It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Bradbury Building gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Los Angeles, CA is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Carrie is amazing. Very knowledgeable about Senior living, lifestyle, and care. Super responsive and phenomenal”
“Always Best Care was there for us after my wife's surgery. We had a caregiver”
“Loli demonstrated a level of professionalism that stood out, and her service and follow through”
“My dad came home from the hospital, then to hospice care for 4 months, then”
“Excellent service. Professional staff and wonderful caregivers.”
“I would highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Servicesto help you navigate the care of”
“I would highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Servicesto help you navigate the care of”
“Loli is very caring, worked with us to get the best caregiver match for my”
“We are deeply grateful to Loli and to two of the ABC caregivers in particular,”
“I needed to find an assisted living community for my dad in a hurry, and”
“Always Best Care was an excellent caregiving service for the short time they tended to”
“reliable with excellent oversight”
“We have had 24/7 care for my mother with ABC for over 2 years. The”
“Loli Ramezani and her staff are top notch when it comes to the service they”
“Loli was excellent to work with. She really took the time to understand my father”
“This was a wonderful experience. The care giver did a fantastic job taking care of”
“Loli and the staff at Always Best Care were very professional, compassionate, and resourceful in”
“Outstanding service. I would recommend Manhattan Beach Always Best Care to anyone who needs to”
“I needed to find someone for taking care of my poor mom without being worried.”
“Loli truly cares about her clients and their families ! , She is compassionate professional”
“I needed to find someone for taking care of my mom without being worried. When”
“Always Best Care and Carrie Bianco go above and beyond the call of duty to”
“I can't say enough good things about Always Best Care! Carrie is so professional.”
“What a pleasure to meet Carrie and be introduced to her at Always Best”
“Carrie truly cares about her clients and their families. She is compassionate professional”
“Carrie is amazing. Very knowledgeable about Senior living, lifestyle, and care. Super responsive and phenomenal follow up. An incredible resource for all things "Senior".”
“Always Best Care was there for us after my wife's surgery. We had a caregiver come each day for two weeks to help bath, feed, walk, and tidy the house during working hours so that my wife was not alone. Our caregiver Naomi was a God sent and so delightful. I often overheard my wife and Naomi singing together. What a joy! Thank you Loli and ABC Senior Services for making this service available to Beach Cities.”
“Loli demonstrated a level of professionalism that stood out, and her service and follow through made our experience with Always Best Care Senior Services stress free. We had a unique situation that required a specific type of caregiver and Loli was able to make a great match! Overall a great experience.”
“My dad came home from the hospital, then to hospice care for 4 months, then passed at home. Loli helped our family during multiple transitions of his care. She is professional and efficient, but also compassionate and empathic. She was a core contact for our family from in- and out-of town, and always responded quickly to calls, emails or txts. Dad's caregiver needs and schedules were ever-changing and Loli was always able to adjust, helping us to coordinate needs from hospice and family. We are so thankful Dad was able to spend his last months at home. We continue to use Loli's services for our mom. The caregivers are trained well and often became friends to my folks. I highly recommend Loli's services.”
“Excellent service. Professional staff and wonderful caregivers.”
“I would highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Servicesto help you navigate the care of your loved ones in their senior years of need. We called them when we found out my 92 year old mother in law was due to be released from the hospital but clearly not able to care for herself upon her release. It was a stressful situation but Loli new exactly the right questions to ask and heard our needs and pointed us in the right direction with all that needed to be done. She set up a call with hospice who arranged for all necessary equipment to be delivered in less than a 24 hour period. She also set up 3 very competent experienced care givers to be at the home in that same 24 hour period. The speed and professionalism in which this all happened could not have handled any better in my opinion. Working with Loli at Always Best Care Senior Services put our minds at ease and got everything set up for us to care for my mother in law. Loli was hands on in meeting with us and introducing the care givers and involved with speaking to doctors and hospice and everyone involved with my mother in laws care. She made a highly stressful time much more manageable and guided us every step of the way. She also followed up and made sure all that was supposed to be done was being taken care of. You are in good hands when calling on them for your loved ones care. I am happy to speak to anyone directly if you would like to ask any questions I give my permission for Always Best Care to give my personal phone number out to speak to anyone who is considering using their services.”
“I would highly recommend Always Best Care Senior Servicesto help you navigate the care of your loved ones in their senior years of need. We called them when we found out my 92 year old mother in law was due to be released from the hospital but clearly not able to care for herself upon her release. It was a stressful situation but Loli new exactly the right questions to ask and heard our needs and pointed us in the right direction with all that needed to be done. She set up a call with hospice who arranged for all necessary equipment to be delivered in less than a 24 hour period. She also set up 3 very competent experienced care givers to be at the home in that same 24 hour period. The speed and professionalism in which this all happened could not have handled any better in my opinion. Working with Loli at Always Best Care Senior Services put our minds at ease and got everything set up for us to care for my mother in law. Loli was hands on in meeting with us and introducing the care givers and involved with speaking to doctors and hospice and everyone involved with my mother in laws care. She made a highly stressful time much more manageable and guided us every step of the way. She also followed up and made sure all that was supposed to be done was being taken care of. You are in good hands when calling on them for your loved ones care. I am happy to speak to anyone directly if you would like to ask any questions I give my permission for Always Best Care to give my personal phone number out to speak to anyone who is considering using their services.”
“Loli is very caring, worked with us to get the best caregiver match for my parents, was able to schedule someone when we needed a caregiver on short notice and she always made suggestions to us to help make things better and more comfortable for my parents.”
“We are deeply grateful to Loli and to two of the ABC caregivers in particular, María Flores and Soledad, for their professionalism, dedication and superb service over the course of nearly two years. They provided coverage on evening shifts on weekends and some weekdays —as well as on occasional overnight shifts— for my mother who was in the early-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer’s. (We recently moved her into an assisted living facility.) Because our need for ABC's services was sporadic and variable, Loli and her staff often had to juggle quite a bit to accommodate us — for which we are grateful. Occasionally we’d be assigned a caregiver who wasn’t the best fit but Loli was always responsive to our concerns and would work with us to find a different caregiver. We also appreciate the “added value” that Loli brought to the table — her overall expertise on elder care, knowledge about related resources, and guidance on how to make our home safer for my mother. We are pleased to highly recommend Loli and ABC for your in-home eldercare needs.”
“I needed to find an assisted living community for my dad in a hurry, and knew that I didn't have as much time as I'd like to do all of the research on my own. I was very relieved when I found Loli to help us as a consultant for our search. She was very detail-oriented in acquiring the necessary info from us, and helped us to find a few places with availability that we could visit. I very much appreciated her knowledge of so many various communities, her professionalism, her efficiency, and the wide range of items that she suggested we consider, that we may not have thought of on our own. I would highly recommend her placement services.”
“Always Best Care was an excellent caregiving service for the short time they tended to my ailing mother, a late-stage pancreatic cancer patient. She passed away shortly after we began the caregiving service. In the short time that Always Best Care tended to my mother, the caregiver Maria demonstrated excellent experience. She tended well to my mother and assisted in any other way that she could. Thank you Maria and Always Best Care for your service. I wish you all the kindness and wellness in the world. Colin”
“reliable with excellent oversight”
“We have had 24/7 care for my mother with ABC for over 2 years. The care and compassion they showed for her really touched my heart. I have had to ask for last minute help when another caregiver (not from ABC) could not show up for a shift, Loli and staff always came through for me. She has always been available to work out problems and last minute requests, I can't say enough about how important that has been to me when I live out of state.I have really been able to rely on their judgement once they got to know my moms likes and needs, they always tried to match her with a caregiver that she would also feel comfortable with personally.The caregivers were long term, they did not come and go, mom really became attached and appreciated them. The caregivers speak highly about Loli as their employer, they have mentioned to me they really feel like she cares and looks after them as well. Touches like Loli dropping by for a visit to chat with mom, or remembering her birthday with a bunch of flowers was so great. I would definitely recommend!”
“Loli Ramezani and her staff are top notch when it comes to the service they provide. They are very accommodating on all levels from helping you think things through from start to finish, as well as remaining flexible through each process with the ultimate changes that always seem to arise. I highly recommend them and will be using them again if/when the need presents itself”
“Loli was excellent to work with. She really took the time to understand my father in-law and the family's needs. We had a wonderful caregiver for my father in-law and when it came time to move him from our home, Loli was instrumental in finding a Room and Board that was a great fit. We had used a different service and we can tell you Always Best Care is MUCH higher quality.”
“This was a wonderful experience. The care giver did a fantastic job taking care of my mother. I would recommend them to anyone. The care giver was kind, helpful, and provided all the help we needed. Their service was instrumental in my mother being able to get her independence.”
“Loli and the staff at Always Best Care were very professional, compassionate, and resourceful in providing in home care for my Mom. Loli was responsive when I needed to talk to her about changes or adjustments to my Mom’s care. With her experience and knowledge in the field of senior care she always had recommendations and resources to reach out to when we needed to consider options and alternatives for my Mom’s care. Loli was very compassionate and respectful of my Mom’s wants and needs. I would highly recommend Loli and Always Best Care for senior care services.”
“Outstanding service. I would recommend Manhattan Beach Always Best Care to anyone who needs to have care for a family member. I've had personal experience with Carrie’s organization and was very impressed with her and her caretakers.”
“I needed to find someone for taking care of my poor mom without being worried. When I talked to Loli I got the feeling she understood and she went through A to Z on everything with me. Care and quality care is truly what she delivers.”
“Loli truly cares about her clients and their families ! , She is compassionate professional”
“I needed to find someone for taking care of my mom without being worried. When I talked to Carrie I got the feeling she understood and she went through A to Z on everything with me. Care and quality care is truly what she delivers.”
“Always Best Care and Carrie Bianco go above and beyond the call of duty to really find the perfect fit for your loved one at a price that is affordable. Their customer service and attention to detail is unparalleled.”
“I can't say enough good things about Always Best Care! Carrie is so professional. She was able to find a great caregiver for my Grandmother on very short notice. The communication has been outstanding as well. When it comes to family, you want to know that they are being taken care of by someone that you can trust. We are so happy to have found Always Best Care.”
“What a pleasure to meet Carrie and be introduced to her at Always Best Care Senior Services. Rarely have a met someone that offered so much warmth, care, and genuine concern for the well-being and happiness of her clients. Carrie will be my first call when my family members need assistance.”
“Carrie truly cares about her clients and their families. She is compassionate professional”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Griffith Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar or visit Hollyhock House, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Los Angeles, CA, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Los Angeles, CA understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Los Angeles, CA 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Here's how the Los Angeles Rams currently stack up against the rest of the NFLIn this story:Rosters change in dramatic ways after the NFL Draft so let's see how the Rams stack against the best prepared teams in the NFL.1. Philadelphia Eagles. What's more to say? Super Bowl MVP quarterback, NFL Offensive Player of the Year running back, two 1,000 yard receivers, the bes...
Here's how the Los Angeles Rams currently stack up against the rest of the NFL
In this story:
Rosters change in dramatic ways after the NFL Draft so let's see how the Rams stack against the best prepared teams in the NFL.
1. Philadelphia Eagles. What's more to say? Super Bowl MVP quarterback, NFL Offensive Player of the Year running back, two 1,000 yard receivers, the best offensive line in football, a top 5 defensive line, a top 5 secondary, top 3 overall defense, two time Super Bowl winning kicker.
Honestly, what doesn't Philadelphia have?
2. Los Angeles Rams. The Rams took a roster on the verge of a championship, removed aging pieces, loaded up with an All-Pro receiver, a talented defensive tackle, and retained their Super Bowl winning quarterback.
The Rams have a returning offensive line, a 1,000 yard running back flanking Matthew Stafford and a no name defense that is making the country wake up behind their young and hungry defensive line.
3. Detroit Lions. The Lions had a better roster than the Rams before the start of free agency but have been eclipsed. Not to worry for Dan Campbell, he still has one of the best teams in football. It was injuries that led to the demise of Detriot but they bring back perhaps the most talented player in football Jahmyr Gibbs to run behind a top three offensive line.
Aiden Hutchinson returns from injury, they have one of the best linebacking cores in the league, and they have a burgeoning, aggressive defensive secondary.
4. Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers. What's not to love? The Ravens offensive line were able to retain Ronnie Stanley as right tackle Roger Rosengarden gives Baltimore one of the best tackle duos in the NFL.
A vicious defensive unit, the Ravens remains able to attack offenses with surgical precision in 2025. This team may also have the best pass catching core Lamar Jackson has ever had in his career.
5. Minnesota Vikings. The future of the Vikings rests with the National Champion from Michigan as J.J. McCarthy inherits a roster ready to win right now.
Having one of the best offensive units the in NFL in 2024, Justin Jefferson and his teammates took off with Sam Darnold at the helm. They improved their interior offensive line, the weak link in the offense by signing former Colts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries.
The defense got big inside with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, pairing the destructive sack artists with Pro Bowl outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkle. The Vikings also have first round pick Dallas Turner.
They retained Byron Murphy Jr and Harrison Smith, helping hold down a secondary with questions.
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April 19, 2025 4:07 PM PTA group of property owners affected by the January wildfires is suing major California insurer carriers, including the state’s largest, State Farm, for allegedly violating California’s antitrust and unfair competition laws.The lawsuits follow others regarding insurers’ handling of the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including against ...
April 19, 2025 4:07 PM PT
A group of property owners affected by the January wildfires is suing major California insurer carriers, including the state’s largest, State Farm, for allegedly violating California’s antitrust and unfair competition laws.
The lawsuits follow others regarding insurers’ handling of the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including against Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and the California FAIR Plan (specifically about smoke damage), the state’s beleaguered insurance plan of last resort.
The group complaint and demand for jury trial filed Saturday in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that in a “nefarious conspiracy,” major insurers conspired to “eliminate competition between them,” thereby “intentionally and systematically” forcing homeowners to accept the California FAIR Plan.
On the same day, lawyers filed a separate class action lawsuit alleging the same thing.
“Insurance is a product that homeowners hope never to need, but rely on for peace of mind in normal times and for critical help rebuilding after a catastrophe,” Michael J. Bidart of Shernoff Bidart Echeverria LLP, one of the law firms representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “The complaints allege that, by colluding to push plaintiffs and so many like them to the FAIR Plan, the defendants have reaped the benefits of high premiums while depriving homeowners of coverage that they were ready, willing, and able to purchase to ensure that they could recover after a disaster like January’s wildfires.”
Representatives of the major insurance companies meet regularly to “discuss issues that we would consider to be market issues,” including the administration of the FAIR Plan, said Jamie Court, president and chairman of the board of Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based, progressive nonprofit. “This was clearly a concerted attempt by the entire industry to push people in high-risk areas to lower benefit policies, and at the same time keep collecting higher premiums from everyone else.”
The FAIR Plan was established in the wake of the 1965 Watts riots, after fleeing insurers highlighted the need for a new type of carrier. The goal was to provide an insurance option for California homeowners living in places that open-market carriers refused to cover — including in communities vulnerable to wildfire.
The FAIR Plan has its own reserves, but is backstopped by California’s licensed property insurers, which are required to pay claims when FAIR runs through its funds. The plan has proved pivotal due to increasingly disastrous fires in the state, including after the 2018 Camp fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and cost insurers $12.5 billion.
However, with many insurers canceling coverage for homeowners in fire-risk zones, the FAIR plan has become overwhelmed. The number of FAIR Plan policyholders has skyrocketed from about 200,000 residential policyholders in 2020 to nearly 560,000 as of March 2025. The plan has estimated that it will lose some $4 billion dollars on claims related to the January fires in L.A., draining its reserves and reinsurance.
In response, Lara signed a policy put in place last year which allows the FAIR Plan to assess its member companies $1 billion for residential claims. Those private insurers can then temporarily add surcharges to the premiums paid by their own policyholders to recoup 50% of that, or $500,000.
Those increases in premiums apply to homeowners everywhere in California — not just fire-prone areas. That said, Lara must approve those surcharges separately.
Opponents of the policy call it an industry “bailout” that burdens consumers.
“Homeowners across the state should not be on the hook for the L.A. fires because insurance companies abandoned those neighborhoods and dumped homeowners on the FAIR Plan,” Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog told The Times in January.
The new suits allege that the state’s top insurers — those required by law to back FAIR — colluded together to cancel plans, leaving homeowners underinsured under FAIR, which has higher premiums than most plans on the commercial market, yet is capped at the lower coverage limit of $3 million. The plaintiffs are seeking three times the damages each has sustained.
“This is exactly the type of action that needs to happen for us to break up what is clearly cartel-like behavior,” said Court.
As of publication, representatives from State Farm and Allstate did not respond to requests for comment.
Hilary McLean, a spokesperson for the FAIR Plan, told The Times that “while the California FAIR Plan is not named in these lawsuits, the FAIR Plan does not comment on active litigation.”
Gabriel Sanchez, representing Lara’s office, said in an email, “The Department of Insurance is not involved in this matter as a party and cannot comment on the lawsuit. Our focus is, and always will be, protecting California consumers.”
Earlier this month, State Farm proposed a 17% emergency rate hike — down from an initial 22% request to state officials in February — that it said is necessary to “help stabilize State Farm General’s financial position” and prevent the carrier from having to “further constrain” its ability to provide home insurance in California.
Meanwhile, many who lost their homes in the L.A. fires are calling for a formal government investigation of major insurance providers, alleging that delays and denials have kept them in dire financial straits and housing limbo.
Times staff writer Laurence Darmiento contributed to this report.
On a Saturday night in Beverly Hills, nearly 150 stylish people filter into a grandiose ballroom for an exclusive event. Martinis are flowing and skinny French fries are arriving on small plates. Upbeat music booms over the speakers, and laughter fills the lively space, which is adorned with marble walls, a massive wine cellar and a nearly $2-million Swedish sports car on display.But these guests aren’t just here to mingle and sip on fancy cocktails. They‘re here to play ...
On a Saturday night in Beverly Hills, nearly 150 stylish people filter into a grandiose ballroom for an exclusive event. Martinis are flowing and skinny French fries are arriving on small plates. Upbeat music booms over the speakers, and laughter fills the lively space, which is adorned with marble walls, a massive wine cellar and a nearly $2-million Swedish sports car on display.
But these guests aren’t just here to mingle and sip on fancy cocktails. They‘re here to play Rummikub.
Hosted by friends Marnie Wekselblatt and Laura Galvan, RummiKlub is the latest tabletop game club to pop up in Los Angeles at a time when people, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are seeking alternative ways to connect with others outside of bars and nightclubs. While some people have found community through physical activities such as run clubs, others are gravitating toward gatherings centered on nostalgic games and simpler times. Other popular game clubs include the Venice Backgammon Club; Love, Peace & Spades; Mahjong Mistress; and the L.A. Chess Club. Camber, a popular platform that highlights things to do and places to visit in L.A., occasionally hosts Rummikub events in L.A. as well.
Feb. 13, 2023
About a year ago, after discovering and falling in love with Rummikub — a decades-old tile-based strategy game that’s a mix between the card game Rummy and Mahjong — Wekselblatt and Galvan started bringing the game with them to bars around L.A.
“People were always coming up to us like, ‘Can I get in? Can I get in?’ and we’d literally have crowds of people wanting to play,” says Wekselblatt, 29, an account director. “And we were like, ‘Wait, why don’t we build on this momentum and make something bigger?”
Wekselblatt and Galvan, who moved to L.A. from New York, hosted their first RummiKlub event in late February at a cozy coffee shop called Bravo Toast in West Hollywood. Fifty people showed up and 40 others were on the waitlist for the sold-out gathering that benefited the Madhappy Foundation’s fire-relief efforts. Rachel Friedman, an influencer and host of Sirius XM show “Dialed In” posted a raving review about RummiKlub on TikTok — saying a lot of “hot, normal, smart” people attend — which helped spark more interest in the game club.
Rummikub was created by Ephraim Hertzano in Romania in the 1940s, when card-playing was outlawed under the Communist regime. The goal of the game, which uses small, domino-like tiles instead of cards, is to be the first player to clear all your tiles from your rack by forming valid combinations of sets (either three or four tiles of the same number in different colors) and runs (three or more consecutive numbers all in the same color). While some people grew up playing this multigenerational game, some folks — particularly Gen Z and millennials like Wekselblatt and Galvan — are just now learning about it. RummiKlub’s core audience is a combination of the two age groups.
“Game culture is having a moment,” says Wekselblatt. “I think this game in particular is trending right now because you can play with multiple people. It’s like strategy, it’s fun [and] you can still be social while you play. So I think it’s unique from the other games and it’s easy to learn.”
Galvan, 31, says RummiKlub differs from other game clubs because it’s adjacent to nightlife but still maintains a nostalgic and wholesome vibe.
“I think people are just craving connection,” says Galvan, who is the director of social media for clothing brand Favorite Daughter. “People aren’t really looking to get wasted and go to a club all night. There needs to be other elements to going out and socializing, especially as you get past the 20-party stage. You can still get dressed up, wear a pointed heel, go out and meet a cute boy, but you’re playing a game.”
Inside the Beverly Hills RummiKlub event, which had a $50 entry fee, just about everything is branded with RummiKlub’s logo, from drink coasters to customized Rummikub sets, to complimentary matches and goodie bags, which are filled with sponsored items like skincare and perfume.
All skill levels are welcome to RummiKlub, and most veteran players are eager to teach newbies how to play. An instruction sheet for the game is placed on every table, and the founders walk around the room to help out and answer questions as well. But even if you’re not interested in playing Rummikub at all, you can still attend and hang out at the bar where there are RummiKlub-branded decks of cards and puzzles. Once the match is over, guests are invited upstairs to a lounge area, which is fully equipped with a stage and a live DJ, to continue hanging out.
Cailen Krasnoff, 29, of Santa Monica, attended the March event with her boyfriend, who’s obsessed with the game. “They are making Rummikub chic,” she says. “They’re making it cool. Rummikub is not a chic game, but they’re making it fun.”
Mark Adams of Long Beach, who was visiting Gravitas to inquire about becoming a member, stumbled upon RummiKlub’s event and decided to hop into the game.
“I grew up playing this game with my aunts,” says Adams. “It’s probably been 20 years since I’ve played it. We’d stay until 4 a.m. playing it.”
He was surprised by the crowd that RummiKlub attracted. “I’m impressed by how sophisticated the people are that are playing it. It was just a backyard kind of family thing,” he adds.
As the demand for their club continues to grow and more people discover or rediscover Rummikub, Wekselblatt and Galvan say they are looking forward to hosting monthly gatherings and collaborating with well-known brands. They also hope to expand RummiKlub to other major places like the Hamptons, New York City and Chicago, they say. The next L.A. event is April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Gravitas in Beverly Hills. Tickets start at $35 for people who just want to hang and $50 for attendees who want to play Rummikub.
“We want people to leave [RummiKlub] and feel like they just experienced something that was elevated and cool,” says Galvan. “That they felt confident and got to get dressed up and have a fun night out.”
April 18, 2025 3 AM PTShooting stars will usher in Earth Day starting late Monday night as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak — and Californians will have some of the best views in the country.The annual meteor shower event will be most visible in April and is named after the constellation Lyra, the harp, located near the point i...
April 18, 2025 3 AM PT
Shooting stars will usher in Earth Day starting late Monday night as the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak — and Californians will have some of the best views in the country.
The annual meteor shower event will be most visible in April and is named after the constellation Lyra, the harp, located near the point in the sky where the Lyrids appear to originate. The shower is one of the oldest on record, with observations dating back more than 2,700 years.
The peak of the event will be Monday night into the early morning hours of Tuesday, Earth Day. Thanks to clear skies, almost all of California is forecast to have good viewing conditions, along with some regions of other western states, parts of the Southwest and a pocket of the Midwest, including areas west and south of Chicago, according to AccuWeather.
In Los Angeles and other major cities where light pollution is pervasive, stargazers will have some difficulty seeing the shower despite the ideal weather conditions due to the light pollution from homes, businesses, streetlights and cars.
“These events are notoriously invisible for the average person because we’re all drowning in artificial light, and so there’s really not a prayer for most people to get to see this at all,” said Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory.
Aug. 1, 2024
Krupp’s best tips for an optimal viewing experience include dressing warm and making yourself as comfortable as possible, given that dedicated viewers could be staring up at the sky for at least a few hours, going well past midnight. Shooting stars can be easy to miss, he added, so staying focused and being patient are key. He warns against cell phone use, both because of the light it emits and the distraction it causes.
With the peak of the shower coming during the first few hours of Earth Day, Krupp chuckled at the alignment of the galaxy’s display and our observance of the holiday.
“The cosmos is a cold, random and uncaring place, but somehow it manages to converge with our own emotional bonds,” he said.
A stroke of luck for a homeless San Luis Obispo man may finally allow him to afford a home — and the second chance he’s been dreaming about.A customer of Sandy’s Liquor in the Central Coast city won a $1-million scratcher from the California Lottery this month, state lottery officials said. According to the store’s manager, Wilson Samaan, the man is a longtime customer who is homeless and did not wish to speak publicly. But Samaan couldn’t contain his joy for the customer during an interview with The Time...
A stroke of luck for a homeless San Luis Obispo man may finally allow him to afford a home — and the second chance he’s been dreaming about.
A customer of Sandy’s Liquor in the Central Coast city won a $1-million scratcher from the California Lottery this month, state lottery officials said. According to the store’s manager, Wilson Samaan, the man is a longtime customer who is homeless and did not wish to speak publicly. But Samaan couldn’t contain his joy for the customer during an interview with The Times on Wednesday.
“I was so excited — even more than him,” Samaan said. “He’s a good person, he deserves every penny. ... I was very excited it happened to a person who deserved it, and he actually needed it.”
The man’s win, first reported by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, is being verified by the state lottery, officials said. The store shared a photo about the big win on Instagram, congratulating its “loyal customer.” Samaan said this was the largest lottery win for his store since he began working there in 2013. As the retailer that sold the ticket, the store will receive $5,000, or a 0.5% share of the jackpot.
March 30, 2025
Samaan said he’s gotten to know the winner well over the last few years, even trusting him to watch the store when he has to restock items or deal with an issue. Samaan had offered the man a job at one point, but he said a bad knee left him unable to do necessary manual labor, like refilling shelves or coolers.
“He’s a good, trustful person,” Samaan said.
The man found out about the scratcher win while in the store sometime last week, Samaan said.
“He’s like, ‘Wilson, come over here, is that true, is that real?’” Samaan recalled. “I scanned it and I’m like, ‘Bro, you hit the jackpot!’’”
Initially, the man thought he won $100,000, but Samaan let him know it was even more than that.
“He said he’s not going to waste the second chance he got gifted, so he’s gonna buy a car and a small house. Then the rest of the money, he’s going to invest or find a business,” Samaan said.
The store manager said he ended up driving his friend to the closest California Lottery office, in Fresno, to ensure the ticket made it there. The man initially was going to mail it in, he said.
Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California Lottery said the organization hasn’t yet confirmed the identity or validity of the winner, noting that the verification process can take weeks. However, she confirmed that a $1-million Triple Red 777 game was sold at Sandy’s Liquor in San Luis Obispo this month.
“We never announce winners until the claims and vetting process is over,” Becker said.
The Triple Red 777 game has a top prize of $1 million; the chance of winning that comes out to be 1 in 2.047 million. But overall odds of winning cash prizes in the game are 1 in 2.92, according to the California Lottery.
There are still five of the game’s 13 top prizes unclaimed.
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