The Best Memory Care Communities in San Luis Obispo County, CA

Of the approximately 55,000 seniors aged 65 or over who make their homes throughout San Luis Obispo County, around 5,000 are living with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia. Because so many of these seniors will eventually require long-term care, San Luis Obispo County offers three memory facilities that provide compassionate, personalized care to people with cognitive impairments.

California's Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division, licenses these facilities as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly        (RCFEs), which is the same designation used for assisted living facilities. However, RCFEs that house seniors with dementia must meet special provisions concerning activity programs, increased security and staff education.

• For seniors who prefer a memory care facility in a temperate climate, San Luis Obispo County's facilities should rank near the top of the list. With an annual average of 286 clear days and frequent temperatures in the 70s, San Luis Obispo County's climate is among the most pleasant in the United States.
  
• San Luis Obispo County's cost of living may take a bite out of the memory care budget of a senior with dementia. Overall, living costs in the county are 65 percent more expensive than the U.S. average. 
  
• Although San Luis Obispo County gets mixed grades for air quality, its levels of ozone and short-term particle pollution are high enough to warrant a warning that it may put seniors' health at risk. Families of seniors with respiratory illnesses, in particular, may want to keep this in mind as they consider whether to choose a memory care facility in San Luis Obispo County.
  
• In Luis Obispo County, crime rates are slightly higher than the national average. Ranked on a scale of one to 100, violent crime in the county is 40.2 and property crime is 43.4. The U.S. averages are 31.1 and 38.1, respectively. Seniors and families can ask a potential facility what precautions it takes to prevent crime on-site.
  

Memory Care costs in San Luis Obispo County start around $4,296 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in San Luis Obispo County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in California page.

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.

San Luis Obispo County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in California are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in California page for more information about these laws.