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Other Senior care options in Santa Barbara:

Best Memory Care in Santa Barbara, CA

Reviewed by Dr. Jordan Weiss
Updated Jan 2026
We analyzed 5 homes in Santa Barbara, CA

Sources: CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and California Department of Health, Office of Aging and Long Term Care.

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Video Tour: Top-rated Memory Care facilities in Santa Barbara, California.

Watch this Video to see Santa Barbara's Top-rated Senior Communities

Compare Memory Care around Santa Barbara (Metro Area)

The information below is reported by the California Department of Social Services and Department of Public Health.

Click column headers to sort
Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara
MC

Memory Care Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. Staff trained in cognitive impairment, with higher staff-to-resident ratios and an environment designed to reduce confusion and wandering risk.

Santa Barbara (Oak Park)
50No 75 410118 74.0% -Oak Cottage Operator Nt Hci LLC; Integral Sl MgmtStudio / Suite
Covenant Living at the Samarkand
NH

Nursing Home Licensed facility providing 24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs. Staffed by RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. Inspected and star-rated annually by CMS. Accepts Medicare (short-term rehab) and Medicaid (long-term care).

AL

Assisted Living A licensed, long-term care setting for seniors or individuals with disabilities who need help with daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and medication management — but not 24-hour skilled nursing. Offers housing, meals, and around-the-clock support while aiming to maximize resident independence.

Santa Barbara (Samarkand)
379No 50 51233 85.2% A+Covenant Living West-
Vista Del Monte Retirement Community
IL

Independent Living Lifestyle-focused communities for older adults offering dining, activities, and transportation with minimal personal care. Best for active, independent seniors who want community without medical support.

AL

Assisted Living A licensed, long-term care setting for seniors or individuals with disabilities who need help with daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and medication management — but not 24-hour skilled nursing. Offers housing, meals, and around-the-clock support while aiming to maximize resident independence.

MC

Memory Care Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. Staff trained in cognitive impairment, with higher staff-to-resident ratios and an environment designed to reduce confusion and wandering risk.

Santa Barbara (Hidden Valley)
266Yes 18 52127 75.6% A+Walgenbach, Brian & Gill, DougStudio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
Villa Alamar
MC

Memory Care Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. Staff trained in cognitive impairment, with higher staff-to-resident ratios and an environment designed to reduce confusion and wandering risk.

AL

Assisted Living A licensed, long-term care setting for seniors or individuals with disabilities who need help with daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and medication management — but not 24-hour skilled nursing. Offers housing, meals, and around-the-clock support while aiming to maximize resident independence.

Santa Barbara (North State)
43No 86 4247 60.5% -Gl And Vl 2, LLC, Gp Of G And V 2 LP-
Abundant Care
MC

Memory Care Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. Staff trained in cognitive impairment, with higher staff-to-resident ratios and an environment designed to reduce confusion and wandering risk.

AL

Assisted Living A licensed, long-term care setting for seniors or individuals with disabilities who need help with daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and medication management — but not 24-hour skilled nursing. Offers housing, meals, and around-the-clock support while aiming to maximize resident independence.

Santa Barbara (Goleta)
6No 54 5-225 100.0% -Timothy Pryko & Daniel Bond-
Overview of Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara

Oak Cottages of Santa Barbara is one of the trusted senior living places in the city that offers an unmatched level of commitment, care, and compassion for its residents. With an emphasis on Alzheimer’s and dementia care, management strives to provide a dedicated approach to enhancing the quality of life for seniors needing quality assistance by offering options that cater to each individual’s needs.

Oak Cottages of Santa Barbara provides personalized assisted living brought by its community features. All-inclusive amenities and services include spacious common areas, recreational rooms, housekeeping, and transportation services; management prides itself on its approach to modern assisted living care, unparalleled by its remarkable care staff that offers compassionate care with its service.

What does this home offer?

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Housing Options: Studio / Suite

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Building Type: 2-story

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Transportation Services

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Fitness and Recreation

Contact Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara

Overview of Vista Del Monte Retirement Community

Vista Del Monte is a cozy, comfortable, and oasis-like home with quality service. Offering independent living, assisted living, and memory care services, residents continue to maintain their individuality. Vista Del Monte is undeniably a place where seniors belong to live on their terms. Seniors will discover an elevated lifestyle in its elegant and gracious approach to modern-day senior living.

As a member of the Front Porch group, a not-for-profit organization, it provides philanthropic support for its seniors to gain a wonderful experience during their stay. They also offer their exclusive Humanly Possible® program that focuses on the holistic wellness of its residents in a positive, person-centered approach to individual growth.

What does this home offer?

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Pets Allowed

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Housing Options: Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed

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Building Type: 2-story

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Transportation Services

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Fitness and Recreation

Contact Vista Del Monte Retirement Community

Overview of Covenant Living at the Samarkand

Covenant Living at the Samarkand is a senior living community that mainly provides services for residential living, assisted living, and skilled nursing seniors. The senior living community is dedicated to empowering all residents to live on their terms. The resort-like community boasts a relaxing and calming experience for its residents because it allows them to choose a lifestyle that matches their needs independently.
The Covenant Senior Living lifestyle is all about convenience and individuality. Many of their amenities and services are designed to ensure that a resident’s needs are met and satisfied. These include a library, wellness center, courtyard, and garden, and an arts and crafts studio, while services include housekeeping, laundry, and transportation.

Contact Covenant Living at the Samarkand

Villa Alamar

45 E Alamar Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Overview of Villa Alamar

Villa Alamar, located in Santa Barbara, CA, is a memory care community offering quality care services for their senior residents living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Their highly skilled staff ensures each residents wellness by providing personalized care through a variety of services including cognitive stimulation and social activities, assistance with daily living activities as well as medication management. This unique community is the last independently owned memory care provider on Santa Barbara’s Upper East Side
Additionally, this senior living community also provides residents with eating and dietary support monitoring by ensuring that they receive balanced and nutritious meals, daily. Furthermore, incontinence support and monitoring, beauty services, and laundry and linen services are also provided, to support the residents’ need of a hygienic living environment, where they can all thrive with dignity.

Contact Villa Alamar

Overview of Abundant Care

Abundant Care is a boutique-style Santa Barbara community offering memory care support. The elegant community gives off a homelike atmosphere for residents to feel a sense of belonging in a community they found. Abundant care provides endless opportunities for seniors to discover their new home.
Community accommodations are designed and created to maximize every feature for an enhanced living. The staff encourages an active lifestyle, providing activities that include outings and programs while experiencing state-of-the-art amenities. The well-trained nursing staff helps the residents fulfill their wellness, safety, and security.

Contact Abundant Care

Weighting overview

  • 35%
    Resident Experience
  • 25%
    Regulatory
  • 15%
    Visual Media
  • 10%
    Website
  • 10%
    Stability
  • 5%
    Environment
01

Resident & Family Experience 35%

The single largest share of every ranking. Aggregated review sentiment and volume from major platforms — the closest signal to real resident experience.

  • Includes
  • Review Sentiment
  • Review Volume
02

Regulatory & Safety Record 25%

State inspection records, citations, and complaint visits. We weight per-inspection rates more heavily than raw counts.

  • Includes
  • State Inspections
  • Citations/Inspection
  • % Inspections w/ Citations
  • Complaint Visits
  • Accreditations
  • BBB Rating
03

Visual Media & Transparency 15%

Communities that publish high-quality visuals give families a real preview. No photos or tours = a negative transparency signal.

  • Includes
  • Video Tours
  • Virtual Walkthroughs
  • Photo Quantity
  • Photo Quality
04

Website & Operator Transparency 10%

Site quality and whether the operator publishes basic accountability information — staff names, contact details, ownership.

  • Includes
  • Website Content
  • Mobile Usability
  • Staff Info Available
  • Owner Info Available
05

Community Stability 10%

Operational signals indicating whether a community is well-run and meeting demand.

  • Includes
  • Occupancy Rate
  • Bed Options
06

Environment & Pricing 5%

Walkability and pricing transparency. Walk Score is weighted higher for Independent Living than for Memory Care, where most residents do not leave unaccompanied.

  • Includes
  • Walk Score
  • Pricing Transparency
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Frequently Asked Questions about Memory Care in Santa Barbara, CA

What's the difference between assisted living and memory care in California?

Assisted living in California supports residents with daily activities (bathing, dressing, medication management) while preserving independence. Memory care is a specialized form of assisted living for residents living with Alzheimer's or dementia, and adds 24/7 secured environments, dementia-trained staff, and structured routines designed to reduce confusion and wandering.

Does California Medicaid cover memory care?

California Medicaid does not directly pay room-and-board for memory care, but most states (including California) offer Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that can offset the cost of care services delivered inside a licensed community. Eligibility, waitlists, and covered services vary — check directly with the state Medicaid agency.

What is memory care?

Memory care is a specialized form of assisted living for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, with secured environments, dementia-trained staff, and routines built to reduce confusion and wandering.

How many memory care communities are listed on this page?

This page features 5 memory care communities in Santa Barbara, CA. Use the filters and comparison tools above to compare ratings, amenities, and pricing.

How do I choose the right memory care community in Santa Barbara, CA?

Start by matching the level of care offered to the resident's current and anticipated needs, then compare licensing status, staff-to-resident ratios, recent inspection results, and pricing. Tour at least two or three communities in Santa Barbara, CA, talk to current residents and families, and confirm what is included in the base rate versus billed as add-on services.

What should I look for when visiting memory care communities in Santa Barbara, CA?

Pay attention to staff interactions with residents, cleanliness and odor, food quality at meal times, the activity calendar, and how questions about pricing and care plans are answered. Ask to see the most recent state inspection report, the move-out / level-of-care-change policy, and a sample monthly bill that lists every fee.