal lives. Excellent examples of this desire to provide for others are RNs, Joslyn Lewis and Sothy Shields (pictured). They’ve started a group called the Bumblebees of Hope which has been busy sewing and delivering masks to front-line workers throughout Northern California. 🐝 We are grateful to these dedicated nurses and members of the group who have so generously donated 1,000 beautiful cloth masks to Carlton associates. Check out their Facebook group for information and to contribute to the project: https://bit.ly/2W7B2my Follow Carlton on Facebook for more updates from Nurses Week! Read more

Dear Carlton Family of Staff...

Dear Carlton Family of Staff...

Dear Carlton Family of Staff, To our Personal Caregivers, our Med Techs, our Kitchen and Wait Staff, our Activity Assistants, our Drivers, our Maintenance Team, our Housekeepers, and our DFIs: We Carlton Residents thank you for caring for us untiringly, especially during this worldwide health crisis. Each of you has a deep commitment to us seniors that is personally evident each day. Your kindness is always shown with smiles and greeting us by name. You ask how we are doing and calmly wait for our answer. Your patience is shown again and again with your continued physical care and unending emotional support. You are always ready to help us by guiding us, answering our questions, or finding the answer for us as quickly as possible. You assure us that everything will be all right. Family is where you find it. Each of you are like family to us, making our livers better and happier while we live at Carlton. Thank you for caring for us day after day. With much gratitude and affection, 💙 Your Carlton Family of Residents Read more

"His Life ‘Began’ with a Bike Ride to the New York World’s Fair" by Harriett Burt

Ed Vining moved into Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill-Martinez a few months ago from the Muir Oaks section of Martinez. He was born in North Carolina in 1925 shortly before his family moved to Montgomery, West Virginia. His father was a teacher and his mother was a housewife. He had two sisters. Ed is certain of one thing: “my life didn’t start until I was 14” when the 1939-40 World’s Fair opened in New York.  He wanted to see it, but his family wasn’t able to go. [caption id="attachment_23128" align="alignleft" width="175"] Ed around 1946[/caption] It was 1940 before he started the trip. How did he get there? “I rode my bike,” he replied. What??? Montgomery is nearly 500 miles from New York City! “Were your parents okay with that?” I asked. “No, they weren’t okay but I coerced them.” When told it was a brave thing to do, his answer was “I wasn’t brave, just obstreperous. I wasn’t a bad kid.” The plan was that a friend would go with him. But that fell apart at the last minute when the friend was biking to the rendezvous only to be spotted by his father, the town doctor, who was on his way to a late-night call. So, Ed peddled the distance by himself. He had taken some food and he bought more on the road, the side of which provided his bed at night wherever he was. He had enough money for food on the road and admission to the Fair. The trip took about 7 days. He stayed with an aunt in Brooklyn for several days before heading home. The Fair was celebrated for its international exhibition theme, the “World of Tomorrow,” including among other things, television, which would not be in homes for another decade. But Ed’s priority was to see the then famous burlesque stripper and actress, Ann Corio, perform. But after biking all that way, the teenager was not surprisingly refused admission. However, he remembers being impressed with the General Electric exhibit which fired a lightning bolt across a large room and the Crosley car exhibit. The Crosley was an American made subcompact which started production in 1939 with ‘ahead of its time’ features such as disc brakes and an overhead camshaft engine. Popular during the war for its gas economy, it failed in the ‘50s when large cars became popular. When Ed got home, he learned to fly an airplane along with going to high school. But everything had changed after Pearl Harbor.  All the young men of military age left so a friend of his who was the son of the town’s fire chief, rounded up twenty 16-year-olds including Ed to serve as volunteer firemen. “I kind of grew up in the year 1942,” he observes. After graduation, he joined the Navy. At 17, he was too young for flight training, so he became an aviation mechanic. Stationed at naval air bases in California for two years, in 1945 Ed was sent to Tinian, an island near Okinawa, famous as the airbase of the Enola Gay. Very few, in the services or out, knew about the atom bomb so all preparations were for a long, bitter fight on the home islands of Japan. [caption id="attachment_23134" align="alignright" width="350"] Privateer Bomber at the Pima Air Museum[/caption] Before August, Ed was assigned as a gunner to a four-engine “Privateer” aircraft flying up and down the Pacific from Okinawa looking for Japanese ships. He flew only five missions in the Privateer as the Enola Gay had done its job. World War II was over for Ed and so many others. Getting home was a small struggle because Ed and his crewmates had found and adopted a dog. The Navy would not fly the dog home or take it aboard a Navy ship. The crew went to the Merchant Marine ships in the bay, asking to hitch a ride home. They found one that would take them and off they went. After passing out a few souvenirs and fixing the ship’s ice cream maker, they were treated like heroes. 16 days later they were in the Bay Area and going through discharge at Alameda Naval Air Station. When Ed arrived home, he was hired as one of the two paid firemen in the local department. In 1948, he started college near home and later in Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology where he studied to become a fire protection engineer working on sprinklers, alarm systems and building construction fire prevention. Meanwhile, he got married and had a son and later a daughter. [caption id="attachment_23131" align="alignright" width="150"] 1973[/caption] Ed’s career started in New York City. The family moved back to Illinois where he worked for a company making explosives for use in the Korean War. The next stop was San Francisco where for 19 years he was chief engineer of a company that made and maintained fire alarm systems. That was followed by 13 years with a fire  protection consulting company that eventually was bought by Ed and four others. After a few years, they sold the company and went to work for the new owners. Ed retired in 1984 and bought property in Martinez in the Muir Oaks area. He went back to work as a consultant, retiring again in 1996.  During his time at the consulting firm he was often sent overseas. Visiting 10 countries, among his assignments was consulting with the Saudi Arabian Air Force on fire prevention for their structures. He also spent time helping Norway with safety procedures on an offshore oil platform. In 2003, “I went to my real life” he says.  He became a National Park Service volunteer advising on structural fire protection throughout the Park Service sites while others used their expertise on wild land fires, a different animal, Ed says. [caption id="attachment_23132" align="alignleft" width="200"] Ed with his granddaughters[/caption] “It was a wonderful job with the best people I ever met. Almost everything I did was fun,” he recalls. That included visiting 56 NPS sites from Texas to the Aleutians and from the East Coast to the Southwest and in between. Working with the staff on the ground was very fulfilling for him. He would look for deficiencies in the alarm systems or construction issues and make suggestions. However, as time went on, the stonewalling on the executive level became too frustrating so he “retired” for a third time in 2013. Looking back over 95 years, Ed feels he has had “a very good life. Except for the Navy, I’ve loved everything.” Written by Harriett Burt, Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill-Martinez Resident Read additional pieces by Harriett Burt   Read more

Carlton Residents Show Appreciation for our Essential Associates

Carlton Residents Show Appreciation for our Essential Associates

The outpouring of support from residents, families and our communities at large is truly humbling and heartening. Bill Edwards from Carlton Senior Living Sacramento and Harriett Burt from Carlton Senior Living Pleasant Hill and their expressions of appreciation are fantastic examples of the fellowship that can only be felt within a community.   We’re in this together and we feel the love, so, thank YOU! Read more

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