The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Santa Cruz, CA for 2024

Set along the central California coast, Santa Cruz is a city that's home to around 62,000 residents. About 12% of the population are seniors aged 65 and older, which may put them at a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association, one in every nine American seniors is currently living with a cognitive impairment, and rates are on the rise. Fortunately, Santa Cruz has several dementia care programs in place to combat this issue, and it's been successful in decreasing the rate of Alzheimer's-related deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the number of Alzheimer's-related deaths in the city dropped by about 7.7% between 2016 and 2020.

Memory care facilities are very helpful in this effort. These communities offer a secure environment where seniors with dementia have access to support from highly trained, 24/7 care staff. This guide offers includes an overview of what living in Santa Cruz is like for seniors, how much memory care services cost and where individuals with dementia can find local support programs and services.

In Santa Cruz, as well as the rest of California, memory care facilities are licensed as assisted living facilities, and they’re regulated by the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division. This division has strict licensing standards, which it imposes through an initial licensure process and regular inspections.

 

• Santa Cruz is a relatively expensive place to live, which may be a consideration for those with limited resources. On a cost of living index based on a national norm of 100, the city rates 203.5. However, this high score is mainly driven by expensive housing, which seniors may avoid by transitioning to memory care.
• California seniors don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security benefits, but other forms of retirement income are subject to some of the highest income taxes in the nation. Local organizations such as the Area Agency on Aging has volunteers who provide tax filing assistance, which can help Santa Cruz seniors apply for the deductions and exemptions they qualify for.
• On a 100-point crime scale, Santa Cruz scores high for both violent and property crime with respective rates of 38.2 and 74.4. By comparison, national scores are considerably lower at 22.7 and 35.4. The number of crimes per capita is high compared to nearby cities as well as similarly sized cities in the state, making memory care an attractive alternative to living alone for vulnerable seniors.
• Santa Cruz’s weather is ideal, with year-round daytime temperatures ranging from 61 in the winter to 78 in the warmest part of the summer. Measurable snowfall is very uncommon, as are days with noticeable humidity, and the city gets about 33 inches of rain. Seniors in memory care facilities have access to secured outdoor areas, letting them enjoy the weather without the risk of unsafe wandering.
• There are 237 doctors per capita in Santa Cruz, which is higher than the national norm of 210, and health care costs fall 7% below the national average. Dominican Hospital and Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center of Santa Cruz serve the area, providing access to diverse inpatient and outpatient services.
• Residents in Santa Cruz enjoy relatively clean air, which may benefit seniors with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. The American Lung Association gives the region an F for short-term particle pollution but an A for ozone pollution and a passing grade for annual particle pollution.

 

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.

In Santa Cruz, seniors pay about $6,938 per month for memory care.

Memory care in Santa Cruz is hundreds of dollars over the state norm of $6,563 and the national average of $5,625. Seniors can save about $1,900 per month by opting for care in Modesto, and in Stockton, care costs are even more competitive at $4,561. In San Jose, rates are considerably higher than in Santa Cruz at $7,500, and in San Francisco, care costs exceed Santa Cruz’s norm by $960.

In Santa Cruz, the memory care cost of $6,938 per month is considerably higher than the cost of assisted living, which offers residential services for seniors without dementia for $5,550 per month. Older adults in the early stages of dementia may live in their own homes and pay $6,864 for in-home care and $7,007 for home health care, which is comparable to the cost of memory care. Nursing home care is considerably more costly than memory care, with rates starting at $10,646 per month.

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.