Dementia and 24-Hour Home Care in Encinitas
When a parent or spouse in Encinitas is living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, home is often the place they feel most like themselves. Heritage Senior Care helps families keep it that way with non-medical in-home care, from a 4-hour visit to long shifts of 8 to 24 hours a day. We are family-owned since 1983, and all scheduling runs from our one office in Carlsbad.
Dementia care that fits Encinitas homes and routines
Encinitas is really five communities in one city, and each one shapes what care at home looks like:
Leucadia: older beach cottages and narrow lots along Coast Highway 101, where a short walk can quickly lead to a busy road
Olivenhain: larger, rural-feeling properties with long driveways, open land and quiet roads, where it is easy to lose sight of someone outdoors
Cardiff-by-the-Sea: hillside streets and multi-level homes near San Elijo Lagoon, where stairs and slopes matter
New Encinitas: newer neighborhoods off El Camino Real and Encinitas Boulevard, often two-story homes with bedrooms upstairs
Old Encinitas: the downtown and Moonlight Beach area, with walkable streets and familiar places your loved one may still want to visit
During the free assessment, we walk through the home with you and look at the layout, the stairs, the doors and the outdoor space. Then we plan care around how your loved one actually lives. Our caregivers keep familiar routines going, like a morning walk, a favorite café, 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 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 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.
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 it 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 Encinitas home care page.
Encinitas dementia care FAQs
Do you provide in-home dementia care in Encinitas?
Yes. Heritage Senior Care provides non-medical in-home care for people living with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in Encinitas, including Leucadia, Olivenhain, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, New Encinitas and Old Encinitas. Care is scheduled from our office in Carlsbad, and our caregivers come to your home.
Can someone with dementia get 24-hour care at home in Encinitas?
Yes. Heritage Senior Care schedules 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.
How do your caregivers help with sundowning and wandering?
Our caregivers keep afternoons and evenings calm and predictable, provide steady supervision, notice restlessness or exit-seeking, and gently redirect with familiar activities. Overnight and 24-hour shifts cover the hours when sundowning is often worst.
Do your caregivers give medications?
No. Our caregivers give medication reminders. They do not administer medication or provide medical or nursing care.
Do you offer respite care for family caregivers in Encinitas?
Yes. Respite care gives a spouse or adult child scheduled time away, from a 4-hour visit to a full day or overnight, while one of our caregivers keeps their loved one's routine going at home.
Will long-term care insurance help pay for dementia care at home?
It may. Coverage depends on the policy. Heritage Senior Care offers a long-term care insurance policy review to go over your parent's policy with you.
What is the minimum visit, and is there a contract?
Visits are a minimum of 4 hours, and there are no long-term contracts.
How do we get started?
Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7, or request a free assessment. We'll meet you and your loved one at home to plan care together. You can also send us a note.
Dementia care for your Encinitas family from a 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