Casa Dorinda sits on a big 48-acre campus at 300 Hot Springs Road in Montecito, California, with old oak trees, gardens, and views of the Santa Ynez Mountains, and the place has a deep history, once serving as a grand estate, then a girls' school, and even a Navy rest center during World War II, before becoming a retirement community in 1975. The buildings show the original Spanish Colonial Revival style with details left over from when the estate was built back in 1919, and famous architect Carleton Winslow left his mark, so you can still see parts of history all around. The community is licensed by the state of California under license number 421700160 and is managed by a non-profit group, with actual care staff on site and a nursing home, plus a range of services that cover independent living, assisted living, memory support for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, hospice care, home care, and short- or long-term skilled nursing care, all following state rules and staying up to date with groups like CARF, RCFE, SNF, and CCRC guidelines. The LifeCare contract means people can move in while they're active and live independently, knowing they'll keep getting care as their needs grow, with a fixed monthly fee, and access to services like a walk-in clinic, physician visits, nursing staff, emergency care, and even a 50-room medical center. There's support with daily needs like bathing, getting dressed, and medicine, and the place provides 24-hour help with a call system and supervision for safety, along with memory care safety features that help prevent wandering and lower confusion.
Apartments here come in many sizes like studios, alcove, one- or two-bedrooms, and all have their own private balconies or patios facing either gardens or courtyards. Residents use the 3,200-square-foot fitness center with an indoor pool for swimming or aquatic exercise, and outside there's a pool for community use, a bocce ball court, lawns, a big oak preserve for nature walks, and al fresco dining under the trees. The grounds have walking paths, group gardens, recreation rooms, and spots for outdoor games like croquet and lawn bowling. The place takes pride in its old but well-kept courtyards, and offers many scheduled activities, including movie nights, art, music, animal therapy, and board games, with more than a dozen annual events, plus a big bus that takes people out for shopping, doctor's visits, church, or culture trips to museums and theaters in Los Angeles.
People living here can eat in a dining room with gourmet meals, where a nutritionist helps set up special diets for those with diabetes or hypertension, and private party menus can be arranged. There's a wellness center, beauty parlor and mobile hairdresser, daily fitness classes, art rooms, a library, spa, book lounge, hot tub, and sauna or health room, plus special spaces for social events and gatherings. Residents can count on transportation provided for appointments, shopping, or faith-based events, and the community runs regular music, gardening, and activity programs to make life interesting and more social. The place is set up to feel calming and home-like, supporting an atmosphere of kindness and respect, and the staff is steady and trained, aiming to give care with a gentle hand, while resident and family councils offer feedback to keep the quality of service steady.
Casa Dorinda has a licensed capacity to support up to 360 seniors, with a nursing home section that has 17 certified beds (as of June 2025) and is covered by Medicare for eligible medical services, meaning health needs are handled on campus from basic daily assistance to full skilled nursing or acute care, so residents don't have to move away if their health changes. The community is known for its peaceful surroundings, its history, and the safety net of many services, allowing older adults to age in one place with the care they need.
