Memory care in North County San Diego, from the State's own records

Memory care in Carlsbad and Encinitas, by name (homes the State lists for dementia, A to Z): Carlsbad: Carlsbad Village Senior Living (1088 Laguna Dr), The Gardens (4380 Highland Dr), Glenbrook Assisted Living (1950 Calle Barcelona), La Marea Senior Living (5592 El Camino Real), Santianna Oakmont Signature Living (2560 Faraday Ave), plus 9 small homes of 6 beds or fewer. Encinitas: Belmont Village Cardiff (3535 Manchester Ave), Silverado Encinitas memory care (Silverado Senior Living Encinitas) (335 Saxony Rd), Summerfield of Encinitas (1350 S El Camino Real), Westmont of Encinitas (1920 S El Camino Real), plus 1 small home of 6 beds or fewer. To check a home's State record: open its name above (our page with its State record, or the State's Care Facility Search page), or find it in our assisted living finder, which shows the last State visit, complaint investigations and citations in plain words.

California doesn't license "memory care" by that name. These are State-licensed assisted living homes (RCFEs) that the State lists as serving residents with dementia: 130 in Carlsbad, Encinitas, Oceanside, Solana Beach, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido, and 177 across North County, from the Department of Social Services' own licensing data (2026-11-06). Each home's full record is in the assisted living finder. No home pays to be here.

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Counts from the State's licensing download and each home's record (dementia = the State's client group "RCFE / Dementia"; Type A = complaint, inspection and other-visit Type A citations added together). The record covers "the most recent 60 months", and the State notes that "One or more citations may be under appeal and/or may have been corrected." Open the report before you judge a number: every home is linked from the finder and the care home lookup.

The State's client group doesn't list dementia for these homes, but its notes on the license mention dementia residents, a memory care unit, delayed-exit doors or a secured perimeter. Ask them directly what they offer. Alphabetical by town, not a ranking:

• Activcare At Bressi Ranch, Carlsbad, 80 beds. The State's note: "Licensed for eighty (80) elderly residents, ages 60 and over. all may be non-ambulatory including twenty five (25) bedridden.approved for thirty (30) hospice residents." (State code: delayed and locked)
  State record: last State visit Sep 18, 2026 · 4 complaint investigations (4 allegations substantiated) · citations: 1 Type A, 3 Type B
• Bayshire Carlsbad, Carlsbad, 125 beds. The State's note: "The facility is licensed to serve elder residents; ages range 60 years and older; approved for delayed egress; hospice waiver approved for twenty-seven (27) residents."
  State record: last State visit Jul 27, 2026 · 22 complaint investigations (3 allegations substantiated) · citations: 0 Type A, 5 Type B
• La Costa Golden Care, Carlsbad, 6 beds. The State's note: "Facility serves six (6) non-ambulatory elderly residents; age 60 and above. facility will serve dementia residents. hospice waiver approved for (3) three residents."
  State record: last State visit Jul 7, 2026 · 0 complaint investigations · citations: 0 Type A, 0 Type B
• Sunrise At La Costa, Carlsbad, 120 beds. The State's note: "Facility serves 120 elderly residents, 60 years and above; all may be non-ambulatory and fifteen (15) may be bedridden. facility's terrace level may serve up to 30 dementia residents and has approved delayed eg"
  State record: last State visit Dec 17, 2025 · 11 complaint investigations (1 allegation substantiated) · citations: 0 Type A, 3 Type B
• Ranchview Senior Assisted Living, Encinitas, 42 beds. The State's note: "Age range 60 and over. 42 non-ambulatory, of which 8 may be bedridden. delayed egress and secured perimeter approved. hospice waiver for 20 residents. second floor is for staff use only with no resident access."
  State record: last State visit Sep 22, 2026 · 13 complaint investigations (0 allegations substantiated) · citations: 1 Type A, 0 Type B
• Crestview Villa, Escondido, 42 beds. The State's note: "Age range 60 and over; approved for capacity of 42 non-ambulatory of which 5 may be bedridden in rooms 9,10,19,20,24,25,33,34; secured perimeter approved; waiver/granted for hospice care for (10)"
  State record: last State visit Aug 14, 2026 · 0 complaint investigations · citations: 0 Type A, 0 Type B
• Meadowbrook Village Christian Retirement Community, Escondido, 200 beds. The State's note: "Facility serves two hundred (200) non-ambulatory elderly residents; age 60 and above, 15 of whom may be bedridden. memory care unit has delayed egress. approved for hospice care for eight (8) residents."
  State record: last State visit Jun 17, 2026 · 0 complaint investigations · citations: 0 Type A, 0 Type B
• Westmont Of Escondido, Escondido, 200 beds. The State's note: "Facility serves 200 non-ambulatory elderly residents, age 60 and above; ten (10) of whom may be bedridden. hospice care waiver approved for fifteen (15) residents. secured memory care unit"
  State record: last State visit Oct 20, 2026 · 21 complaint investigations (4 allegations substantiated) · citations: 0 Type A, 4 Type B
• Brookdale Oceanside, Oceanside, 186 beds. The State's note: "186 non-ambulatory; hospice waiver for 25. approved delayed egress and secured perimeter.new management company, lake care llc, effective7/1/26." (State code: delayed and locked)
  State record: last State visit Sep 9, 2026 · 8 complaint investigations (0 allegations substantiated) · citations: 0 Type A, 1 Type B
• Sunrise Of Oceanside, Oceanside, 136 beds. The State's note: "Age range 60 and over. approved for 136 non-ambulatory of which 20 may be bedridden. bedridden may reside in any room. approved delayed egress. waiver/granted for hospice care for (20)."
  State record: last State visit Apr 16, 2026 · 2 complaint investigations (1 allegation substantiated) · citations: 0 Type A, 2 Type B
• Country Rose Estate Memory Care, San Marcos, 15 beds. The State's note: "Facility is licensed to serve fifteen (15) non-ambulatory residents, ages 60 and above. hospice waiver approved for six (6). approved for secured perimeter."
  State record: last State visit Mar 17, 2026 · 4 complaint investigations (2 allegations substantiated) · citations: 1 Type A, 3 Type B
• Silvergate San Marcos Retirement Residence, San Marcos, 160 beds. The State's note: "Facility serves 160 non-ambulatory elderly residents; age 60 and above. 12 of whom may be bedridden. hospice care waiver approved for 21. approved delayed egress at building 1560."
  State record: last State visit May 28, 2026 · 6 complaint investigations (0 allegations substantiated) · citations: 2 Type A, 2 Type B

• Training. The State's manual quotes the law: "Twelve hours of dementia care training, six of which shall be completed before a staff member begins working independently with residents, and the remaining six hours of which shall be completed within the first four weeks of employment. All 12 hours shall be devoted to the care of persons with dementia. (2) Eight hours of in-service training per year on the subject of serving residents with dementia." (Health and Safety Code 1569.626(a), as quoted by CDSS) It applies to all direct care staff in every assisted living home.
• Awake at night in small homes. "For facilities with fewer than 16 residents, ensuring there is at least one night staff person awake and on duty if any resident with dementia is determined through a pre-admission appraisal, reappraisal, or observation, to require awake night supervision." (Title 22, 87705(b)(2))
• Exit alerts. "the facility has an auditory device or other staff alert feature to monitor exits on exterior doors and perimeter fence gates accessible to those residents who may be at risk for elopement" (87705(d))
• Trackers only with written approval. "With the prior written approval of the resident or conservator and provided such devices do not violate the resident's rights ... the licensee may use egress alert and location tracking devices as needed to ensure resident safety." (87705(c))
• If a resident leaves unsupervised, the home tells "The resident's representative, if applicable, immediately upon becoming aware of the incident" (87705(e)(6)).

• Delayed-exit doors hold for a short time before opening: "within an approved time period not to exceed a total of 15 seconds, except that the person responsible for enforcement ... may approve a delay not to exceed 30 seconds in residential care facilities for the elderly serving patients with Alzheimer's disease." (Health and Safety Code 1569.699(a), as quoted by CDSS) And "Residents who continue to indicate a desire to leave the facility following redirection shall be permitted to do so with staff supervision." (87705(e)(4))
• Locked exterior doors or gates need the fire clearance to approve them, and the home keeps either a conservator's court order or "A written statement signed by each non-conserved resident that states the resident understands that the facility has locked exterior doors or perimeter fence gates and that the resident voluntarily consents to such upon admission." (87705(f)(4))
• Either way: "Interior and exterior space shall be available on the facility premises to permit residents with dementia to wander freely and safely." (87705(f)(5)) And locks "shall not substitute for trained staff in sufficient numbers to meet the care and supervision needs of all residents." (87705(f)(6))

A home that advertises dementia care must keep a written plan of operation (philosophy, admission, where in the home dementia care happens, training, activities, the physical environment, changes in condition, and how it measures success) and "shall provide to each prospective resident an accurate narrative description of these programs and services. The description shall be provided in writing prior to admission." (Health and Safety Code 1569.628, as quoted by CDSS) Under 87706(a)(3)(A), "This material shall be available to the public upon request." (87706)

Each one comes from a rule above, so the home should be able to answer it:

1. May I have your written description of your dementia programs and services? (Health and Safety Code 1569.628; 87706(a)(3)(A))
2. Where is dementia care provided: the whole home, or certain areas? (87706(a)(1)(B))
3. Can I see your plan of operation? (87706(a)(1)(B))
4. How many hours of dementia training has each caregiver had before working alone with residents, and this year? Who trained them? (1569.626(a); 87411(c)(6); 87412(c)(2))
5. Who is awake at night, and how many staff are on duty from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.? (87705(b)(2); 87415)
6. Are your exterior doors delayed-exit or locked? Is that on your fire clearance? What happens when a resident wants to leave? (87705(e)(2), (e)(4), (f)(2))
7. If the doors are locked, what will you need from us: a signed statement or a conservator's court order? (87705(f)(4))
8. Do you use exit alarms or location trackers, and what written approval do you need? (87705(c), (d))
9. How and when will you tell us if Mom leaves unsupervised? (87705(e)(6))
10. When do you redo the appraisal, when is a doctor or nurse involved, and what conditions would mean a move-out? (87706(a)(1)(F))
11. What activities do you run for residents with dementia, and is there outdoor space to walk? (87706(a)(1)(D), (E); 87705(f)(5))
12. How do you review your dementia program: incident reports, staffing levels? (87706(a)(1)(G))
13. What did you change after each citation in your State record? (the State record and its plans of correction)

• Medicare: "Medicare doesn't pay for long-term care" (Medicare.gov).
• Medi-Cal: "For Medi-Cal members, the Assisted Living Waiver covers the monthly costs for the personal care portion of services but not the costs of 'room and board.' Generally, the resident uses their SSI or other income to pay for the non-Waiver costs." (County of San Diego AIS)
• Price: no government source publishes a memory care price for North County, so ask each home for the full monthly price in writing, including the care level for dementia.

The County's Long-Term Care Ombudsman "investigates abuse and helps people living in: nursing homes, board and care homes, assisted living facilities and adult day health care facilities." (County of San Diego) Call 800-640-4661. The State also sends free email alerts for any home: "Stay Updated" on its Facility Detail page.

Record Watch: tap "Watch this home" on any home in the finder and PJ texts you when a new State visit, complaint or citation posts on its record. It's part of the Parent Check-In Plan, $25 a month.

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"Memory care in North County, the honest version: which homes the State lists for dementia, each one's record, the rules, and the questions to ask on a tour"

Next step

• Memory care in Encinitas: the homes the State lists for dementia care, with their records
• Memory care in Carlsbad: the homes the State lists for dementia care, with their records
• Memory care in Oceanside: the homes the State lists for dementia care, with their records

More local answers

• Village Square Healthcare Center San Marcos Nursing Home Inspections Cit today
• Bayshire Torrey Pines Post Acute Nursing Home Inspections Cit today

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