Memory Care Communities in Sunnyvale, California

Memory care costs in Sunnyvale are notably higher than average. Facilities here charge about 20.3% more than the California average and 40.4% more than the national average. In contrast, several nearby areas offer more affordable rates. Stockton is among the city's most affordable neighbors, with an average cost of care that's 42.2% below Sunnyvale's. Memory care is also more cost-effective in Santa Cruz, averaging 12.1% less per month. San Jose's dementia care communities are closer in cost to Sunnyvale's, but they're still cheaper by around 5%.

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 Sunnyvale has an average monthly cost of $7,899.

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 ranks among Sunnyvale's costliest senior care options. In-home care, which provides one-on-one nonmedical support for seniors, is about 13.1% cheaper, while home health care, which offers in-home medical support, is 9.4% less. Assisted living costs about $1,580 less than memory care, although this option is usually designed for seniors who only need help with personal care such as bathing and dressing.

Adult day health care is the cheapest option, costing about $5,949 less than memory care, but it only provides daytime supervision. In contrast, nursing home facilities are about 46.4% costlier than memory care, as they provide intensive, 24/7 medical monitoring.

The Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services regulates memory care in Sunnyvale and the rest of the state. Beyond implementing health and safety standards, the agency also investigates complaints about care quality to protect seniors with dementia against abuse and malpractice.

• Seniors can access numerous highly rated medical facilities in and around Sunnyvale. Valley Health Center Sunnyvale offers a pharmacy, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine and many other services, while Sutter Health offers a dedicated Alzheimer's and Brain Health Department at its Mountain View location. Additionally, Santa Clara County's Healthcare Access Program provides financial assistance for high medical bills.

• The FBI reports that Sunnyvale's crime rates have been rising in recent years. However, the city is still a relatively safe place to live. Compared to national averages, the area's violent crime rate is about 10.9 points lower, and its property crime rate is 10.1 points lower. For added peace of mind, memory care communities typically feature comprehensive safety systems, such as cameras, motion detectors and personal tracking pendants that monitor residents' locations.

• As part of Santa Clara County, Sunnyvale often has poor air quality due to pollution and unhealthy ozone. The American Lung Association gives the region failing grades for both indicators, meaning the local air quality could harm seniors' health. Fortunately, many memory care communities implement health safety measures when pollution is high, such as using air filters and limiting time outdoors.

• The regions surrounding Sunnyvale have moderate to very high wildfire risk according to the California State Fire Marshal, which could be concerning for seniors and their families. However, memory care communities have evacuation plans to protect residents in case of emergencies.

• Sunnyvale is a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. This means the city government pledges to support seniors through public resources and community improvements. More broadly, the state of California is an AARP Age-Friendly State, indicating that it's a good place to live for older adults.