Dementia, and specifically Alzheimers, is a serious, growing problem. In fact, 1 out of every 10 adults over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s dementia. As El Monte’s senior population continues to grow (7% growth between 2015 and 2020), so does the concern about aging and the risk of cognitive impairment.Â
In El Monte, the number of deaths for those 65 and older caused or partly caused by Alzheimer’s disease rose 37% between 2015 and 2020. To put that in perspective, the number of deaths from all causes for that same age group only increased by 4%, showing that Alzheimer’s is a growing concern in the region. Overall, the percentage of seniors’ deaths related to Alzheimer’s is higher than the rest of the nation (13% in El Monte vs. 6.46% in the U.S.).Â
To help families and caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of cognitive impairment find the support and care their loved ones need, we applied our unique methodology and spent dozens of hours researching senior living communities in El Monte. In addition to an overview of the communities’ best features, this guide highlights the best memory care facilities in the city, and gives information about pricing, types of care provided, residents’ reviews, and more.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 83% of all caregivers are unpaid family members, relatives, or other friends, and nearly half of all care is for older adults with some form of dementia. Caregiving, especially when it involves Alzheimer’s or dementia, is extremely exhausting and time consuming, leading many caregivers to feel isolated and overwhelmed.
As a loved one continues to progress through the stages of dementia and his or her cognitive abilities continue to decline, behavioral problems, safety, and general care often become more than one caregiver can handle. This is when it’s important to find extra help, and residential facilities that have specialized memory care programs are often the best solution.
In addition to providing a safe environment, memory care programs seek to delay or halt cognitive decline while providing the opportunity for a social, independent lifestyle.
To choose the best memory care facilities in El Monte, our team of researchers started by using our unique methodology to develop a list of contenders. We further refined the list in the next phase of our process by completing hands-on research for each one of the companies that we developed. Finally, we compiled online reviews from residents and families and wrote summaries of each facility that made it through our selection process.Â
Overall, our team:Â Â
Hollenbeck Palms is a memory care community for seniors featuring personalized care services and programs focused on delaying further cognitive decline. Its Hensel Memory Enhancement Center is a dedicated secure unit where residents participate in engaging activities, interact with peers and caregivers each day and receive help with daily life activities. The two-floor memory neighborhood features an enclosed garden, several specialized activity rooms, a dining room and multiple lounge areas so residents can explore a secure environment. Seniors frequently participate in artistic and musical activities, and they exercise via fitness programs that can improve and maintain their health. A culinary team prepares and serves all their meals, and staff members handle room cleaning and maintenance needs.
Residents praise the care programs at Hollenbeck Palms and feel that the quality of service is very high. A resident's child says, "My mom's been at Hollenbeck Palms for a couple of months. I can't speak highly enough about the staff. They're caring and compassionate as well as very professional."
Sakura Gardens of Los Angeles is located next to Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital. The Japanese-inspired community has a thoughtfully designed memory care wing that features bright and open indoor communal areas and a beautiful garden. The Legacies program features enriching therapies and activities that are designed to slow down cognitive decline and enrich body, mind and spirit. Residents receive a personalized assessment to determine what level of care is most suitable based on their needs, life preferences and hobbies. Trained staff provides 24/7 care and assistance with daily tasks such as personal care and medication management. Activities include gardening, music classes and Japanese cultural activities. The chefs prepare nutritious Japanese and western meals that residents can enjoy together in the dining area.
Reviewers praise the caring and helpful staff. One family member says, "Everyone at Sakura Gardens is very helpful, friendly and attentive to our aunt's needs. She enjoys daily exercise classes and an occasional movie. The grounds are well-kept with a koi pond and a turtle that likes to hang out on the rocks."
Residents of the memory care neighborhood at Belmont Village Westwood live in a secure, self-contained area with private outdoor spaces. The Whole Brain Fitness Program and Circle of Friends engage residents in structured daily activities and exercises to promote physical and mental fitness while reducing the impact of cognitive decline. A licensed nurse and specially trained staff provide personalized care 24/7 including assistance with activities of daily living and medication management. Physical, occupational and speech therapies are provided at the on-site fitness center, and transportation services are available. Flexible care plans allow couples with mixed care level needs to continue living together.
Residents and their families love the caring, attentive staff and the plentiful activities at Belmont Village Westwood. One reviewer says, "The staff is lovely and so kind to the residents. They are constantly having fun events to keep the residents active and engaged."
Belmont Village Hollywood Hills provides quality care in the heart of Hollywood, so residents and their loved ones can easily access medical venues, shops and attractions within minutes. The community offers a secure, self-contained memory care neighborhood purposefully designed for seniors living with Alzheimer's and related dementias. Highly trained caregivers and a licensed nurse are on-site 24/7, so seniors always have the support they need with daily tasks, such as bathing, grooming and mobility, and they're carefully monitored to encourage safety and well-being. Physical, occupational and speech therapy are also offered on-site. Research-based programs include Whole Brain Fitness, which features small, ability-centered group activities to help boost residents' physical and mental abilities, mental exercises and lively challenges to boost confidence. Circle of Friends connects seniors with similar ability levels through personalized activities to improve critical thinking, learning and problem-solving skills.
Visitors like the kind staff and convenient location. "Love this place. They keep it so nice, friendly, caring staff," one reviewer says about the care team. "The residents have lots to do, great location and they invest in getting great entertainment for their residents. Definitely one of the best places, in my opinion."
On the west side of downtown Los Angeles, CityView is a memory care community that's just a short drive from El Monte, California. Staff supports residents with memory-related conditions using two distinct initiatives, serving residents who thrive in an active social atmosphere through the Court 1 program and residents in need of a quieter environment through the Court 2 program. This structure maximizes opportunities for seniors to focus on the personal connections they can make with caring staff members, fellow residents and visiting loved ones. Activities are designed to stimulate the mind, promote a holistic sense of well-being and engage seniors with their favorite interests or find new ones to enjoy.
Reviewers praise the community's well-maintained environment. The relative of a resident says, "CityView is beautiful, lovely, and well appointed. The rooms are clean and neat. The staff is extremely friendly. They have a driver who drives them once a day to activities. The food is extremely good and guests are always welcome."
Conveniently located in a quiet residential neighborhood, Hollywood Hills, A Pacifica Senior Living Community is less than 10 minutes from Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center and Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Its Legacies Memory Care program helps seniors with dementia live fulfilling lives by offering person-centric care on demand. The staff learns the life story, likes, dislikes and habits of each resident before developing an individualized care plan that includes regular physical and mental checkups. The highly trained caregivers are on duty 24/7 to provide medication management and help with activities of daily living. Many social and physical activities are available, such as arts and crafts, happy hours and walking clubs. The culinary staff serves three gourmet meals daily in the dining room, and a nutritional program overseen by a physician is available. Amenities include a fitness center, movie theater and library.
Family members rave about the dedicated staff, luxurious amenities and diverse activities. A resident's sister writes, "It's very clean. It's like a hotel, and so it's very upscale. The staff is extremely professional and the services are excellent. They have exercises, movie nights, short and long field trips, a gym, and a hair salon."
Valley Vista Senior Living is a vibrant and welcoming community that strives to provide personalized care to all residents. It's specially designed to support seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia, among other memory conditions. Staff is available 24/7 to help residents with activities of daily living, including grooming, bathing and medication management. The community ensures the staff members receive continuous extensive training to better care for seniors with memory loss. Residents can access the beauty salon, barbershop, secured outdoor courtyards, private dining rooms, fitness center, card lounge, wine bar and restaurant to socialize with friends and families and enjoy solitude. The community encourages seniors to engage in various activities and programs to help them improve their physical and cognitive skills. Pet, music and art therapies are available as well as family education and support groups.
Family members praise Valley Vista Senior Living for its caring staff. One family member remarks, "My mother is in Valley Vista. The staff seems very caring. The place is very well run, very clean and well-staffed. There seem to be several caregivers in the memory care unit. The rooms are nicely appointed, and their programs are a good fit for my mom."
Solheim Senior Community is a faith-based home dedicated to caring for older adults, including those with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other types of memory loss. The friendly staff in the memory care neighborhood is available 24-hours a day to supervise and lend seniors a helping hand with toileting, bathing, dressing, taking medications and completing other daily chores. The community features a shady outdoor courtyard and lounge areas where residents can rest and relax. The kitchen staff prepares and serves three healthy meals daily in the two restaurant-style dining rooms and can accommodate those with special dietary needs. During weekly clinics, licensed nurses check the blood pressure, weight and vital signs of each senior. Solheim also has a full-time chaplain who offers religious services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and holidays in the on-site chapel.
Families are impressed by the individualized care offered at Solheim. One resident's relative writes, "The nursing staff, the support staff, indeed everyone we have encountered in the memory care center and the Solheim community as a whole has been outstanding. We specifically appreciate how the residents of the memory care are engaged in activities, exercises and social events."
Silverado Beverly Place is a senior living community located in proximity to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. It offers memory and dementia care in a warm and comfortable environment that often includes the company of pets and children. The community features three neighborhoods that offer different levels of care for residents at varying stages of memory loss. Clinical care in every neighborhood is led by a physician medical director along with staff that focuses on residents' well-being and licensed nurses that are available 24/7. Residents are encouraged to socialize and engage in a wide range of activities and outings as a way to maintain independence and ability.
Reviewers appreciate the community's warm and welcoming atmosphere. One says, "This Silverado is a wonderful place The residents are always engaged and individually cared for all throughout the day and night The love is highly recognizable from the delicious food made to the staff that interacts with each resident and their family. "
Sitting in a charming neighborhood, Melrose Gardens & The Cottages is less than 3 miles from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. This community's Club Melrose program helps seniors with mild cognitive impairment live engaged lives by providing person-centric care based on the Montessori method. Residents live in a dedicated private area and participate in memory therapies customized to their lives, interests and former careers. They also enjoy life enrichment activities, such as ice cream socials, brain games and art classes. Seniors with Alzheimer's can opt for The Cottages, a specialized memory care neighborhood featuring secure living spaces and a fully enclosed outdoor garden. The specially trained staff is on duty 24/7 to provide medication management and help with activities of daily living, including bathing and dressing.
People love the dedicated staff and personalized services. A resident's daughter writes, "Melrose Gardens memory care is nothing short of outstanding! Their personalized, compassionate care of my mother has enabled her to come out of her shell and enjoy life again. Their staff is incredibly dedicated and responsive. It doesn't get better than this!"
Glen Park at Valley Village is an assisted living community that also offers specialized memory care services to seniors who need a higher level of care. Staff members are available 24/7 to help with daily living activities and are certified Memory Impairment Specialists. During the day, residents are encouraged to take part in an array of planned activities such as art therapy or cooking class, but they also have the freedom to explore the gated community. A delayed egress system on all exit doors prevents residents from leaving the grounds.
Reviewers are happy with Glen Park at Valley Village's helpful caregivers, with one reviewer noting, "There were not that many residents, and they all looked happy." The reviewer added that the staff member they talked to "was very helpful answered all my questions, called me back, and was very nice."
Ivy Park at Culver City offers customized memory care in a gorgeous atmosphere. The villa-style community uses a whole living approach, so staff supports seniors physically, mentally and emotionally. In the Evergreen at Ivy neighborhood, residents living with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss enjoy days that are stimulating and soothing, with a full calendar of activities designed just for them. Available 24 hours, caregivers help with the activities of daily living as needed, including medication management and help with personal care. Concierge physician services give residents convenient access to medical care on-site. Emergency response systems ensure that caregivers are easy to reach while providing peace of mind, and housekeeping, laundry and maintenance are all covered so residents can relax. All-day dining gives seniors the option of fresh, nutritious meals whenever they like, and spa services keep them pampered.
Loved ones appreciate the friendly team. One says, "Dad has lived here for almost three years and is incredibly happy here. The staff is wonderful. We've become friends with many other residents as well as their families. The facility feels more like a boutique hotel. I am so glad we hung in there through the challenge."
Avenir Memory Care Westside cares for those with Alzheimer's and memory loss in a comfortable, homelike environment. Residents receive top-quality care in a setting designed to preserve independence and enhance quality of life. Person-centered care plans are designed through meeting with each resident and finding programs and activities that make the most of their abilities and interests. The care team assists with all the activities of daily living, including housekeeping, meal preparation and personal care. Residents are also matched with the memory care neighborhood that best fits their needs and provides an environment of peers of similar cognitive ability. The community additionally provides a number of services that provide mental and physical support to seniors, such as transportation to medical appointments, three chef-prepared meals per day and a host of events and activities that ensure residents' days are filled with purpose and fun.
Reviewers speak highly of the community's design and caring staff. One says, "Wow! No thought or expense spared in the building of this facility. Truly unparalleled among the competition in senior living. The living spaces are bright and beautiful, the staff is caring and experienced, and the schedule is packed with activities. The seniors living here are lucky indeed."
The Boynton Street location of the Glen Park at Glendale retirement community is a single-story residence located in a family-friend neighborhood a few miles west of El Monte, California. Staff members are certified Memory Impairment Specialists who follow personalized care plans optimized to support a resident's independence 24/7. A licensed nurse is on the premises daily to support the memory care team in maintaining a high staff-to-resident ratio of one staff member for every four residents. The community is intentionally designed to help seniors feel right at home and meet multisensory needs, so they can explore their environment safely and comfortably. An accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities demonstrates staff meets a rigorous national standard of care beyond what's required for state licensure.
Reviews describe the staff as compassionate and attentive. A loved one writes, "Such a nice facility and professional staff. I can see how happy their residents are. My loved one is very happy here and he loves all staff."
Foothill Retirement offers safety and security in a residential neighborhood on Crescenta Valley's western edge under the backdrop of the Verdugo Mountains. Seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia receive specialized, high-quality care and structure in this memory care community. A dedicated team of medical professionals is available 24/7 to provide assistance with daily living needs, including grooming, medication management and special diet monitoring. The staff hosts activities designed to stimulate the mind, and family members and friends are welcome to join residents for special events such as musical performances. Seniors also can relax in the courtyards on porches surrounded by fountains, rose gardens and fruit trees. Three nutritious meals are served daily with snacks in the dining rooms. Daily housekeeping, linen and transportation services are available.
Family members mention their peace of mind regarding the community. One daughter writes, "I liked Foothill Retirement. It was my first choice. I liked the staff, the facility and the level of care. The staff was very friendly, and the facility was beautiful. The rooms were adequate. My mom would be going to the memory care unit, and I walked away from there really pleased and thinking that would possibly be the route we would go. The facility looked lovely."
Sage Glendale Senior Living is located minutes from Griffith Park and Adventist Health Glendale Hospital. The purposefully designed memory care neighborhood features specialized activity and living areas and a secure outdoor courtyard. The In The Moment memory care program integrates six main principles of wellness to provide residents with holistic person-centered care plans that are tailored to their unique needs. Activities designed to slow cognitive decline and tailored to the cognitive and activity levels of each resident include exercise classes, music lessons and prayer circles. The culinary team prepares tailored meal plans to suit the preferences of every resident. Weekly housekeeping and laundry services are available.
Visitors praise the abundance of activities, with one reviewer saying, "They have a ton of activities from arts to movies and adventures to different places, depending on your abilities. They would take the memory care people down if there would be folks coming in and playing the piano, or there would be singing or activities to do in the crafts room and gardening. Every day was a different event."
Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Belmont Village Burbank provides a high level of care with city amenities just minutes away. For those living with Alzheimer's and related dementias, the community offers a smaller, self-contained memory care neighborhood with specialized programming. Here, residents are carefully monitored 24/7, and they benefit from more personalized support, including assistance with routine tasks, such as bathing, mobility and medication management, from a licensed nurse and a team of specially trained caregivers. Physical, occupational and speech therapies are available on-site. A Whole Brain Fitness lifestyle features engaging programs to keep seniors stimulated in body, mind and soul. Through Circle of Friends, residents can take part in structured mental exercises and ability-centered group activities. Seniors can also savor chef-prepared meals with 24 flavorful choices daily, a bistro, a professionally supervised fitness program and complimentary transportation.
Visiting relatives love the lively social calendar. "He has made new friends at Belmont Village Burbank," says one reviewer, speaking of her father's experience. "The many activities there bring him joy and comfort. He loves the musical performances in the afternoons and he loves to play Trivia on Thursday nights. My husband and I often join him at many of the activities."
Pasadena Highlands is located in a quiet and peaceful residential area. The memory care neighborhood is in a secure section of the building that has been designed to feel homelike and comfortable. Residents have access to an outdoor courtyard where they can enjoy the warm Californian weather. A team of professional caregivers is available 24/7 to provide compassionate support and assistance. All staff members are trained in the latest methods of redirecting any difficult behaviors. The community uses a personalized approach to memory care, and each resident has an individual care plan that includes details of their life history, care requirements and hobbies. Daily activities are designed to provide moments of joy and a sense of purpose in the lives of residents.
Online reviewers appreciate the high level of care provided. One says, "I want to take the time and say thank you to Pasadena Highlands Assisted Living, their compassion, care, and heart towards their residents is amazing this place actually goes above and beyond as an assisted living, and the way they take time to know their residents, and communicate with residents and families. "
Located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Pasadena, The Terraces at Park Marino cares for seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia through a memory care community known as Safe Haven. Safe Haven provides individualized care through personalized treatment programs and a signature program, known as HAPPINESS, that aims to minimize anxiety and depression. HAPPINESS encourages social, physical and spiritual engagement as well as enjoyment of the natural world through supervised outdoor activities. Staff connects with each person in their care through touch and communication. Residents can move throughout the secure community and enclosed courtyards. Each resident receives 24-hour care and assistance from specially trained memory caregivers, and support group meetings are held at the community for family members of residents.
Family members repeatedly recognize The Terraces at Park Marino for its exceptional staff that demonstrates compassion for each resident. One family member says, "They treat the residents with the dignity and respect they deserve, no matter their mental or physical state."
Regency Park Oak Knoll is situated in Pasadena, close to Huntington Health General Hospital. The memory care program offers seniors companionship and assistance while also promoting independence and dignity. Therapies and activities slow down cognitive decline and enrich body, mind and spirit. Useful amenities include the beauty salon, the secure garden area and spacious communal areas. The professional team of care and wellness staff provides around-the-clock care and assistance with daily living tasks such as grooming, bathing and laundry. Complimentary local transportation and housekeeping services are provided, and activities include dance club, technology classes and social events. The community is pet friendly.
Visitors appreciate the stunning community, with one reviewer saying, "It is a safe, locked facility that has beautiful grounds, a beautiful courtyard, trees and flowers, which are important to my mom. What I like best is the excellent communication and caring atmosphere of all the staff. They are very patient, kind, professional and quick to help. She is very happy with the meals. The facility was very clean."