The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Union City, CA for 2024

Union City sits in the San Francisco Bay Area of Central California, about 20 miles north of San Jose and 20 miles south of Oakland. There are 1 memory care communities in Union City proper, along with 17 more facilities in neighboring cities. These specialized communities charge an average monthly rate of $7,899, which is higher than the California rate of $6,563 and the national norm of $5,625.

In our directory, we list 297 reviews reviews of memory care communities in the Union City region. These facilities contribute to an average satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars stars.

 

The California Department of Social Services licenses all memory care communities in Union City and the rest of the state through its Community Care Licensing Division. In addition to enforcing basic standards for security, care planning, staffing and building features, the department fields complaints regarding substandard care, and it publishes a list of all licensed care facilities in the state. 

• California imposes some of the highest income taxes in the nation, with rates ranging from 1 to 13.3%. Fortunately, older adults qualify for the senior income tax exemption, along with the personal exemption, which cuts down on what they owe to the state on pension income and withdrawals from retirement accounts. Additionally, the state doesn’t tax Social Security benefits, helping many seniors pay for memory care in Union City. 
• Union City has a total crime index of 7 due to its crime rate of 36.23 incidents per 1,000 people. This is higher than 93% of U.S. communities and 91% of California communities, as well as communities with similar population sizes. To promote residents’ safety, many memory care facilities have features such as security gates and alarm systems.
• Union City doesn’t have a hospital, but Washington Hospital sits just 4 miles away in Fremont. This 415-bed facility has a multi-specialty team of health care providers who address seniors’ complex care needs. It also houses the Taylor McAdam Bill Neuroscience Institute, which has board-certified neurologists who diagnose and treat dementia.
• Alameda County, where Union City is located, ranks 13th in the state for overall health and in the top percentile for health outcomes and factors. Annually, about 4,700 years of life are lost to deaths in those under age 75 compared to 5,700 statewide and 7,300 nationally, and the local life expectancy is about 4 years beyond the national average at 82.8.
• The AARP Livability Index assigns Union City a score of 58, putting it in the top half of U.S. communities for favorability for seniors. The city has an especially strong score of 80 in the index’s Health metric for factors such as its high percentage of satisfied hospital patients and its low rate of preventable hospitalizations.
• Union City’s cost of living runs 72.1% higher than the national average, impacting prospective memory care residents with limited access to financial resources. Housing and utilities are particularly expensive in this city, driving up the cost of long-term care, but many memory care communities promote affordability by accepting the state’s Assisted Living Waiver.

 

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 Union City, memory care communities charge an average monthly rate of $7,899 for residential dementia support.

 

On average, seniors in Union City pay $7,899 per month for residential memory care services. This rate exceeds the national norm of $5,625, as well as the California average of $6,563 and what’s typical for costs in nearby communities. Seniors find more budget-friendly care in Santa Cruz, where rates come in hundreds of dollars lower than in Union City at $6,938. Similarly, in Modesto, rates average $5,000, and in Stockton, monthly fees are even lower at $4,561.

Union City seniors pay $7,899 for memory care, with rates exceeding norms for most other senior care options. By comparison, seniors who obtain nonresidential care through adult day health care facilities pay $1,950 per month for full-time personal care, recreational activities and basic skilled nursing. Seniors who don’t need dementia care pay $6,319 for assisted living, which includes housing and personal care. Additionally, agencies that provide home-based care charge $6,864 for full-time in-home care, which includes personal care and companionship, and $7,150 for home health care, which features skilled nursing. Only nursing home care, which features skilled nursing in an institutional environment, is costlier at $11,566.

 

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.