With approximately 4 million seniors, California is ranked number 1 for the largest senior population. California is also ranked number 1 as the most expensive place for retirement including assisted living, Alzheimer's care, nursing homes and in-home care. The 2007 overall cost-of-living index is 136 with the California Housing index at 200 or twice the national average. Although the health care index is only 112, the combination of  cost factors make California an extremely expensive place to retire.

The good news is that there are so many seniors in California that there is great selection of assisted living facilities, CCRCs, nursing homes and other senior living options.  Since assisted living residents typically have some level of  independence, the abundance of amenities in California make it a great place to stay busy. With over 36 million people living in California, the state has almost unlimited options for dining, entertainment and sightseeing and outdoor activities.

Of course, proximity to friends and family is always the most important factor when choosing an assisted living facility. If you have friends or family in California, then the next big decision is which facilities are nearest to your target location. Use our advanced search to find ALL the nearest senior living options. You can also check on amenities, cost and reviews of  senior services. Once you have narrowed your choice down to a couple facilities, use our assisted living checklist to help you make the decision. We also have information about San Diego Alzheimer's Care and Sacramento Alzheimer's Care .

California Assisted Facility Inspection And Complaints

All assisted living facilities in California are inspected by the Department of Social Services. Inspections are only done once every five years so the accuracy of the records is very poor. To get a copy of an inspection report, call the local district licensing office. You can get the phone number at their website: www.ccld.ca.gov. You can also use the web site to get local district licensing office phone numbers for the purpose of filing a complaint or getting a copy of an existing complaint. If you are doing this as part of an investigation into potential assisting living facilities, please refine your list  before you contact the California Department of Social Services to get more information. You may also contact your California ombudsman for help with assisted living facility complaints:

• Joe Rodrigues State LTC Ombudsman CA Department of Aging
• 1300 National Drive Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95834
• Aging.ca.gov/programs/ombudsman_contacts.asp
• Tel: (916)419-7510 / Fax: (916)928-2503

This site was designed to be using in combination with governmental resources and is in no way a replacement for these excellent government references.

This directory includes 7072assisted living options for California. Use the "Advance Search" to find the nearest 40 senior services based on your desired location or select a city and then choose a tab to see different types of senior care including nursing homes, Alzheimer's care centers, CCRCs, independent living, in-home and hospice care.