Carpinteria is a small seaside colony, about halfway between Ventura and Santa Barbara, where roughly 13,600 people live within a few miles of the beach. About 18 percent of Carpinteria's residents are seniors age 65 and over, some of whom have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. The town has four memory care facilities to provide a safe, comfortable home for seniors with Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease or advanced forms of Parkinson's who need full-time care and help following a regular treatment plan.
Staff at these sites often help seniors with dementia through physical and mental therapy, as well as assisting with activities of daily living, such as hygiene and personal care. Memory care, like assisted living and skilled nursing care, is regulated at the state level as long-term residential care facilities and licensed under the California Department of Social Services Adult Care Licensing program.