Whittier, Los Angeles, is inhabited by 86,838 people, 12.8 percent of whom are 65 years or older. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the state of California will see a 29 percent increase in the rate of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias by 2025. To serve the growing number of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, there are 43 memory care facilities around Whittier, with two in the city itself and 41 nearby.
California makes memory care services available through housing arrangements called residential care facilities, which are licensed by the Department of Social Services. These facilities can support individuals with mild dementia if the resident organizes their own specialized care, like receiving medical care from a visiting nurse or contracting with hospice agencies to access services that the facility cannot provide.