The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Irvine, CA for 2024

Irvine is a welcoming city with over 307,000 residents and a senior community that accounts for 10% of the population. Despite this relatively small senior population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Alzheimer’s has had a significant impact on public health, promoting the need for dementia care. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of Alzheimer’s deaths in the region increased by about 19%. This is in line with the increase of 21% across all causes of death. In both reporting years, about 11% of the total number of deaths were linked to Alzheimer’s.

To meet the needs of its senior population, Irvine has numerous memory care facilities. These facilities are staffed with registered nurses and trained caregivers who administer individualized care plans, assist with eating and bathing and provide companionship and around-the-clock monitoring. Residents participate in failure-free activities and evidence-based dementia programming that may enhance their quality of life and independence. This guide provides more information on memory care in Irvine, including how much care costs and where seniors and families can find information and support.

Memory care facilities in Irvine are licensed and regulated by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. This division investigates reports of substandard care or living conditions in residential facilities and publishes information on licensing requirements and residents’ rights. It also links individuals to the state’s long-term care ombudsman program.

• Irvine is a relatively expensive place to live, with a cost of living that’s over 80% higher than the national average and about 30 percentage points over the state median. While this is primarily due to high housing costs, residents also pay more for groceries, transportation and miscellaneous expenses here than in a typical U.S. city. Opting for residential dementia care may help seniors reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
• In Irvine, as well as in the rest of California, seniors pay state income taxes on retirement income from nearly all sources. However, Social Security benefits are exempt, leaving more money in the bank for long-term care expenses.
• The air quality in Irvine is subpar, with the American Lung Association assigning the city grades of F in the Ozone and Particle Pollution 24-hour categories, although the city has a passing score for annual particle pollution. Many memory care facilities in Irvine support residents’ health and cognitive function through high cleanliness standards and air ventilation and filtration systems.
• Crime is uncommon in Irvine, with the city rating 8.9 for violent crime and 22.6 for property crime on a 100-point crime index. This is considerably lower than the respective national norms of 22.7 and 35.4, offering peace of mind to seniors’ families.
• Irvine residents aged 65 and over can obtain transportation services through the city’s TRIPS program. This low-cost service can help seniors attend medical appointments and visit local senior centers, providing an alternative to memory care facilities’ scheduled services.  
• Irvine ranks among the cooler communities in California, with daytime temperatures falling between 68 and 83 degrees year-round, and there are very few days throughout the year when humidity levels are high. Many memory care facilities have fully secured courtyards to let residents enjoy the weather.
• Health care is highly accessible in Irvine, with about 249 doctors per capita and health care costs coming in 11% below national norms, making the city an attractive option for those with ongoing health conditions. One hospital, Kaiser Permanente Orange County – Irvine Medical Center, is located in the city proper and offers a broad range of specialties.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

Memory care residents in Irvine pay $6,563 per month for services.

With memory care rates of $6,563 per month, Irvine is on par with the rest of the state, which has the same monthly average. In San Diego, monthly fees are about $300 higher at $6,844, and in Oxnard, rates exceed Irvine’s average by $600 at $7,188. Several cities have more economical care, including Riverside and Bakersfield, where respective rates come in at $5,000 and $4,688. Nationally, care costs are about $900 less than in Irvine at $5,625.

Memory care is the second-most expensive long-term care option in Irvine at $6,563, with only nursing home care coming in higher at $9,125 for semiprivate accommodations. Seniors may save about $650 per month by obtaining care at home from in-home care or home health care agencies, which charge $5,911 for full-time services. Assisted living is over $1,300 less at $5,250, and adult day health care is the most affordable option at $1,652.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in California page.