Memory Care Placement

The Alzheimer's Association describes memory care units as settings designed for the specific needs of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias. They exist inside several kinds of residential care, including assisted living, and they may or may not be locked or secured.

In California, memory care outside a nursing home is provided in homes that hold the same license as any assisted living community or board and care home: the RCFE, the state's category for residential care homes serving older adults. A memory care wing in a large building and a small house caring for people with dementia both answer to the Department of Social Services.

The label on the brochure tells you little. The Alzheimer's Association notes that not all assisted living providers offer services designed for people with dementia, so you have to ask each home what it does. Our guide to memory care and assisted living compares the two.

California updated its dementia care regulations for these homes effective January 1, 2025. The points below come from the Department of Social Services' own summary and its August 2025 questions and answers. A home's administrator should be able to explain how the home follows each one.

• A diagnosis alone does not decide the setting. A person with dementia does not have to live in a secured home. Admission is based on the individual's needs and whether the home can meet them.
• Entering a secured home is voluntary. Admission must be with the person's consent or the lawful consent of a legal conservator, and a person who is not under conservatorship signs a statement of voluntary entry.
• Exits can be monitored in several ways. The state lists delayed egress devices, door alarms and resident wrist bands as examples. Wearable alert or location tracking devices need prior written approval from the resident or conservator.
• Residents keep the right to leave. Staff are expected to redirect a resident who wants to go out at a time when it would not be safe, and to go along and supervise if the resident still wants to leave.
• Night staffing depends on need. In homes with fewer than 16 residents, at least one staff person must be awake and on duty at night if any resident with dementia is found to need awake supervision.
• The home's written plan of operation must describe how staff are trained and how the home responds to residents' behavioral expressions.

Only a doctor can assess your relative, and nothing here is a diagnosis. The Alzheimer's Association says that during the middle stages of Alzheimer's a person comes to need 24-hour supervision to stay safe, and that care needs grow from there. It suggests families ask themselves questions like these.

The Alzheimer's Association recommends visiting several places, at different times of day and at a meal, and making one or two visits without an appointment. On each visit, ask:

• What dementia training have the caregivers had, and how long have they worked here?
• How do staff respond when a resident is upset, refuses care or wants to leave?
• How are the exits monitored, and is there a safe place to walk outdoors?
• Who is awake in the building overnight?
• Are activities sized for small groups, and do they happen on weekends and evenings?
• How and when will you tell me about changes in my mother's condition?
• What happens if her needs increase, or if the money runs out?

Hamssa LLC is a placement agency, not a care home. Hamssa holds an RCFE Administrator Certificate and has a background in palliative care, hospice care and home health. More about her is on the about page. She refers families only to homes licensed by the State of California that she has toured herself, after checking each one’s licensing record for citations and complaints.

1. 1

   Tell her what the days and nights are like

   The first conversation covers care needs, health conditions, preferences, lifestyle and monthly budget. With dementia, details matter: sleep, walking, eating, bathing, and what calms your relative.

2. 2

   Get a short list

   She suggests homes that fit. For some people that is a memory care wing in a larger community. For others it is a small house. See board and care placement.

3. 3

   Tour with her

   She schedules the tours and goes with you. The tour checklist has room for notes.

4. 4

   Talk terms

   She helps you talk terms with the home, including how the rate changes if care needs change.

5. 5

   Stay in touch after the move

   She checks in once your relative has moved. The first weeks are an adjustment for everyone.

The National Institute on Aging says most people pay the cost of assisted living themselves and that Medicare does not pay for it. Some long-term care insurance policies cover part of it. Memory care rates vary by home and by the amount of supervision a person needs, so ask each home for its rate in writing. The Alzheimer's Association suggests seeing an elder law attorney before a move if you expect to need Medicaid now or later.

If you are worn out and need a break before deciding, ask about a short stay. See respite care placement. To talk it through, call or text 310-594-0694 or use the contact page.