Best Assisted Living Facilities in Long Beach, CA

How We Chose the Best Assisted Living in Long Beach

Long Beach may not be the biggest city in California (or even Los Angeles County), but it still has a lot of great assisted living communities to choose from. We narrowed down our list using a few important factors:

• Cost: The cost of assisted living in Long Beach is higher than the national average. While most communities in the city have affordable starting rates, many do not include the cost of ADL support or other types of care. While searching for the top communities in Long Beach, we focused on the ones that offer the best overall value to seniors.
• Available care: As a general rule, we like to find communities that offer more than just assisted living, with options like memory and respite care. Not every entry on this list has multiple care options, but we tried to find the best facilities that could also offer more than one type of care.
• Reviews: Reviews help us learn about the daily activities of an assisted living community, as well as the potential advantages and pitfalls of living there. We can’t include information from every single review, but we try to focus on communities that consistently receive positive feedback.
• Amenities: Amenities can vary a lot between assisted living communities. Still, we think it’s an important factor to consider, as amenities can help make life easier and more pleasant for assisted living residents.
• Location: Most assisted living communities in Long Beach are clustered in the south of the city (closer to the beach). However, we don’t just consider the general area of each community; we also look at specific attractions nearby that could be beneficial to seniors.
• Staff size: We highlighted assisted living communities that offer a high staff-to-resident ratio, often with a maximum of eight residents per caregiver.

How to Find the Right Assisted Living Community for You

Our research helped us narrow down the list to five assisted living communities, but that doesn’t mean that one of our top picks will be right for you. It’s important to consider more personal factors while you do your own research:

• Identify your needs. This is by far the most important thing to do when you’re first looking for an assisted living community. You’ll need to ask yourself, your family, and your doctor questions about your current needs and future risk factors to consider. For example, do you need help getting in and out of bed? Have you found yourself struggling to remember important things, like when to take your medication? These kinds of questions will help you pick a community that can provide the type of care you need.
• Review your budget. Assisted living in Long Beach is somewhat expensive, and prices tend to increase each year. Always consider your budget before making a choice. While analyzing your budget, remember that Medicare usually doesn’t cover assisted living. Many seniors depend on Social Security benefits, retirement savings, and long-term care insurance to cover costs.
• Read reviews. Reviews can give you a window into life at each community on your list. A website might make one community look amazing, but the reviews could tell a completely different story. Alternatively, a community may not do a great job of selling itself, but the reviews could be outstanding. Make sure to read through as many reviews as you can find before making a decision.
• Visit communities. Reviews can tell you a lot, but you shouldn’t put all of your faith in what people write on the internet. Visiting a community in person is the best way to see firsthand if it is a good fit for you or a loved one. Dropping by unexpectedly or scheduling a tour gives you the opportunity to see the community, talk to residents, and ask questions of staff members and administrators.
• Check licensing and certifications. While researching a community, check that it has up-to-date licensing and certifications to operate in California.
• Trust your gut. Nobody said that choosing an assisted living facility would be easy! There’s a good chance that you’ll find more than one community that you like. If you find yourself stuck between two great communities, don’t be afraid to trust your gut instincts.

What Is Living in Long Beach Like for Seniors?

Long Beach is a beautiful city with sunny weather and great shopping. It’s also a great place to live for people of all ages (including older adults). Below is a quick look at what life is like for seniors in Long Beach.

• Climate: Like much of Southern California, Long Beach has a semi-arid climate that enjoys moderate-to-warm temperatures throughout much of the year. Summers can get a little hot, but winters are very mild. This makes Long Beach a good choice for seniors who want to trade in cold, harsh winters for summer sun and ocean breezes.
• Healthcare: Long Beach has a good track record with healthcare and is home to several high-quality hospitals and clinics. Long Beach Medical Center has even received national accolades for its quality of care.
• Cost of living: The cost of living in Long Beach is very high. In fact, it’s roughly 50 percent higher than the national average. Living in an assisted living community can help reduce costs on things like gas, groceries, and internet, but anytime you go out shopping, you’ll still encounter pretty steep prices.
• Walkability: Long Beach is among the best cities in Southern California for walking. The downtown area is quite small, and it’s easy to get from the beach to neighborhoods like East Village or Rose Park in a matter of minutes. However, if you want to get from the waterfront to North Long Beach (or vice versa), you’ll need to use public transportation or have access to a car.
• Activities: As you might imagine, Long Beach is ideal for beach lovers, but it also has plenty of other activities and attractions, like museums, public parks, shopping, and art galleries.
• Safety: Long Beach is generally safe, even if you’re walking by yourself. However, like any major city, you’ll want to be careful if you’re alone at night. Additionally, crime rates can vary substantially by neighborhood.
• Tax structure: California has a graduated state income tax that ranges between 1 and 12.3 percent. However, the state does not institute an inheritance tax or estate  That could have a positive impact on estate planning.

How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Long Beach, California?

The projected median cost of assisted living in Long Beach is $5,737 per month in 2024, according to Genworth. That’s about 16.6 percent higher than the national median of $4,917, so Long Beach is a fairly expensive place to

The high cost of living and high cost of assisted living may put Long Beach out of reach for seniors on a fixed income. However, as our list shows, there are many communities that fall below the city median and even allow you to pay only for the services you need. Just keep in mind that the type of care you require can greatly affect your monthly costs. Memory care, for example, is more expensive than assisted living care. Fortunately, there is a wide range of options in Long Beach, so you can find one that’s right for your budget.