Excellent help from Susan Thaxton–super prompt and responsive and very informative. It was a real pleasure to work with her. I felt like she went above and beyond in helping me
Dianne Ellsworth
Serving The Entire Bay Area
510-910-0344
by Ravish Azad | Mar 20, 2026
Excellent help from Susan Thaxton–super prompt and responsive and very informative. It was a real pleasure to work with her. I felt like she went above and beyond in helping me
Respite Care refers to short term care, with a stay often under 30 days. ESP knows the peace of mind Respite Care can provide whether it’s to provide the extra help needed coming out of an illness or medical procedure, or simply to offer primary caregivers an opportunity to handle other life matters.
We know caring for a loved one is a full-time commitment. Situations often arise, albeit a vacation or otherwise that present a difficult situation and subsequent void in the chain of care. Through Respite Care, ESP has you confidently covered when you seek temporary care for your family member or yourself.
Memory Care refers to residential settings designed specifically for individuals with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Often part of a greater community, Memory Care environments focus on the safety of the resident and offer the extra specialized care required as Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia progress beyond what many families can adequately accommodate at home.
Board and Care Homes are more of a typical house setting, often in a 6 bed home. These homes often provide a greater level of hands-on care ideal for more delicate situations and can often work greater care needs around budget constraints. These smaller home settings typically include meals, housekeeping, laundry, medication management, personal care, and include a limited amount of social activities.
Assisted Living provides help taking care of oneself on a widely sliding scale based on the individual’s needs in a cost-effective and dignified living environment. Clients receive help with everyday tasks and often some health care in a residential community that suits them best. We like to emphasize an Assisted Living philosophy that honors the resident’s independence, i.e. “we will help you take care of yourself” over “we will take care of you.”
Independent Living refers to simplifying life with an easy-to-maintain private apartment or home within a community of other like-minded seniors in an engaging environment best suited to the individual. As the name implies, Independent Living is just that: the ability to maintain one’s residence & lifestyle, but often with tasks like weekly cleaning & daily cooking taken care of if or when one chooses. This also provides peace of mind that one can age in place, with living assistance readily available should the future require it.
Prior to joining the Exceptional Senior Placement team, I was a Marketing Director for new development with a large senior living company, opening brand new senior living communities at the start of the Pandemic and through the next few difficult years. I found this was a terrifying time for seniors living alone, as they could not get the services, care, and provisions they needed. I walked them through the benefits of senior living- not the old model of clinical nursing homes- but new communities with engaging activities, compassionate care, fine dining, and amenities like movie theaters and lush gardens. I realized I found a way to serve my community during this very difficult time. I was so grateful to be able to introduce families to brand new communities that their elderly loved ones would be happy to call home and receive the care they deserved.
Throughout my career, I built a reputation for fostering relationships with families, staff, and industry professionals alike. I began my journey as a Regional Specialist, supporting senior living communities from San Francisco to Sacramento, and from Santa Rosa to San Jose. I became known for supporting communities across diverse markets and strengthening brand presence. I connected families with the wide-ranging resources I had compiled, that went beyond what a community alone could offer, in order to best meet the residents’ multifaceted needs. I was able to build a deep understanding of the senior living landscape, including retirement living, independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, home care, and hospice services.
And now, I am thrilled to bring this diverse experience to the ESP team and the families we serve!
When the pandemic hit in 2020, I put my career on hold to focus on the needs of my two school-age children as they transitioned to learning from home. In between helping them launch their zoom school, being their tech support, and acting as an all-day cafeteria, I started to think about my next career journey. I thought about going back to school to become a nurse or nurse’s assistant. Ultimately, I knew that I wanted to pursue something that would allow me to help others in their most vulnerable times. During this exploration process, a friend connected me with David and Rachel. After learning about their business and the support needs they were looking for, I knew there was not a more perfect career journey for me. Between my desire to help others and being an adult child with aging parents of my own, along with friends who also have aging parents, I was confident that Exceptional Senior Placement is the place for me to thrive both professionally and personally. I am eager and excited to continue learning about the needs of our aging community and to be part of an organization that puts our clients’ needs at the very top.
Fast forward and I am back at work reflecting on how grateful I am for what we had built, but to be honest with myself, I helped other companies, and what I did was never going to make a huge impact on someone’s life like the Hospice team did for me. It was time to change the course of my life and that is when my wife and I found the opportunity to take over Exceptional Senior Placement in 2016. A year and a half after my Father passed. This is my opportunity to help families like I myself needed. This is my Why.
We had been forced in to a personal “crash course” around aging and care and had so much to share from it that I knew could help the many people thrown in to that same position every day. I wanted to be that person I wish we had as a trusted resource to help us navigate a road that seems anything but clear.
When my own Father then took a sudden decline just a couple years later, this path of working in the care industry got that much more personal. He had been “my rock” since the day I was born always being there to help me and I wanted to be of the best help and support to him. It was empowering to know what care was needed and feel that I could make the decisions that were best for him, knowing where to turn to get the help my family and I needed all along the long and difficult journey.
I keep these personal experiences close to my heart constantly and while no two situations are ever alike there is always a part of me in the shoes of anyone I am helping navigate care choices for someone dear to their hearts. I feel so thankful to have this trust placed in me with something of utmost importance and to be fulfilled by this each day.