Northridge is a small town just northwest of Los Angeles, in the largest urban area in the state. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 40 million people live in California, 15 percent of them are seniors over the age of 65 and at least 650,000 people in the state have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Many people with Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease and other forms of dementia live in memory care facilities, where trained staff can look after their needs and help them follow their treatment programs.
California's memory care facilities are often located on or near the grounds of existing assisted living communities. Both types of facilities are sometimes known as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs), by the California Department of Health and Human Services, which regulates and inspects long-term care communities throughout the state. Northridge has 40 licensed memory care facilities, where seniors who need close monitoring can get supervision, prepared meals and medication prescribed by their doctors.