A secured, purpose-designed environment for residents with Alzheimer's, dementia, and other cognitive conditions. Certified memory care staff, evidence-based programming, and design choices that reduce confusion and honor the person inside the diagnosis.
Memory Care at Seawell is for residents living with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, or other forms of cognitive impairment that have progressed beyond what can be safely supported in Assisted Living. It is also for families facing the hardest decision in senior care — moving a parent from the home where they raised their children because it is no longer safe, and no longer possible, for them to live there.
We will not pretend that memory care is easy — for the resident, the family, or the staff who do this work. What we can promise is that Seawell's memory care program is built on the premise that the person inside the diagnosis is still there, and that the quality of their days matters.
The person with dementia is not gone. They are harder to reach, and it is our job to keep reaching.
Seawell's memory care programming is built on the body of evidence-based practice that has accumulated over the last two decades of dementia research. We draw on person-centered care principles developed by Tom Kitwood, the Best Friends approach pioneered by David Troxel and Virginia Bell, and contemporary work on cognitive engagement from the Alzheimer's Association. But the framework matters less than the daily practice. The real work of memory care is in thousands of small interactions — how a caregiver approaches a resident who is having a difficult morning, how a menu is designed for someone who has forgotten what a fork is for, how a family member is supported through a visit that didn't go the way they hoped.
Every member of our memory care team completes certification in dementia-informed care, with ongoing training in behavioral support, communication techniques, and end-of-life care. Our staff-to-resident ratios in memory care are higher than in other parts of the community — because good dementia care is time-intensive. A caregiver who is rushing cannot do this work well.
The memory care environment is a secured neighborhood — residents cannot leave unattended, which keeps them safe — but is designed to feel like a home rather than a locked unit. Wayfinding cues help residents orient. Lighting is calibrated to support circadian rhythms that often become disrupted in dementia. Common areas are sized for small-group interaction rather than institutional scale. Private residences are personalizable with residents' own furnishings, photographs, and belongings.
Programming is adapted for cognitive ability and focuses on engagement, identity, and sensory experience. Music, which often reaches people with dementia when words cannot. Art-making, which provides expression without requiring language. Movement, which supports mood, sleep, and function. Reminiscence groups, which honor the lives residents have lived. Cooking, gardening, pet therapy, and intergenerational visits. The goal is not to keep residents busy — it is to create moments of genuine engagement and pleasure.
Dining for memory care residents is designed around both nutrition and behavior. Consistent seating at the same table, at the same times, with the same servers — structure that reduces confusion. Finger foods for residents who have lost the ability to use utensils. Dementia-friendly plate design (high contrast, clear boundaries). One-on-one assistance when needed. Menus engineered to support nutrition in residents who may forget to eat or lose interest in food.
Families of memory care residents need support as much as residents do. Regular care conferences, educational resources about dementia progression, guidance on visits (what to expect, what helps, what doesn't), and connection to caregiver support groups. We believe that a family that understands their loved one's diagnosis is a family that can stay connected through it.
For residents with advanced dementia, Seawell maintains partnerships with high-quality hospice providers so residents can receive end-of-life care in their own residence, surrounded by caregivers and neighbors they know, rather than being moved to an unfamiliar setting. We believe that dying with dignity includes dying in a place that feels like home.
Memory Care at Seawell is priced above Assisted Living, reflecting the higher staffing ratios, specialized training, and environmental design that quality dementia care requires. Pricing is transparent and includes the full range of memory care services — the "care levels" pricing tactics that inflate charges elsewhere in the industry are not part of our model. California's Assisted Living Waiver (ALW) is widely accepted at Seawell Memory Care communities for residents who qualify; see our guide to paying for care for details, or request a conversation to discuss pricing at a specific community.