Fulfilling A Dream.
Hi, my name is Anita Varelas. From the very early days of my career, I realized that most referral businesses do a less than thorough service of 
placing seniors in their new Bay Area homes.
That’s why I founded Neighborly Senior Placement, which is my dream come true.
With my industry experience and vast network of senior living colleagues, I am in a unique position to help seniors and their families to find the Bay Area senior living communities that best suit their wants and needs.
Senior living is my calling.
I was lucky to have grown up around not only my grandparents, but also my great grandparents. My parents led by example in honoring the seniors who lived around us.
My professional journey began with a part-time job for an assisted living community. As a young waitress, I also volunteered my time to learn everything that I could from the sales team. This led to increasingly responsible roles in all areas of operations and sales. Eventually, I was promoted to Sales Director.
Since then, I’ve worked as Regional Sales Director for senior living companies in California, Oklahoma, and Texas. Along the way, I received my Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) license and my certification in Gerontology and dementia care.
“I’m with you every single step of the way — from the initial phone call to the first night in your new home at a senior living community.”
You have questions.
We have answers.
What are your main points of difference vs. national referral services?
I’ve become increasingly well known in the San Francisco Bay Area senior living market over the past 20 years. Colleagues regularly reach out to me to ask for my recommendations for their family and friends who are in search of a new place to live.
Having such a depth of experience and knowing all of the key players in the area has also helped me to understand the laws and requirements of each community.
Nationwide referral services are, basically, lead aggregators with no on-the-ground experience in the Bay Area, I have spent most of my career in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am local, trustworthy, and always accessible. I have a great network of senior living colleagues, and I tackle each search with high energy and an urgency to get it done right.
What geographic areas do you cover?
- San Francisco County
- East Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa Counties
- Peninsula: San Mateo County
- South Bay: Santa Clara County
Over time, I may extend my services to include other Bay Area counties, as well as the Modesto / Stockton and Sacramento areas.
What kind of referral assistance do you offer?
We do referral and placement into the following senior living categories:
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Memory Care
- CC&R / Life Care
- Board & Care
- Skilled Nursing
What steps are involved in the service you provide?
Our journey starts with an initial call where we share information and get to know one another.
I offer details of my history with senior living communities throughout the Bay Area. I also give a few examples of the people I have placed over the years.
Next, is a needs assessment. What prompted you to start looking? What are your particular care needs? How will you pay for your new senior living community? We assist you in answering that particular question by analyzing your budget and your income sources such as Social Security, pensions, IRAs, etc. We explore whether you will need to sell your home?
Then, we discuss care options and take a dive deep into your short- and long-term care needs, including physical problems (if any), mental acuity, medical conditions, medications, caregiver options, etc.
How do we decide the right place or location for me?
Once I have a pretty good idea of which communities may be a good fit, I schedule tours, meet you there in person, and introduce you to the Sales Director.
After these tours, I send a detailed email list of communities that I recommend. Once you have made your choice or choices I send you the paperwork for a physical, medical history, and a TB test, all of which you will need before you can move in.
I help negotiate the move-in costs, make referrals to a moving company, and arrange for a realtor, if needed, to sell your current property. I even call after the first night to ask how you’re feeling about your new community.
Finally, I reach out for a three-week, two-month, six-month, and one-year series of follow ups to make sure everything is going well.
How do you charge for your services?
Our services are absolutely free to you. The community that you choose pays me an agreed-upon percentage of the first month of their fees. This percentage varies, depending on the type and size of the community.
Do you have testimonials from seniors who you’ve placed in various communities?
See my Testimonials page for these heartfelt endorsements, as well as those from staff at senior living communities.
Read about my uniquely personal approach to senior living placement.
