Temecula, California, is about a 1.5-hour drive from Los Angeles and has a population of 114,327, 10,975 of whom are 65 years of age or older. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in eight Californians age 55 or older will develop Alzheimer’s disease, and one in six will develop dementia. There are three memory care facilities in Temecula to support these adults, as well as 10 facilities in nearby Murrieta, Mount Pleasant and Fallbrook.
In California, memory care services are provided by housing arrangements called residential care facilities (RCFs), which are licensed by the Department of Social Services. Most RFC residents are 60 years of age or older, although they may admit residents younger than 60, but RFCs cannot admit individuals who need 24-hour nursing care. These facilities can support individuals with mild dementia if the resident organizes their own specialized care, like receiving medical care from a visiting nurse or contracting with hospice agencies to access services that the facility cannot provide.