Dementia and 24-Hour Home Care in Carlsbad

Schedule a free in-home assessment · Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7

Dementia care that fits Carlsbad homes and routines

Carlsbad covers a lot of ground between the beach and the inland hills, and each part of the city shapes what care at home looks like:

• Carlsbad Village and Olde Carlsbad: walkable streets near the beach, with older cottages, condos and small lots, where familiar shops, cafés and a walk toward the water can still be part of the day

• La Costa: established neighborhoods on rolling hills around the Omni La Costa resort, with larger homes, pools and yards that need watching when someone wanders outdoors

• Aviara: larger single-family homes near Batiquitos Lagoon and the Aviara golf course, often in gated enclaves, where long hallways and multiple levels matter

• Bressi Ranch: newer homes, many of them two-story with bedrooms upstairs, around a walkable village center

• Calavera Hills and Robertson Ranch: inland neighborhoods near the Calavera trails, with newer homes and quiet streets

During the free assessment, we walk through the home with you and look at the layout, the stairs, the doors, the pool and the yard. Then we plan care around how your loved one actually lives. Our caregivers keep familiar routines going, like a morning walk along the seawall, coffee in the Village, church or an afternoon on the patio, for as long as they are safe and enjoyable.

Long shifts: 8 to 24 hours a day

As dementia progresses, a few hours of help often stops being enough. Many Carlsbad families start with a 4-hour visit a few days a week and later move to longer coverage. We schedule:

• Full-day shifts of 8 to 12 hours, so the same caregiver carries the routine through meals, personal care and activities

• Overnight shifts, so someone is awake and present if your loved one gets up, becomes confused or needs help to the bathroom

• 24-hour care, with caregivers scheduled around the clock so someone is always in the home

Heritage provides 24-hour care through scheduled shifts. Learn more about our 24-hour and overnight care.

Daily routines for someone living with dementia

Predictable days lower anxiety and confusion. Our caregivers help with:

• Personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and moving safely around the house

• Meals and hydration: preparing meals your loved one recognizes and enjoys, and encouraging them to eat and drink

• Medication reminders: prompts at the right times (non-medical; our caregivers do not administer medication)

• Engagement: music, photo albums, simple chores, puzzles, walks and conversation matched to their abilities

• Light housekeeping and laundry, so the home stays calm and uncluttered

• Transportation and errands, including rides to appointments and familiar places

Each care plan is built around your loved one's history, habits and what comforts them. Then we match caregivers to their personality and needs. Read more about our Alzheimer's and dementia care.

Wandering and sundowning support

Two of the hardest parts of dementia for families are wandering and sundowning, the restlessness and confusion that often build in the late afternoon and evening.

• Wandering: our caregivers provide steady supervision, notice when your loved one is restless or looking for the door, and redirect gently with a walk together, a snack or a familiar task. During the assessment we can talk through simple home steps families often choose, such as door chimes, a pool gate or better outdoor lighting.

• Sundowning: our caregivers keep evenings calm and predictable, with soft lighting, less noise, a familiar evening routine and reassurance rather than argument. Overnight and 24-hour shifts mean someone is there through the hours when it is most needed.

Coming home after a hospital stay

Many Carlsbad families first call us when a parent is about to come home from Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside or Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas. The hospital team and your loved one's doctors handle the medical side. Our caregivers handle the everyday side: getting settled at home, meals, bathing and dressing, reminders and company through the day and night, which often matters most in the first weeks back.

Carlsbad resources for families

You don't have to figure this out alone. A few places Carlsbad families use:

• Carlsbad Senior Center, 799 Pine Avenue, run by the City of Carlsbad, with classes and activities for adults 50 and older, a weekday lunch for adults 60 and older, and transportation services for adults 60 and older

• Alzheimer's San Diego, a nonprofit that offers free support groups for family caregivers, including in-person groups in Oceanside and San Marcos and virtual groups you can join from home

A support group and a caregiver at home work well together: one helps you, the other helps your loved one.

Respite for family caregivers

Many spouses and adult children are doing this mostly on their own. Respite care gives you scheduled time away, a few hours, a full day or a few nights, while one of our caregivers keeps your loved one's routine going at home. Families use respite to work, rest, travel or simply sleep through the night.

Long-term care insurance

If your parent has a long-term care insurance policy, it may help cover in-home care. Policies vary, so we offer a long-term care insurance policy review and go over the policy with you before care begins.

Simple, flexible terms

• 4-hour visit minimum: enough time for real help, not a rushed drop-in

• No long-term contracts: adjust, add hours or pause care as needs change

• Free in-home assessment: we meet you and your loved one at home before care begins

One family-owned office, caregivers across North County

Gayle Mayben started Heritage Senior Care in 1983, alongside her daughter Roni, and Heritage Senior Care, Inc. is still family-owned. We are a licensed California Home Care Organization (HCO #374700058). All scheduling runs from one office at 2111 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad. Our caregivers are Heritage employees who live and work across North County San Diego.

Each of our caregivers completes a lifetime background check with Live Scan fingerprinting through the FBI and the California Department of Justice before caring for clients.

Our care is non-medical. We do not provide nursing, therapy or medical treatment. If your loved one has a home health or hospice team, our caregivers can work alongside them. For general home care in the city, see our Carlsbad home care page.

Questions to ask before you hire dementia care in Carlsbad

Do you provide in-home dementia care in Carlsbad? Yes. Heritage Senior Care provides non-medical in-home care for people living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia across Carlsbad, including Carlsbad Village, Olde Carlsbad, La Costa, Aviara, Bressi Ranch and Calavera Hills. Care is scheduled from our office on Palomar Airport Road, and our caregivers come to your home.

Are your caregivers your own employees? Yes. Our caregivers are W-2 employees of Heritage Senior Care, Inc. We hire, train, schedule and supervise them ourselves.

How do you screen your caregivers? Each of our caregivers completes a lifetime background check with Live Scan fingerprinting through the FBI and the California Department of Justice before caring for clients. Heritage Senior Care is a licensed California Home Care Organization (HCO #374700058).

Can someone with dementia get 24-hour care at home in Carlsbad? Yes. We schedule full-day shifts of 8 to 12 hours, overnight shifts and 24-hour care, with caregivers scheduled around the clock so someone is always in the home.

Do your caregivers give medications or provide nursing care? No. Our caregivers give medication reminders. They do not administer medication or provide medical or nursing care. They can work alongside a home health or hospice team.

What is the minimum visit, and is there a contract? Visits are a minimum of 4 hours, and there are no long-term contracts. You can add hours, reduce them or pause care as needs change.

Will long-term care insurance help pay for dementia care at home? It may. Coverage depends on the policy. We can review your parent's long-term care insurance policy with you before care begins.

What happens at the free assessment? We meet you and your loved one at home, walk through the house, and talk about daily routines, safety concerns and the hours of help you need. Then we put together a care plan. Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7, or request a free assessment. You can also send us a note.

Dementia care for your Carlsbad family from a Carlsbad family that's been doing this since 1983. Free assessment · (760) 720-7740 (24/7) · Office Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm · 2111 Palomar Airport Rd Ste 120, Carlsbad, CA 92011