Memory Clinics and Alzheimer's Research Centers in Los Angeles

This directory helps Los Angeles families find NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, local hospital contacts to ask about memory-related services, and a plain-language picture of what a first memory clinic visit typically involves.

It is a resource list, not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or endorsement by any hospital, clinic, or chapter named below. For citywide in-home options after an evaluation, see the Los Angeles care guide.

Why families in Los Angeles look for memory clinics

Los Angeles families often look for a memory clinic or Alzheimer's research center when a relative has growing trouble with memory, thinking, or everyday tasks.

Los Angeles has 533,344 residents age 65 and older, including 71,996 residents age 85 and older. Census figures also show 129,947 older adults living alone in the city, and a median household income of $80,366. Those counts come from U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates for Los Angeles.

Dementia is not a single disease. It is a general term for impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with everyday activities, as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A memory evaluation can help a family understand those changes. It does not, by itself, tell you which hospital unit, research center, or home-care schedule is right for the next month.

NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) funds Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers and publishes official directories that list current center locations; Los Angeles families should use those lists rather than an unofficial roundup.

Start with the NIA tool to find an Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. NIA also maintains a page on NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, and Alzheimer's.gov lists national research centers.

Those directories are the right place to confirm which centers currently serve patients from Los Angeles, what clinical evaluation they offer, and how to request a first appointment. Center names, clinic sites, and referral rules change, so call the center listed on the NIA site before you travel.

Research centers focus on Alzheimer's disease and related research. Some also see patients for evaluation or studies. Confirm current clinical services, wait times, and whether a referral is required on the center's own listing.

Los Angeles hospitals to ask about memory-related services

These acute care hospitals serve Los Angeles, and families can call them to ask about neurology, geriatrics, or discharge planning for a person with dementia; public hospital ratings do not say whether any of them has a dedicated memory unit.

Ask each hospital directly whether it has a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit, how a first memory-related visit is scheduled, and what discharge planning looks like if the patient has dementia. If a stay is already underway, families often pair that conversation with a plan for hospital discharge care at home.

• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 8700 BEVERLY BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90048. Phone (310) 423-5000. Acute care hospital with emergency services.
• Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles, 4867 SUNSET BLVD, LOS ANGELES, CA 90027. Phone (323) 783-4011. Acute care hospital.
• Keck Hospital of USC, 1500 SAN PABLO STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90033. Phone (323) 442-8656. Acute care hospital.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, 1680 EAST 120TH STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90059. Phone (424) 835-6808. Acute care hospital with emergency services.
• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, 757 WESTWOOD PLAZA, LOS ANGELES, CA 90095. Phone (310) 825-6301. Acute care hospital with emergency services.
• Adventist Health White Memorial, 1720 CESAR E CHAVEZ AVENUE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90033. Phone (323) 268-5000. Acute care hospital.
• Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, 1300 N VERMONT AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90027. Phone (213) 413-3000. Acute care hospital with emergency services.
• Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West LA, 6041 CADILLAC AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90034. Phone (213) 857-2201. Acute care hospital.

None of the hospitals above is listed here as a confirmed memory clinic. Use the numbers and addresses to ask about services, not as proof that a dementia program exists on that campus.

What a first memory clinic visit typically involves

A first memory clinic visit is usually an information-gathering appointment that may include history, medication review, and cognitive screening, not an automatic diagnosis at the door.

Clinics commonly ask about changes in memory, thinking, mood, and daily function. Staff may review other health conditions, complete brief cognitive tests, and talk with a relative who has seen day-to-day changes. Imaging, lab work, or a return visit may be discussed later. This page cannot interpret those tests or tell you what the result should be.

Bring a current medication list, insurance information, prior records if you have them, glasses or hearing aids, and a family member or friend. If the older adult lives alone, that second person is especially useful for describing routines at home.

Ask before you go whether the clinic wants a physician referral, how long the visit lasts, and whether the same team offers research studies. Write down questions about driving, money management, and home safety so they are not lost in the appointment.

Support contacts in Los Angeles while you wait

The Alzheimer's Association California Southland Chapter offers free educational programs, support services, and care consultations across Los Angeles County.

The chapter office is at 3415 S Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90034. Call 323-309-8821, or use the contact path listed on the Alzheimer's Association California Southland Chapter site.

Families who need legal planning can search the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys directory for an elder law attorney. Families who want a professional care manager can search the Aging Life Care Association directory for a geriatric or aging life care manager. Those national directories exist so families are not pointed to individual firms that have not been personally vetted here.

Home support around clinic visits

Home support can cover companionship, personal care, and a steadier routine while a Los Angeles family waits for a memory clinic appointment or follows a plan after one.

Some households start with companion care for meals, appointments, and supervision. Others need hands-on help or memory care at home when confusion, wandering risk, or sundowning makes the day harder. You do not have to wait for every test result to ask for practical help if daily tasks are already unsafe.

Named hospitals and the Alzheimer's Association chapter are independent. Listing them does not mean they endorse any private home-care service.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find an NIA-designated Alzheimer's research center that serves Los Angeles?

Use the National Institute on Aging's public directories of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers and confirm the current clinic location, referral rules, and whether the center sees patients from Los Angeles. Do not rely on an informal list of campus names, because designations and clinic sites change.

What happens at a first memory clinic visit in Los Angeles?

A first visit typically reviews medical history, medicines, and changes in memory, thinking, and daily tasks, and it may include brief cognitive testing. Many people leave with a plan for follow-up rather than a final diagnosis that day. Bring records, a medication list, and someone who knows the person's usual routine.

Do Los Angeles hospitals on this page have dedicated memory units?

Public hospital profiles used for this directory do not say whether a hospital has a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit. Call the hospital, ask that question directly, and ask how discharge planning works if the patient has dementia.

Where can caregivers in Los Angeles get free support while waiting for an appointment?

The Alzheimer's Association California Southland Chapter provides free educational programs, support services, and care consultations across Los Angeles County. Reach them at 323-309-8821 or at 3415 S Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA 90034, and use the contact options on their chapter site.

Should we wait for a diagnosis before arranging help at home?

You do not have to wait for a completed diagnosis if memory or thinking changes already make meals, bathing, or being alone unsafe. Companion help, personal care, or memory-focused home support can run in parallel with clinic scheduling. A clinic visit still matters for medical evaluation; home help is about daily safety.

Who should come to the first appointment, especially if the person lives alone?

A relative, friend, or caregiver who has seen day-to-day changes should come whenever possible. That is especially important in a city where many older adults live alone, because the person being evaluated may not recall missed bills, skipped meals, or getting lost. Ask the clinic whether they want that person in the exam room for the full visit.