The Silverado Beach Cities Memory Care Community in Redondo Beach, a facility providing specialized care for seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is set to close, prompting concern and outrage among families and caregivers. The closure comes as part of a redevelopment plan approved by the Beach Cities Health District board on May 27, which aims to update the site’s aging infrastructure.
The Silverado facility currently supports nearly 100 residents who depend on tailored care environments designed to maintain routines and familiarity—factors considered crucial for the health and well-being of individuals with cognitive impairments. Families fear that relocating these residents will disrupt continuity of care and their familiar surroundings, potentially exacerbating their medical conditions.
The health district has been exploring redevelopment plans for its 11-acre healthcare campus for roughly a decade. The site’s existing buildings were identified as aging and seismically vulnerable, leading to proposals aimed at transforming the area into a modern center offering a variety of health and wellness services. Initially, a plan was in place to retain Silverado on-site through a development partnership, but that proposal fell through amid increased costs, environmental concerns, and scaled-back community amenities.
Subsequently, the board opted to partner with Sunrise Senior Living, whose plan promises a faster, more financially viable project that will include a new senior living facility featuring independent living, assisted living, and memory care units. However, this approach does not preserve Silverado in its current form, resulting in the decision to close the existing memory care community.
In response, families and advocates have organized public meetings, some attendees wearing “Save Silverado” T-shirts, to voice their opposition. They have called for the board to reconsider the plans, warning of a potential public health issue due to the limited availability of specialized dementia care facilities in the region. Many expressed frustration that the population most reliant on such care is effectively powerless in these decisions.
The Beach Cities Health District board maintains that the long-term benefits of redevelopment for the broader community outweigh the immediate challenges posed by relocating residents. The district emphasized the importance of improved, seismically safe, and modern health services as justification for moving forward with the project despite the current upheaval.
As the community grapples with the impending closure, families continue to seek accountability and explore options to preserve specialized care for seniors with dementia, underscoring the importance of stability in managing these complex health needs. Residents are expected to relocate within the next year as plans for the new campus proceed.