Other senior care options in Santa Barbara:

Best Memory Care in Santa Barbara, CA

Why trust this guide? Our editorial team analyzed 12 memory care communities in Santa Barbara, CA using California Department of Social Services (CDSS) data, inspection records, complaints, amenities, and facility-level details. How we rank memory care in CA
Reviewed by
Last updated
Jun 2026
We analyzed
12 homes
Other senior care options in Santa Barbara:

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

Watch this Video to see Santa Barbara's Top-rated Senior Communities
Avg Walk Score: 52/ 100The average Walk Score across facilities in Santa Barbara, CA. A third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100) measuring convenience and context, not healthcare quality. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average: 50/ 100
Avg No. of Beds: 122The average licensed bed capacity across facilities in Santa Barbara, CA. Individual facilities can vary widely from this average.
National Average: 90

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.

Westmont of Santa Barbara
MC
AL
IL
Goleta
99
Facility 99
CA AVG 103
Rank #725 / 1657
Yes
24
Facility 24
CA AVG 57
Rank #1798 / 2092
59
Facility 59
CA AVG 81
Rank #1301 / 1401
23
24
Facility 24
CA AVG 13
Rank #1187 / 1397
18
Facility 18
CA AVG 3
Rank #1133 / 1164
8
Facility 8
CA AVG 13
Rank #738 / 1487
72.7%
Facility 72.7%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #782 / 1368
A-Mariposa Mgr Gp Of Mariposa Oper; Westmont LivingStudio / 1 Bed
Maravilla
MC
AL
IL
Santa Barbara (Calle Real)
131
Facility 131
CA AVG 103
Rank #482 / 1657
No
42
Facility 42
CA AVG 57
Rank #1527 / 2092
67
Facility 67
CA AVG 81
Rank #1156 / 1401
12
10
Facility 10
CA AVG 13
Rank #850 / 1397
7
Facility 7
CA AVG 3
Rank #988 / 1164
11
Facility 11
CA AVG 13
Rank #610 / 1487
95.4%
Facility 95.4%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #181 / 1368
-Maravilla Subtenant LLC; Srg Managment LLC1 Bed / 2 Bed
Heritage House
MC
AL
Santa Barbara (Goleta)
68
Facility 68
CA AVG 103
Rank #1017 / 1657
No
67
Facility 67
CA AVG 57
Rank #830 / 2092
96
Facility 96
CA AVG 81
Rank #1 / 1401
5
0
Facility 0
CA AVG 13
Rank #1 / 1397
0
Facility 0
CA AVG 3
Rank #1 / 1164
23
Facility 23
CA AVG 13
Rank #289 / 1487
85.3%
Facility 85.3%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #374 / 1368
-Heritage House GroupPrivate Rooms
Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara
MC
Santa Barbara (Oak Park)
50
Facility 50
CA AVG 103
Rank #1133 / 1657
No
75
Facility 75
CA AVG 57
Rank #563 / 2092
67
Facility 67
CA AVG 81
Rank #1156 / 1401
10
10
Facility 10
CA AVG 13
Rank #850 / 1397
11
Facility 11
CA AVG 3
Rank #1074 / 1164
8
Facility 8
CA AVG 13
Rank #738 / 1487
64.0%
Facility 64.0%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #1023 / 1368
-Oak Cottage Operator Nt Hci LLC; Integral Sl MgmtStudio / Suite
Vista Del Monte Retirement Community
MC
AL
IL
Santa Barbara (Hidden Valley)
266
Facility 266
CA AVG 103
Rank #74 / 1657
Yes
18
Facility 18
CA AVG 57
Rank #1874 / 2092
91
Facility 91
CA AVG 81
Rank #355 / 1401
37
2
Facility 2
CA AVG 13
Rank #324 / 1397
1
Facility 1
CA AVG 3
Rank #413 / 1164
28
Facility 28
CA AVG 13
Rank #158 / 1487
75.6%
Facility 75.6%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #711 / 1368
A+Walgenbach, Brian & Gill, DougStudio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
Covenant Living at the Samarkand
MC
AL
NH
Santa Barbara (Samarkand)
379
Facility 379
CA AVG 103
Rank #31 / 1657
No
50
Facility 50
CA AVG 57
Rank #1345 / 2092
90
Facility 90
CA AVG 81
Rank #398 / 1401
6
1
Facility 1
CA AVG 13
Rank #210 / 1397
2
Facility 2
CA AVG 3
Rank #600 / 1164
33
Facility 33
CA AVG 13
Rank #91 / 1487
85.2%
Facility 85.2%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #379 / 1368
A+Covenant Living West-
Alexander Gardens
MC
AL
Santa Barbara (Upper East)
36
Facility 36
CA AVG 103
Rank #1238 / 1657
No
64
Facility 64
CA AVG 57
Rank #923 / 2092
86
Facility 86
CA AVG 81
Rank #630 / 1401
7
5
Facility 5
CA AVG 13
Rank #592 / 1397
3
Facility 3
CA AVG 3
Rank #753 / 1164
10
Facility 10
CA AVG 13
Rank #662 / 1487
63.9%
Facility 63.9%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #1025 / 1368
-Gl And Vl LLCPrivate Rooms / Semi-Private Rooms
Villa Alamar
MC
Santa Barbara (North State)
43
Facility 43
CA AVG 103
Rank #1191 / 1657
No
86
Facility 86
CA AVG 57
Rank #267 / 2092
82
Facility 82
CA AVG 81
Rank #793 / 1401
9
2
Facility 2
CA AVG 13
Rank #324 / 1397
4
Facility 4
CA AVG 3
Rank #828 / 1164
30
Facility 30
CA AVG 13
Rank #129 / 1487
60.5%
Facility 60.5%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #1095 / 1368
-Gl And Vl 2, LLC, Gp Of G And V 2 LP-
Casa Dorinda
MC
AL
NH
Santa Barbara
360
Facility 360
CA AVG 103
Rank #34 / 1657
No
2
Facility 2
CA AVG 57
Rank #2044 / 2092
86
Facility 86
CA AVG 81
Rank #630 / 1401
5
4
Facility 4
CA AVG 13
Rank #529 / 1397
-
32
Facility 32
CA AVG 13
Rank #106 / 1487
85.3%
Facility 85.3%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #374 / 1368
-Montecito Retirement Association-
Mission Villa
MC
AL
HC
RC
Santa Barbara (Oak Park)
15
Facility 15
CA AVG 103
Rank #1297 / 1657
No
73
Facility 73
CA AVG 57
Rank #642 / 2092
72
Facility 72
CA AVG 81
Rank #1051 / 1401
9
9
Facility 9
CA AVG 13
Rank #814 / 1397
4
Facility 4
CA AVG 3
Rank #828 / 1164
4
Facility 4
CA AVG 13
Rank #1100 / 1487
80.0%
Facility 80.0%
CA AVG 74.8%
Rank #593 / 1368
A+Universal Bond, LLCPrivate Rooms / Semi-Private Rooms
Overview of Westmont of Santa Barbara

Have a blissful retirement with the distinguished senior living community of Westmont of Santa Barbara in Goleta, CA, which provides assisted living, independent living, and memory care services. With its commitment to improving residents’ quality of life, the community features purposely built and sophisticated amenities, alongside top-tier care and assistance. Residents have more time to do the things they love with a compassionate and highly trained team caring for their personal needs and household responsibilities.

Here, residents always have something new to learn with a full calendar of enjoyable activities and engaging events that encourage them to maintain an active lifestyle. Delightful and healthy meals are also available throughout the day, ensuring residents have a satisfactory dining experience. Westmont of Santa Barbara doubles its efforts to create a haven where residents thrive and reach their full potential with its state-of-the-art amenities and a trusted community.

Contact Westmont of Santa Barbara

Maravilla

5486 Calle Real, Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Overview of Maravilla

Maravilla operates across three care levels (assisted living, independent living, memory care) at 5486 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, managed by Senior Resource Group under Ruth E Grande’s administration. The 131-bed community is structured as three stories with flexible housing: suites, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units ranging from 398 to 1,177 square feet. Eleven years of operating history, paired with 95% occupancy (125 of 131 beds filled), suggest consistent market demand.

The neighborhood scores 42 on the Walk Score, meaning some services are walkable but most trips require a car. It’s 8.8 miles from downtown Santa Barbara. The facility offers beauty services, transportation, housekeeping, social and recreational programming, exercise, a swimming pool, and structured programs called Zest Wellness, Dine Your Way, and SyneRGy. These are the operational anchors.

State surveys have documented serious deficiencies involving staff qualifications and building safety systems, including an immediate health and safety risk tied to staff management and an inoperable elevator. Substantiated complaints detail delays in toileting care, poor communication with residents’ authorized representatives, and failure to seek timely medical attention after a resident fall. A background check deficiency for a private caregiver was cited, then corrected. The facility shows seven serious citations against a state average of three, and seven moderate citations against an average of four.

The inspection pattern suggests systemic gaps in care coordination, staff management, and safety systems. Maravilla’s high occupancy and longevity don’t correlate with inspection findings that point to operational deficiencies families should evaluate directly before placement decisions.

Contact Maravilla

Heritage House

5200 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93111
Overview of Heritage House

Heritage House is a cozy assisted living and memory care home that has continuously been practicing a personal approach to the meaningful service they are guaranteed to deliver to the seniors; they strive to make a difference in the lives of the elderly. The beautiful community has been a home of possibilities for seniors who want to discover the purpose in their lives that they have been searching for; a home that they deserve is found at the Heritage House in Santa Barbara.

The community’s home-like surroundings and nurturing environment are contributed by its in-house professional culinary team to provide the best and finest dishes at its pub, café, and dining room. Beautiful activities are found in their ballroom, billiards lounge, fitness center, computer or media center, and fireplace – among many others. Their essential services include wheelchair-accessible showers, kitchenettes, ground-floor units, specialized memory care support, and social and recreational activities.

Contact Heritage House

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.

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.

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

Alexander Gardens

2120 Santa Barbara St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Overview of Alexander Gardens

Alexander Gardens Assisted Living proudly provides a home-like environment where its residents are treated like family. Residential living heeds a lifestyle of comfort. The community is where seniors thrive and retire gracefully thanks to the genuine support and care from a team of professionals. The assisted living home promotes a villa-type setting balanced with a permanent vacation feeling that can inspire residential living. This unique community is the last independently owned provider on Santa Barbara’s Upper East Side.

One of Santa Barbara’s most trusted communities, Alexander Gardens practices a person-centered approach, providing a reliable environment through maintenance-free services, housekeeping services, comfortable common spaces, and delicious dining experiences. They boast their highly trained care staff, spacious apartments, and a list of calendar-filled activities for an engaging and enriching experience during their stay.

Contact Alexander Gardens

Casa Dorinda

300 Hot Springs Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Overview of Casa Dorinda

Casa Dorinda is a nursing home in Santa Barbara, California. It’s located on Hot Springs Road in a quiet, car-dependent area outside the city center. Medicare and private pay are welcome, so families have different coverage options. Owned by Ramona Clark, the community is operated by the Montecito Retirement Association under Brian Mccague’s administration.

The home is a substantial community with 360 beds, currently at 70 percent occupancy with 251 residents. After operating for over three decades, the community has built a stable resident population with an average stay length of 126 days, reflecting a mix of short-term rehabilitation stays and longer-term nursing care. Casa Dorinda employs a full clinical team, with total nursing care averaging nearly 6 hours per resident day, supported by a mix of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse aides. Daily life centers on structured meals and recreation. The kitchen prepares three fresh-made meals per day, with special events like Sunday Champagne Brunch and holiday celebrations in the calendar. Residents can partake in cultural events, arts and crafts, fitness classes at an on-site gym, and nature walks that get people outside when the weather permits.

For residents working on recovery post-hospital stays or injury, Casa Dorinda supports rehabilitation services. A fitness center and gym exist for residents wanting to maintain strength and mobility, and housekeeping services keep the building tidy and orderly. Families evaluating Casa Dorinda should take time to tour the home and meet the care team, so that a real sense of the daily environment and the care pacing is felt and perceived.

Contact Casa Dorinda

Mission Villa

321 W Mission St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Overview of Mission Villa

A cozy senior living community that offers exquisite assisted living and memory care benefits, Mission Villa is one of the premier senior living communities in Santa Barbara. The vibrant home provides the best convenience and comfort for seniors who want to stay active and have a quaint lifestyle. The nurturing environment empowers and enhances the quality of life for residents by tailored care to each unique individual. The cozy home offers an environment where the holistic wellness of seniors is met.

Mission Villa strives to provide its residents with a comfortable lifestyle of everyday living, making it an ideal place to call a new home. Regardless of your living option, management and staff are guaranteed to provide resort-like accommodations with world-class hospitality– assisted living activities, memory care programs, housekeeping, dining services, enriching programs, and 24/7 nursing supervision.

Contact Mission Villa

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 12 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.