Santa Cruz County is a mix of mountains and beaches on California's mid-coastal region, just south of the San Francisco Peninsula. The county is home to 276,000 people, 15.6 percent of whom are seniors age 65 and over, some living with Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease or another form of dementia.
For those seniors whose condition requires full-time supervision and daily care, Santa Cruz has three memory care facilities where trained staff provide room and board, assistance with activities of daily living and the physical or mental therapy prescribed by a doctor. Memory care, assisted living and skilled nursing care facilities are all licensed to operate by the California Department of Social Services Adult Care Licensing program, which inspects properties to ensure quality of care.