Page 2 of Best Memory Care in Santa Barbara, CA

Why trust this guide? Our editorial team analyzed 13 memory care providers in Santa Barbara, CA using CA Dept. of Social Services (CDSS) data, inspection records, complaints, amenities, and facility-level details. How we rank memory care in CA
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Last updated
We analyzed These are the providers in Santa Barbara, CA our team has analyzed — not a count of every memory care provider in Santa Barbara, CA. Home health and home care providers may be included if they specialize in memory care services.
13 providers
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: 54/ 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: 115The 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)

Info below is compiled from the CA Dept. of Social Services (CDSS), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.

Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.

Care Types in This Table AL (Assisted Living): Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing. MC (Memory Care): Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. IL (Independent Living): Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care.
City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
Indicates whether residents are allowed to have pets in the facility.
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
The ALM Inspection Grade — our own 0–100 score of a facility's regulatory inspection record, shown as a letter and compared with other facilities of the same kind in the same state. It is not a government rating. A dash means we do not publish a grade for that facility: either its public record is too thin to be fair, or we hold nothing for it at all.
Count of regulatory inspections in the reporting window. Higher volume can reflect more oversight visits, complaint-driven surveys, or routine licensure cycles.
Visits or investigations linked to complaints, as counted in the state record (may differ from routine annual surveys).
Count of California state "Type A" citations — the state's most serious citation category (immediate or serious harm to residents), from California state inspection data.
Number of years the company has been in operation.
Reported or derived occupancy for the facility—typically how fully licensed capacity is utilized. Compare across peers in the same market.
Better Business Bureau grade for the operating company. Reflects complaint handling and business practices, not clinical care quality.
Name of the licensed owner, operator, or managing entity as filed with the state. Useful for grouping facilities under the same organization.
Housing or bed configuration options (e.g. studio, shared), often from facility-reported amenities and licensing details.
Westmont of Santa Barbara
MC
AL
IL
Goleta
99
Facility 99
CA AVG 103
Rank #663 / 1,492
Yes
24
Facility 24
CA AVG 57
Rank #1,632 / 1,887
D-61 / 100 — 22 points below the California average for state-licensed facilities (83/100)43
24
Facility 24
CA AVG 13
Rank #1,181 / 1,387
18
Facility 18
CA AVG 3
Rank #1,391 / 1,433
8
Facility 8
CA AVG 13
Rank #734 / 1,452
72.7%
Facility 72.7%
CA AVG 74.6%
Rank #735 / 1,313
AMariposa Mgr Gp Of Mariposa Oper And Westmont LivingStudio / 1 Bed
Alexander Gardens
MC
AL
Santa Barbara (Upper East)
36
Facility 36
CA AVG 103
Rank #1,078 / 1,492
No
64
Facility 64
CA AVG 57
Rank #827 / 1,887
C-71 / 100 — 12 points below the California average for state-licensed facilities (83/100)13
5
Facility 5
CA AVG 13
Rank #589 / 1,387
6
Facility 6
CA AVG 3
Rank #1,156 / 1,433
10
Facility 10
CA AVG 13
Rank #665 / 1,452
63.9%
Facility 63.9%
CA AVG 74.6%
Rank #980 / 1,313
-Gl And Vl LLCPrivate Rooms / Semi-Private Rooms
Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara
MC
Santa Barbara (Oak Park)
50
Facility 50
CA AVG 103
Rank #986 / 1,492
No
75
Facility 75
CA AVG 57
Rank #511 / 1,887
D-61 / 100 — 22 points below the California average for state-licensed facilities (83/100)21
10
Facility 10
CA AVG 13
Rank #845 / 1,387
11
Facility 11
CA AVG 3
Rank #1,309 / 1,433
8
Facility 8
CA AVG 13
Rank #734 / 1,452
64.0%
Facility 64.0%
CA AVG 74.6%
Rank #978 / 1,313
-Oak Cottage Operator Nt Hci LLC And Integral Sl MgmtStudio / Suite

Rank badges are statewide: each community is ranked against every CA community we track that reports that metric, not just the 13 analyzed for Santa Barbara. See how we rank facilities

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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

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

Overview of Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara

Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara provides memory care in Santa Barbara, CA. Memory care offers a secured setting with supervision for a resident who may be at risk of wandering, so the community can suit someone living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia who needs structured oversight.

Located in the Oak Park neighborhood, the community has 50 beds, a size that supports a smaller setting where residents and staff can get to know one another. Housing includes studios and suites, with a studio providing a single private living space. A Walk Score of 75 places the area in the very walkable band, meaning most errands can be done on foot and a resident who no longer drives may still reach nearby shops, pharmacies, or cafes independently.

Tyler Barnes serves as the administrator, and Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara is operated by Oak Cottage Operator Nt Hci and Integral Sl Mgmt.

Contact Oak Cottage of Santa Barbara

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
No paid rankings Communities cannot pay to influence placement.
How we're paid: If we help you find a community and you move in, that community may pay us a referral fee. This never affects where they rank or what you pay. Learn more
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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 13 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.