Memory Care Communities in Oakland, California

California memory care can be costly. Oakland has some of the state’s highest care rates at $7,854 per month. To the south, memory care in San Jose and Los Angeles is $7,500 and $6,563, respectively. In nearby Sacramento, costs are a little lower at $6,531 per month. In Modesto to the west, prices are lower still at $5,000 per month.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

Memory care in Oakland costs an average of $7,854 per month. This is higher than the California average of $6,563 monthly and much higher than the national average of $5,625.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in California page.

Memory care can be complex as seniors with cognitive disorders have special requirements. Of the different types of senior care, only nursing home care is more expensive at $11,566 per month for a semiprivate room. Non-medical in-home care averages $6,864 a month. Home health care requires care providers with professional training for medical interventions and costs $7,150. Assisted living care in a community setting costs $6,319 monthly in Oakland. The least expensive form of senior care, adult day care, costs $1,950 per month.

The California Department of Social Services’ Senior Care Licensing Program licenses and monitors residential and continuing care facilities for the elderly, including memory care facilities. It conducts regular inspections to ensure facilities uphold standards around care, food services and other aspects of congregate living to keep seniors with cognitive disorders safe, healthy and comfortable.

• California has some of the best health care facilities in the world, and many are in or close to the Oakland area. Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center and the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center regularly appear on Healthgrades’ Top 100 hospital lists. Not far away in Sacramento, the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center offers early-stage screening and also presents satellite events and programs at the North Oakland Senior Center. Across the Bay, the University of California San Francisco’s Center for Geriatric Care is a leader in elder care practices. 
• California living doesn’t come cheap, and Oakland’s cost of living is almost double the U.S. average. For seniors requiring memory care, monthly average care costs of $7,854 reflect this lack of affordability, higher than in many other California communities and much higher than the national average of $5,625 per month.
• Oakland became a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2018. The Network is an initiative that recruits cities and communities to improve livability for seniors through better design, services and outreach. In the case of Oakland, the city focuses on health and community services, housing and outdoor spaces. 
• California weather is famous for its abundance of warm, sunny days. But during the summer months, when the rest of the state is baking, Oakland remains temperate and comfortable. In the winter, snow is rare, and temperatures usually stay well above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. On the downside, like much of California, Oakland suffers from poor air quality, especially during wildfire events.
• Although California does not tax Social Security income, it taxes public and private pensions and retirement fund withdrawals. Because sales and income taxes are higher in Oakland than the national average, the community is not tax-friendly for seniors or retirees. California does have a Senior Citizen Property Tax Relief program for some seniors who qualify. 
• For all the beauty of its location and many amenities, Oakland has a serious crime problem. The area has some of the highest numbers in the country when it comes to violent, property and motor theft crimes.