The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Mission Viejo, CA for 2024

Mission Viejo, California is home to approximately 92,000 people with an estimated 21.3% of residents are seniors aged 65 and over. These seniors are at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive impairment disorders. Data from the CDC shows that Alzheimer’s is now the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. In Mission Viejo, the number of deaths from Alzheimer’s increased by 21.87% from 2014 to 2018, while the number of senior deaths from all causes only increased by 13.38%.

Fortunately, the memory care communities in Mission Viejo offer a safe and welcoming environment. These communities are staffed 24/7 by highly trained caregivers who provide compassionate care and assistance to seniors with cognitive impairments. Therapies and activities in these memory care communities are designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and even improve the quality of life. This guide gives an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of living in Mission Viejo with cognitive impairments, then lists the costs of memory care and alternative care options. In addition, this guide lists free resources that offer support and guidance to seniors and their family members.

The Department of Social Services runs the Senior Care Licensing section which licenses and regulates memory care communities in Mission Viejo and throughout the state of California. The department monitors memory care communities and ensures they are complying with regulations by conducting regular scheduled and surprise inspections. Communities that don’t comply with regulations may have their licenses revoked. 

• Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo provides a range of medical services to meet the needs of seniors living in the city. Some of the specialty services include a cancer institute, a heart and vascular institute and a spine care unit. There are a number of additional hospitals just a short drive away in the Los Angeles area. 
• The rate of violent and property crime in Mission Viejo is much lower than in the average American city. Seniors should be safe living in any neighborhood in this city. However, if there is still a concern about the possibility of crime then living in a long-term care facility may be a good option. Memory care communities in the city have 24/7 security systems, video surveillance and monitored entrances.
• Mission Viejo has a mild and dry climate. The city enjoys an annual average of 283 days of sunshine, which is much higher than the US average of 205 sunny days. It does not experience snow and has low rainfall of around 14 inches per year. The city is rated as one of the most comfortable places to live in California in regard to climate. 
• There are more physicians per capita in Mission Viejo than the US average. Data shows that there are 249 physicians per 100,000 people in the city while the US average is 210 per 100,000 people. 
• The health cost index for Mission Viejo is 89. This means that the cost of healthcare is lower in the city than the national average. However, the cost of living in Mission Viejo is 170.8 which means that it is far more expensive to live there than to live in most other US cities. Seniors living in memory care communities are fortunate to have fixed monthly costs, making it easier for them to work out a budget. 

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.

The average cost of memory care in Mission Viejo is $6,563 per month, which is identical to the California state average. It is significantly more expensive than the national median of $5,625.

Mission Viejo has exactly the same cost of care as the state average of $6,563. The most affordable city for memory care in California is Visalia at $4,313 per month. Other affordable options include Stockton and Bakersfield at $4,561 and $4,688 respectively. At the other end of the cost scale is Santa Rosa, which at $8,810 costs over $2,000 more per month than Mission Viejo. 

Adult day care provides care for seniors during the working week and is the cheapest option at around $1,652. The next most affordable option is assisted living at a monthly average cost of $5,250. Both home care and home health care have a typical monthly fee of $5,911. The most expensive care option is nursing home care at $9,125 per month for a semiprivate room.

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.