“Feedback is a Great Gift” & Making an Impact in San Antonio, Texas

Jean — a senior in her early 80s — reached out to Caring a few years ago for help finding a new home closer to friends. She chose The Waterford at Thousand Oaks, a community serving seniors in San Antonio, Texas for over 20 years. In October 2024, Jean shared a 5-star review via Caring’s award-winning review call-in line, detailing how much she loves the community and her experiences serving as a resident “ambassador” to help others considering or living at the community. 

“All the options, all the positive things that happen in this building, I'm one of the ones that share the information,” she said in her review. She’s particularly fond of community activities like dance, art, crafts, sewing, bingo, and more, and compliments the staff: “All of them are very excellent people. They learn everybody's name. They care about everybody…They do ‘above and beyond’ work here.” 

It’s reviews like Jean’s that have led to The Waterford at Thousand Oaks being a Caring Stars service excellence award winner in six years since 2017 — including in the last five consecutive years, and a Caring Super Star (3-year or more winner) every year since 2022. 

Executive Director Dennise Acosta said in a recent interview with Caring, “Feedback is a great gift. We always reach for the moon, and get to the stars!” 

She displays their Caring Stars awards in the community lobby. “There are so many people that have agreed this is somewhere that your loved one is going to be cared for, be loved, and be happy. We’re going to create new memories together. And I think that’s what Caring Stars helps us to display.” 

In their reviews on Caring.com that led to their stellar status: 

• Residents (like Jean) praise the camaraderie in the community, the genuine attention and caring from the staff, flexible dining options, and the activities.

• Family and friends of residents comment about how accommodating and helpful their team is, and notice how clean and well-maintained the community is (something the residents have also mentioned). 

• Tour-takers likewise give positive feedback about how welcoming, homey and family-oriented the community is — The Waterford at Thousand Oaks is making a great first impression for these visitors. 

Dennise shares the published reviews with her staff and says, “This is how great you are. This is the impact you’re making.” And when residents ask her how they can help the community they love, she asks them to share a review too, “to help us change more lives.” 

The Waterford at Thousand Oaks is a community within the Sonida Senior Living portfolio of properties, focused on “comfort, connection and fun — helping seniors live their best lives.” Their mission is “to create a safe and caring environment where team members thrive, and residents find their joy in new experiences and friendships.” The reviews on Caring.com help demonstrate how well they’re delivering on their mission. 

“Reputation management has become an important focus for Sonida Senior Living and for the families we support,” says Kari Wilson, director of sales operations. “Being recognized by Caring.com with the Caring Stars award is certainly an additional bonus as we achieve and maintain a strong reputation for each of our communities. An award like Caring Stars shows that as a company, Sonida is dedicated to ensuring that we not only measure up in our markets, but also shines a spotlight on the fact that we exceed, by offering the best services possible for the families that choose a Sonida Senior Living community.” 

Kari adds, “The Caring Stars award helps families that are at the beginning of their senior living journey navigate offerings and identify great options regarding communities to consider and commit to. It sets Sonida apart and helps to guide families to the best solutions for them.” 

Since June 2014, over a dozen such family members of residents have given a positive review about The Waterford of Thousand Oaks’ independent living services. A few samples: 

• “I'm glad she's safe & enjoying her senior years,” said Allenton, whose mother is a resident. 

• “People were very friendly, and the staff was friendly and helpful. Anytime I needed something from them, they were very accommodating,” said Sherry, whose sister was a resident. 

• “I am very impressed…all the staff interact and care about the clients, and treat the seniors like family!” said Olivia, whose aunt lives there. 

Dennise agrees and adds, “We have amazing residents, family members and staff. We do have a beautiful community, but it’s the people who make us who we are, and they’re among my biggest blessings.”

Caring’s CEO Tracey Zhen also highlights the importance of customer reviews and the Caring Stars award. In announcing the 2025 winning communities, she said, “Earning the Caring Stars award is a mark of excellence that sets these communities apart. This achievement underscores their commitment to creating high-quality, customer-centric experiences and to delighting those they serve.” 

As their Caring Stars performance has demonstrated, The Waterford at Thousand Oaks has been a shining example of service excellence in senior living, and their reviews on Caring.com help illuminate, detail and celebrate how so. 

Photo Source: The Waterford at Thousand Oaks

Photo Source: The Waterford at Thousand Oaks

Learn more about Caring Stars by contacting reviews@caring.com, and learn more about The Waterford at Thousand Oaks via their community’s profile. 

Each year, Caring recognizes the top-rated senior living communities and in-home care agencies with the Caring Stars award, based on consumer reviews from seniors and their families on Caring.com.

The first of its kind when originally launched and now a well-recognized signal of service excellence, Caring Stars 2026 marks two major milestones:

• The 15th edition winner list for senior living (including all levels of community, from 55+ apartments, adult day care, and independent living, to assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, and CCRCs)

• The 10th anniversary winner list for senior care (including in-home care, home health, hospice, and geriatric care management)

With added promotions to celebrate these milestones, it’s a particularly opportune time to be among the featured communities and agencies honored! We detailed how to earn the Caring Stars 2026 award in our recent “Time to Shine” webinar (slides and recording in our events archive), and the following summary provides an overview for you, too.

Why Reviews — and Caring Stars — Matter

When researching and selecting the best fit service providers, seniors and their families turn to online reviews to narrow their options and make decisions. Caring Stars and the over 400,000 reviews on Caring.com help them make well-informed, confident choices during these life transitions.

Over the many years we’ve hosted online reviews, we’ve seen firsthand how this peer feedback not only shapes trust, but also drive inquiries, tours, and move-ins. Research from BrightLocal’s Consumer Reviews Survey and data from Caring’s referral partnerships show that:

• 96% of Americans read reviews when considering local services, including for senior living and in-home care, and 74% are looking at multiple review websites. When this online research happens, you want your online reviews to help tell a story about the quality of your services and positively influence their decision-making.

• Caring community partners with 16+ reviews have averaged nearly 3x more leads, almost 4x more tours, and over 4x more move-ins than those with only 1-2 reviews.

• Earning the Caring Stars award builds on this influence. In 2023-2024, Caring Stars communities attracted nearly twice as many inquiries and over five times more move-ins compared to non-winners on Caring.com.

Community and care seekers use Caring Stars as a shortcut to trust. They see the award or badge in search results, on profile pages, and even filter the Caring.com directory results to view Caring Stars from the past three years. The award helps them quickly identify those communities and agencies with a track record of excellence — attracting them to learn more about their services.

Caring Stars gives honored businesses this valuable increased visibility in search, social media, and local PR. The award brings free promotional materials, media coverage, and a powerful differentiator in a crowded marketplace.

As a high integrity reviews platform, Caring charges no fees for Caring Stars participation, and there is no application process. Any community or agency in the United States with a stellar reputation profile on Caring.com can be considered — if meeting the minimum eligibility criteria by the qualification deadline (for Caring Stars 2026, that is October 15, 2025).

Key Dates and What’s Needed

• 2026 Award qualification deadline: October 15, 2025

• Senior living winners announced: mid-November 2025

• Home care agency winners announced: mid-December 2025

To be considered for the 2026 award, we suggest exceeding the following reviews metrics by the qualification deadline ...

FOR SENIOR CARE AGENCIES AND SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIES (with resident capacity of 31+):

FOR CARE HOMES OR SMALL HOUSING:

Quality Assurance Steps

After the October 15th deadline, Caring audits all finalist profiles to confirm integrity and compliance. The audit includes:

• Checking that all published reviews meet guidelines (evaluating them as a collection for each profile, in addition to the individual screening each went through when published). Communities and agencies must avoid adding the reviews for their customers — Caring can help any seniors who need that assistance in participating.

• Verifying state-based licensing information for care levels where required, and ensuring the license information on the profile matches

• For regulated care levels of senior living: Analyzing two years of inspection reports and citations. Finalists can be excluded from the winner list for serious deficiencies, a high volume of minor citations, or repeated year-over-year citations.

• Screening of public news reports

These steps help ensure the award maintains consumer trust and truly represents the best service providers nationwide.

Valid Reviews Only

One of the most common mistakes is asking the wrong people to give reviews on Caring.com.

Here’s who may participate in our high integrity program:

Tools to Build Your Reputation

During the “Time to Shine” webinar for Caring Stars 2026, we discussed the many services Caring offers to get and respond to reviews.

HOW TO GET REVIEWS

• Online Review Forms: Every Caring.com profile has a dedicated review link you can share directly with cognitively-healthy seniors and their families. -Caring’s senior living partners can use Partner Portal to email this link directly to potential reviewers and track how many reviews you generate.

• Review Call-in Line: For Caring’s referral partners, we offer a free “Review Us on Caring” handout with the phone number for our award-winning review call in line. -This is an excellent option for seniors who aren’t yet comfortable online — and it frequently results in very detailed, authentic reviews. We also have other reviews-by-phone services for Caring partners too — for both senior living and senior care.

• Activated Insights Integration: If your home care agency is using Activated Insights (formerly Home Care Pulse), be sure to opt into this program that takes some of the consumer feedback collected in their surveys and transmits reviews for Caring.com profiles.

Once you have reviews published on your profile, don’t miss the opportunity to respond to them:

As announced earlier this summer, we also now have a partnership with ResponseScribe to help craft your responses. It comes with a free 14-day trial for reviews on both Caring and Google.

Take Action Now!

The October 15th deadline will be here sooner than you think, so don't delay in building your Caring.com profile for Caring Stars 2026 consideration. Don't be outshined by your local competitors — be among those featured for excellence in Caring Stars 2026.

Here's what just some of the 2025 winners have had to say about this honor for their organizations:

Have questions? Please reach out to reviews@caring.com or (650) 762-8190 for support.

As the average life expectancy continues to rise, seniors and their families are evaluating senior living options at record numbers. To help prepare for the potential resident increases, senior living communities must ensure that they are well-positioned to attract and retain seniors.

What is the Next Generation of Seniors Looking for?

With more baby boomers approaching retirement each day, senior living communities must rise to meet this generation’s evolving expectations. According to a 2023 American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA) report, 92% of baby boomer respondents wanted to remain as independent as possible in their transition to senior living. Features like full kitchens and in-unit laundry topped their wishlist. And while they’re not digital natives, baby boomers are increasingly tech-savvy and prioritize community, wellness, and access to amenities that help them stay sharp, active, and social.

How Can Senior Living Operators Future-Proof Their Communities?

• Reimagining spaces Aging is not a cookie-cutter experience, and today’s seniors want — and need — more options when choosing a senior living community. Architects are responding by exploring more innovative ways to make residents feel truly at home, designing spaces that are vibrant, engaging, and adaptable to both current and future needs. Expanded living options, creative dining and lounge areas, inviting outdoor spaces, and proximity to mixed-use developments all contribute to a more dynamic, intergenerational experience that helps seniors stay connected to the broader community.

• Focus on lifestyle, wellness & engagement In the digital age, information is more accessible than ever, whether it’s credible or not. This makes it even more crucial for senior living communities to stand out by aligning with baby boomers’ growing emphasis on health and wellness. From gym equipment and group exercise classes to guest speakers and transportation to medical appointments, today’s seniors view independence and well-being as deeply connected. Communities that actively support residents’ health and wellness goals provide a resource that’s essential to their overall satisfaction and quality of life.

• Build a future-ready and inclusive workforce Just as important as the physical space is the team that brings your community to life. Hiring and retaining adaptable, mission-driven employees is key to building trust and a strong reputation. Staff who treat each resident as an individual help create deeper connections with residents and their families. Ongoing development is essential. Training in empathy, inclusivity, and mental health supports both residents and staff. Providing resources to reduce stress and prevent burnout keeps your team engaged and effective. Leveraging technology to streamline tasks also frees staff to focus on what matters most — resident care. Inclusive programming, language accessibility, and celebrating diverse identities all contribute to a welcoming environment. And by offering clear career paths, mentorship, and purpose-driven branding, you can attract the next generation of senior care professionals. Investing in your team creates a stronger, more compassionate community for all.

As the senior population grows and evolves, so must the communities that serve them. Baby boomers are redefining what aging looks like — prioritizing independence, wellness, connection, and cultural relevance. To stay competitive and truly meet the needs of this next generation, senior living operators must take a holistic approach. By embracing innovation and compassion at every level, communities can not only prepare for increased demand but also create environments where seniors feel valued, engaged, and at home.