The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Santa Ana, CA for 2023

Orange County, CA, has a senior community that accounts for over 14 percent of the total population, and according to the Alzheimer's Association, about 84,000 of those seniors have Alzheimer's. While just over 8 percent of Santa Ana's 334,000-person population is age 65 or over, local seniors have access to a wide variety of dementia-related services and supports.

In addition to providing access to dozens of support groups, cultural and arts programs and classes that educate attendees about dementia, the Santa Ana area has 54 memory care facilities. These facilities are licensed by the Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division and are generally housed within residential care facilities for the elderly.

• The air quality in Santa Ana is poor, which may negatively impact the health of those with lung or heart disease. The American Lung Association gave the county an F for ozone pollution and a D for short-term particle pollution.
• California is not very tax-friendly for seniors, which may be a consideration for seniors who are moving to memory care in Santa Ana from out of state. While seniors don't pay income tax on Social Security, all other forms of retirement income, including government pensions, are fully taxable.
• While the overall cost of living in Santa Ana is about 60 percent higher than the national average, it is nearly 10 percent lower than the state average. Healthcare expenses, in particular, are relatively low, coming in about 11 percent below the nation's average. This may help seniors afford the expense of managing a chronic condition like Alzheimer's disease. 
• Santa Ana's property crime rate is below regional, state and national averages. On a 100-point scale, with 100 representing high crime, the city's property crime rate is 29.8 compared to the national average of 38.1. The violent crime rate is about three points higher than the countrywide average. To keep residents safe, memory care facilities have security features like surveillance cameras and door alarms. 

Financial Assistance for Memory Care in Santa Ana

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

More Ways to Pay for Memory Care

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.

Santa Ana and the surrounding area are home to numerous government agencies and non-profit organizations offering help for seniors searching for or currently residing in a memory care community. These organizations can also provide assistance in a number of other eldercare services such as geriatric care management, elder law advice, estate planning, finding home care and health and wellness programs.

To see a list of free memory care resources in Santa Ana, please visit our Memory Care in California page.

Directory of Winners in the Santa Ana Area

Santa Ana-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.