Residential Care
Residential care homes give seniors 24-hour care in a real house with just a few residents. Elder Answers helps San Diego families find licensed, vetted residential care homes for the elderly, free.
A residential care home is a licensed home where a small group of seniors, usually six or fewer, live together with caregivers on site day and night. Residents get help with bathing, dressing, medications, meals and getting around, in an ordinary house on a residential street.
In California, these homes are licensed as a Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) by the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division. You will also hear them called residential assisted living, board and care homes, senior care homes or residential senior care. The license and care rules are the same as large assisted living communities. What changes is the size and feel of the home. Families searching for an RCFE in San Diego are usually looking for exactly this kind of home.
Learn more in our guide to residential senior care.
Both settings hold the same RCFE license, but daily life looks very different:
Residential care often suits seniors who need hands-on help, have dementia, or feel overwhelmed in a big building. Active, independent seniors who want a social calendar may prefer a larger community. Compare both in board and care homes vs. large communities.
Many San Diego residential care homes care for residents with a wide range of needs, including:
California limits some medical needs in an RCFE, such as continuous skilled nursing, and each home decides what it can safely handle. When a resident needs daily skilled care, a skilled nursing home may be the better fit. Your advisor checks this before you tour.
In 2026, most residential care homes in San Diego County cost about $5,500 to $9,500 a month. Shared rooms and East County homes tend to cost less. Private rooms, coastal neighborhoods and higher care needs cost more.
Most homes charge one monthly rate that covers room, meals, 24-hour care, medication help and laundry, which makes costs easier to predict than in many large communities. Families usually pay privately, but some residents qualify for help through VA Aid and Attendance, the SSI board and care rate or the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver. See how to pay for a senior care home.
With only a few residents in each home, the right match matters. Before you choose:
Our care home checklist covers every question to ask on a tour.
San Diego County has hundreds of licensed residential care homes, from Oceanside and Escondido to La Mesa and Chula Vista. Being close to family makes visits easier, so most families start with their own neighborhood.
We place seniors in residential care homes across the county:
See all service areas or browse board and care homes in San Diego.
Elder Answers is a local San Diego senior placement agency. Our advisors personally tour residential care homes across the county and know which have openings, which accept dementia or hospice, and which fit your budget.
Our service is free to families. We:
Talk to a San Diego advisor today or call 619-538-9155.
Yes. In California, residential care homes, board and care homes and residential assisted living all refer to small homes licensed as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs). The names are used interchangeably.
Most residential care homes in San Diego care for 6 or fewer residents, the largest size allowed in a house zoned as a regular residence. Some licensed homes are larger, but small homes are the most common.
Most cost about $5,500 to $9,500 a month in 2026, depending on room type, location and care needs. The monthly rate usually includes care, meals, medication help and laundry.
No. Medicare does not pay for room, board or custodial care in a residential care home. It can cover doctor visits, home health and hospice for a resident. Medi-Cal's Assisted Living Waiver, SSI and VA benefits may help eligible residents.
Many can. Homes that accept residents with dementia must meet California's dementia care training and safety rules, and some have secured exits for residents who wander.
Search the home's name or address on the California Department of Social Services Care Facility Search. You can see its license status, capacity, inspection reports and any citations or complaints.
Start with the neighborhoods closest to family, then compare licensed homes there. A local placement agency like Elder Answers can shortlist vetted residential care homes with openings near you, at no cost to your family.