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 Old Pasadena in Altadena, CA 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 Altadena, 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.
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“As anyone will tell you, the process of finding someone to take care of a loved one involves a lot of vetting. We were apprehensive due to the insurance company making the referral. I am happy to report all good! Surprised and delighted. My husband and I just started with Always Best Care. From the initial visit to the home, the office, and the perfectly matched final team of ladies sent to take care of our MAAH-MAH. Top notch. This is our first week, and so far, everything is going well. We pray for a long, successful relationship.”
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“Always Best Care provided excellent service to us during the time our family member needed in home care. The caregivers provided were professional and sensitive to the patient's needs and always dependable. Diane was available to answer questions and help us navigate the cumbersome healthcare system. I highly recommend Always Best Care under the direction of Diane Pierson.”
“They gave my mother great care. Worked thru scheduling conflicts. My mom loved her caregivers.”
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“Always very caring about your patients and asking them questions about their needs”
“I am a current client of this provider The owner Diane, is on top of things. They have kind caring and knowledgeable staff and respond in a very timely manner. What a great service they have provided both mentally and physically for our family. Highly recommended.”
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“I was trying to get a lifeline alert system for my mom and was having a difficult time finding a right one until I got connected with Diane. She was so professional and productive!!! Definitely a go to person if you ever need her service. Thank you so much Diane!!”
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“Diane Pierson was great. She guided us through a very difficult time while searching for an assistive living with memory care facility care for my 90 year old step mother. Diane took her time, spoke with us and provided several options. We are now in the process of relocating my step mother to an excellent facility that she recommended and would not be able to do this relocation without her help.”
“I want to personally thank Diane Pierson and Ly French with Always Best Care Senior Services Pasadena for everything they did to help me find a place for my mother to reside at. They are very dedicated and supportive to all the families they help. My mother could have become homeless without Ly’s expertise, empathy, commitment and clear communication on what to do next. Always Best Care specifically matched my mother's unique circumstances, social needs, desired location and budget. Diane and Ly are very passionate about senior care and will help you and your family with the highest level of service. I will never forget this experience or their kindness. I highly recommend them to everyone! We made the best choice working with Always Best Care Senior Services Pasadena.”
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 Loma Alta Park in Altadena, CA 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 The Arbour or visit The Gamble 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 Altadena, 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 Altadena, 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 Altadena, 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.
Before anyone received an official alert about the Eaton fire, a message lit up a pickleball group chat.“Everyone look up, there’s a vegetation fire on Canyon Close,” the message read. “If you’re anywhere near Eaton Canyon, I’d evacuate.”Over the next several days, the chat of about 50 people who met regularly at the Altadena Country Club pinged with updates about where the fire was headed, pleas to evacuate, offerings of safe-havens and status updates on what was lost.In ...
Before anyone received an official alert about the Eaton fire, a message lit up a pickleball group chat.
“Everyone look up, there’s a vegetation fire on Canyon Close,” the message read. “If you’re anywhere near Eaton Canyon, I’d evacuate.”
Over the next several days, the chat of about 50 people who met regularly at the Altadena Country Club pinged with updates about where the fire was headed, pleas to evacuate, offerings of safe-havens and status updates on what was lost.
In the nearly 10 months since the fire, that group has morphed into a community of more than 8,500 people, which includes more than 3,000 who regularly communicate in a Discord group and vent their frustrations. The network, a majority from Altadena, has seen the adrenaline that pushed people at the beginning of the year wear off as a sense of dismay set in. Momentum has slowed as residents sink into a waiting game while they vie for permit approval, decide whether to return or grapple with new and ongoing unknowns.
Resident Ursula Hyman calls this timeframe the “period of great disillusionment.”
A recent AI analysis of the Discord chat found that distressed messages about financial pressures have increased. Joy Chen, the executive director of the network, said that sentiment has shifted from defiance to despair.
“I’m in the [chat] every single day. I was blown away by the amount of grief and trauma that came pouring out of people,” Chen said. “It’s definitely on a different level now than it was in the early days after the fire.”
“The perception of having nowhere to turn… makes people feel REALLY ignored,” one message read.
“No law firm is going to be able to compensate a long?term renter like me,” read another.
Similar to Slack, the chat comprises several channels centered on topics including remediation, rebuilding, health and safety, mental health and legal support. Neighborhood captains help answer questions and field answers. Chen points out that the messaging application isn’t driven by external factors or algorithms like on social media.
“We really are just survivors speaking with one another. We are a fundamentally different beast than a social media account.”
The Eaton Fire Survivors Network has led calls for fair compensation from insurance carriers and have been vocal critics of Edison’s settlement offers, recently pressing the company to front $2.4 billion in urgent housing relief. The network also regularly turns to each other with questions and answers about rebuilding efforts, toxins and the insurmountable work it takes to find normalcy in the aftermath of disaster.
Erin Rank, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity for the Greater Los Angeles area, said that her group saw the growing community within the network and encouraged the group to file for nonprofit status. In the interim, Habitat agreed to be the network’s fiscal sponsor so they could start accepting donations. The California Community Foundation has also provided funding.
Chen, a former deputy mayor of Los Angeles under Mayor Jim Hahn, was the administrator for the Whatsapp group that became the Eaton Fire Survivors Network. The message group moved over from Whatsapp to Discord to allow for more people to join and for newcomers to catch up on older information.
Chen has lived in Altadena for over a decade and counts herself fortunate. Though her home was filled with ash and required remediation, she was able to move back.
Others in the grassroots network saw their homes burned down or suffer extensive damage.
Andrew Wessels’ family has moved a dozen times this past year after their home in West Altadena experienced significant smoke damage. Floor boards, walls and the living room ceiling will need to be torn up and replaced.
While they fight for approvals from insurance, the Wessels finally found some stability in a long-term rental. But questions loom about when they’ll be able to get back to their place on Glen Avenue.
“I have a 6- and 2-year-old,” Wessels, 41, said. “What do we need to do to remediate this home where we can imagine safely putting these kids back in there?”
Wessels had lived in Altadena for less than two years when the fire hit. A new resident compared to others, he’s thrown himself into advocating for the community, and was a lead author on the network’s recent response to Edison’s draft settlement offer, which the group said severely overlooked affected properties and offered inadequate payments.
He believes that the state of reality is tougher now than it was months ago when recovery was fueled by a push to clean up.
Now, residents, initially ready to move back swiftly, contend with ongoing questions about lingering toxicity levels and face obstacles from insurance carriers over remediation costs and property estimates that fall below actual rebuilding costs.
“More and more people are hitting the wall. There’s less and less help now,” he said, adding that challenges continue to stack up. “How many hurdles can you jump over?”
A recent UCLA report found that roughly 70% of severely fire-damaged homes in Altadena have not filed permits to rebuild or have been sold. The report attributed the limbo to a variety of possible factors including indecision over whether to stay or go, holdups with insurance and financial instability.
Hyman lives below the burn zone. Her house on Avocado Terrace was spared; her daughter’s house was not, nor was a rental property Hyman owned. The retired attorney considers herself fortunate — she has a house to live in, after all.
“I’m not ever going to be homeless,” Hyman, 74, said. But she knows first-hand others are facing a different reality. “I’m dealing with hundreds of people every day where that’s not the case.”
Hyman personally knows nearly 80 people who lost their homes in the fire and agrees that for many, the post-fire reality is getting tougher to handle. She has been involved in various fire recovery efforts, including the Eaton Fire Survivors Network. She consulted Chen on the response to the Edison draft and helped write a proposal for emergency funding in the area.
“We’ve got people sleeping in the streets, we’ve got people still who are couch-surfing. We need emergency funding,” she said. “The overwhelming feeling of despair is palpable.”
Hyman said that as time passes and as the disaster becomes “old news,” people feel like they’re being abandoned as help winds down.
“That sense of urgency isn’t there anymore and yet the urgency is even more real because people are at the tipping point on deciding whether to build or rebuild — they’re at a critical decision-making point.”
A recent report from the , a fire recovery program launched after the fires, surveyed more than 2,300 residents across L.A. County and found that 8 in 10 Altadena residents and 9 in 10 Pacific Palisades residents have not returned home. The toll is especially high for households who make less than $100,000. The report found that many such households have had to cut back on food or skip medical care.
This isn’t Hyman’s first fire in Altadena. Her home was the only one standing on her street after a fire in 1993 ripped through her old neighborhood. She moved to her current residence soon after, unsure of what toxins remained in the area.
Her daughter was a child then; Hyman didn’t imagine that nearly 30 years later, she would go through this type of experience as an adult with her own child, forcing the family to relocate.
“Emotionally, it’s ripping my family apart and it’s also killing me financially,” Hyman said.
“It’s been a period of trauma — no doubt about it.”
On a recent sunny afternoon, Chen drives through Altadena. Her kids’ old preschool and elementary school are gone and multiple friends’ homes are empty lots now, including several members of the original Whatsapp group. But at the Altadena Country Club, the pickleball courts somehow remain. The fire that destroyed the clubhouse and much of the surrounding homes jumped over this area, even leaving the nets untouched.
Chen didn’t imagine that in her 30-year career in global business, public policy and media that she would head a disaster recovery group that stemmed from a sports chat.
She also didn’t imagine that from this place where neighbors gathered to play, an even larger community would emerge where people could lean on one another to navigate unknowns and where their struggles — and their persistence — were seen and heard, and not forgotten.
A new report found that nine months after January’s fires, a significant number of residents in Altadena and Pacific Palisades remain displaced and continue to struggle with housing support amid ongoing battles with insurance.Nearly 13,000 homes were lost or damaged in the Eaton and Palisades fires. The Department of Angels, a fire recovery program launched after the fires, surveyed more than 2,300 fire-impacted residents across L.A. County and found that 8 in 10 Altadena residents and 9 in 10 Pacific Palisades residents have no...
A new report found that nine months after January’s fires, a significant number of residents in Altadena and Pacific Palisades remain displaced and continue to struggle with housing support amid ongoing battles with insurance.
Nearly 13,000 homes were lost or damaged in the Eaton and Palisades fires. The Department of Angels, a fire recovery program launched after the fires, surveyed more than 2,300 fire-impacted residents across L.A. County and found that 8 in 10 Altadena residents and 9 in 10 Pacific Palisades residents have not returned home. That includes homeowners and renters whose houses were destroyed and those whose homes are still standing but awaiting remediation and testing for toxins.
Many survivors “are being left behind, while others are spending much of their time and dwindling finances to fight for a sliver of what they lost — and often, coming up short,” the report said. The survey is the third in a series this year.
Miguel Santana, chief executive of the California Community Foundation and one of the cofounders of the Department of Angels, said that these hardships have been especially harrowing for seniors and families earning less than $100,000 a year. The report highlights that 1 in 5 of such households have had to cut back on food, and about 1 in 6 have had to skip medical care.
“The situation is becoming so dire that some people are making decisions to skip meals because they’re having challenges covering costs they’ve had to incur as the result of the fires,” Santana said. “They are forgoing healthcare treatments because they can’t afford them and also be housed. Now it’s taking a whole new level where people are making very tough choices around their quality of life.”
Roughly 75% of surveyed Pacific Palisades residents and 67% of surveyed Altadena residents are in temporary housing. Many expect they’ll have to move again in the next few months. The report found that although residents who experienced a total loss have struggled with finding stable housing, residents who experienced structural and smoke or ash damage have had to move more frequently.
For residents who lost their homes in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Malibu, 22% said they expected to move again within the next six to 12 months and 9% expected to move within the next few months. Of those residents who experienced structural and smoke or ash damage, 19% expected to have to move in the next few months and 18% believed they’d have to move within a year.
Displacement coverage under insurance policies is running out. The number of Altadena residents now without that coverage has grown from 9% in June to 12%, according to the report. In the Pacific Palisades, the number rose from 13% to 20%. Even more residents are expected to run out of help in the coming months.
“We are witnessing a widening divide between what survivors need and what support systems are able to deliver as we enter this next phase of recovery,” Department of Angels management team member Andrew King said during a webinar Wednesday, adding that the “report shows that progress has stalled. Displacement remains unchanged. Costs are escalating and environmental concerns continue.”
The report also underscores the fact that fire survivors’ experiences have largely been shaped by their insurance carrier, with the California FAIR Plan and State Farm facing the most “very dissatisfied” customers and USAA and Farmers seeing the least.
Challenges with extensive itemization lists, lowball estimates, poor communication and changes with adjusters are major factors for customers. And those with standing homes, as opposed to homes that have burned down, have reported greater disappointment with insurers.
Fire survivors also are experiencing an ongoing emotional toll in the aftermath of the fires that for many has only intensified. The majority of respondents said their mental health has gotten worse since the fires. Of those surveyed, 14% cited depression, 5% referenced alcohol or drug use, 4% mentioned PTSD, 10% cited anxiety and 1% mentioned suicidal ideation.
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Code...
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The primary Mission of Parking Enforcement Detail (PED) is to ensure the residents of the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County are provided with expeditious vehicle movement to help alleviate parking congestion, improve the availability of parking choices, and to assist the communities in addressing all parking related matters.
PED shall protect and with fairness, apportion scarce parking spaces for all legitimate vehicles by insuring those who violate parking regulations are properly addressed through the California Vehicle Codes (CVC), the Los Angeles County Vehicle Codes (LACoVC) and other various municipal codes.
For more information, view our Parking Enforcement Information Handouts:
The winning ticket belonged to Edwin Castro, who bought it at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena. Like most jackpot winners, he chose the cash option instead of the 30-year annuity. That lump-sum payout was $997.6 million.When the Powerball jackpot hit a record $2.04 billion in November 2022, one man in Altadena, California became an overnight legend. Newspapers called it the largest lottery prize in history. Social media called it proof that the government takes everything in taxes. And Reddit, predictably, got the math wrong.The...
The winning ticket belonged to Edwin Castro, who bought it at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena. Like most jackpot winners, he chose the cash option instead of the 30-year annuity. That lump-sum payout was $997.6 million.
When the Powerball jackpot hit a record $2.04 billion in November 2022, one man in Altadena, California became an overnight legend. Newspapers called it the largest lottery prize in history. Social media called it proof that the government takes everything in taxes. And Reddit, predictably, got the math wrong.The viral post claimed the winner received only $424 million after taxes. It has been shared thousands of times as evidence that even billionaires are “properly taxed.” It sounds believable. It isn’t true.
The winning ticket belonged to Edwin Castro, who bought it at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena. Like most jackpot winners, he chose the cash option instead of the 30-year annuity. That lump-sum payout was $997.6 million.From that amount, the federal government automatically withheld 24 percent in taxes, around $239 million. When Castro filed his return, he owed the top federal rate of 37 percent, bringing the total federal tax bill to about $369 million. That left him with an estimated $628.5 million.California does not tax lottery winnings, so there were no state deductions.In short:
State taxes: noneFinal amount received: about $628 million
The “$424 million after taxes” figure likely came from people applying both state and federal taxes to the entire $2 billion annuity amount instead of the actual cash payout. That’s like calculating income tax on your company’s next 30 years of projected revenue instead of on your current earnings. It looks dramatic, but it’s meaningless.The claim also fits a familiar online narrative that even lottery winners can’t escape taxation. It’s easy to imagine a new billionaire watching most of their fortune disappear, but that image doesn’t match reality. The $2 billion number was never real cash; it was a long-term estimate based on bond yields. The actual payout was always under $1 billion.
Since the draw, Edwin Castro has used part of his winnings to buy several properties in Los Angeles and Altadena. He has faced paparazzi and lawsuits but avoided interviews or public appearances. The man who once held the world’s most valuable lottery ticket now seems to prefer anonymity.Even after taxes, he remains one of the wealthiest individual lottery winners in U.S. history.The Reddit version makes for a punchier headline, but the truth is far more ordinary. The Altadena Powerball winner didn’t lose 80 percent of his prize to taxes. He took a lump sum, paid federal tax as required, and kept more than $600 million. The gap between what people believe and what actually happened is about $200 million—proof that online outrage spreads faster than arithmetic.
In 2025, Castro resurfaced in the news for using part of his fortune to rebuild his hometown of Altadena after devastating wildfires. He reportedly spent about $10 million purchasing 15 fire-damaged lots across Los Angeles County, including areas near the foothills of Altadena. His plan, according to interviews and local reports, is to construct single-family homes for residents rather than investors, keeping prices reasonable and preserving the community’s character. Some residents have praised his commitment to rebuilding, while others worry it could accelerate gentrification. One of Castro’s Malibu properties was destroyed in the January Palisades Fire, and those close to him say that loss partly motivated his decision to reinvest in reconstruction efforts.
End of Article
ALTADENA, Calif. — When wildfires swept through Altadena, Heavenly Hughes was already on the front lines, serving neighbors through her grassroots group, My TRIBE Rise.Now, months later, Hughes’s journey and her community’s resilience are at the heart of a new documentary called “All the Walls Came Down.”What You Need To Know “I really didn’t know what was gonna come out of this team following me around for the past six or seven months. I even had said at one po...
ALTADENA, Calif. — When wildfires swept through Altadena, Heavenly Hughes was already on the front lines, serving neighbors through her grassroots group, My TRIBE Rise.
Now, months later, Hughes’s journey and her community’s resilience are at the heart of a new documentary called “All the Walls Came Down.”
“I really didn’t know what was gonna come out of this team following me around for the past six or seven months. I even had said at one point, who are these white folks following me around?” Hughes said with a smirk.
But she was in good hands. The film was the work of award-winning director Ondi Timoner, who herself had lost her home in the Eaton Fire. But even before knowing who was behind the lens, Hughes said what mattered most was amplifying her community’s story.
“I felt like I wanted the message of what’s happening right now, block by block, brick by brick,” she said. “Them being able to film what we’re doing in the community, getting stories of how this is impacting our community as we’re moving forward and step by step, navigating after the fire.”
Behind the camera, the story was just as personal. Ondi Timoner had the help of her nephew Eli Timoner to produce the film.
“My parents lost their home. My aunt lost her home. Hundreds of friends of mine lost their homes, and my entire town burned down,” Eli Timoner said. “The scale of the destruction was unlike anything I could have expected.”
Still, he said that viewing it through a camera lens helped to process the devastation as he set about making sure his community's stories were told.
“It’s a really beautiful, diverse, loving community. And that is certainly still the case,” Timoner said.
But the film, he explained, is about more than destruction. It’s about preserving the identity of a place.
“Over 80% of all Black families in Altadena owned their own homes before the fire. That’s more than double the national average. So Altadena was a place where there was Black wealth,” he said.
He hopes the documentary will be a call to action.
“There are a lot of unmet needs still in Altadena,” he said. “And so I just hope that this film can shine a light on the needs that are still outstanding. The biggest thing is we want to spread the message that Altadena is not for sale.”
For Hughes, the spotlight itself has become a form of healing.
“I’m really happy that this film is keeping the story out there, is keeping the message of what’s happening, is also bringing our community together, bringing that sense of hope, that sense of peace, that sense of knowing that we’re standing together and we will rebuild, we will restore and we’re in this together,” she said.
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