The Samarkand is a Continuing Care Retirement Community that provides several kinds of housing for people who are at least 55 years old, and residents can choose from alcove, studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom homes, most of which have baths, kitchenettes, refrigerators, and central air conditioning and heating. There are private and semi-private accommodations, and maintenance is included, so people don't have to worry about repairs. The community provides independent living for those who want a social setting without a lot of chores, as well as assisted living for people who might need help with daily things like bathing, dressing, or medication, memory care for folks with dementia or Alzheimer's, and skilled nursing or rehab for those who need more medical attention. Everyone can enjoy indoor common areas, a LifeCenter fitness area, a spa, a woodworking shop, a creative arts center, and a heated outdoor pool that's open all year. People can garden, volunteer in the Nu-2-U Thrift Shop, attend computer classes in the Tech Center, or relax while watching a show in the Mountain Room, and there's a steady schedule of activities for social, spiritual, and physical health, with support groups and enrichment classes available throughout the week. There's also the Oaks Dining Room, a Mountain View Café with a wood-burning pizza oven, and outdoor dining spaces where people can meet neighbors and look out at Santa Barbara.
The staff includes registered dieticians, podiatrists, visiting doctors and psychiatrists, and they're awake and on-site 24 hours a day, which is good for people who may have health concerns or mobility limitations. They help with meal preparation, stand by for transfers from beds to wheelchairs, and offer diabetic care with help monitoring blood sugar, though they don't give insulin injections. Healthcare at Samarkand also covers incontinence care, physical, occupational, speech, and language therapy, on-site pharmacy services, restorative nursing, and hospice care if needed, plus counseling and spiritual support from campus chaplains. There's a separate area just for memory care where residents with memory issues live in a safe space built to prevent wandering and confusion, and everyone has access to a mix of social events, recreational outings with free transportation, fitness classes, brain fitness projects, and spiritual enrichment activities.
The Samarkand welcomes people who need temporary respite care or regular home care services with aides for companionship, and Medicare and managed care plans are accepted. Residents can join in clubs, gardening, arts, theater, and even have their own in-house TV channel. Many people like the woodworking shops, fitness rooms, aerobics, and spa, and friends often gather by the fireside for outdoor dining or relax by the pool. The community's won recognition as a Best of Senior Living All Star for positive reviews about its support and care, and people talk about the variety of activities, nutritious meals, and helpful staff that make living here easier for those who need extra help or want to be around others as they get older.
