Welcome to The Mary Oakley Foundation

About Us

A longtime resident of Santa Barbara, CA, Jules Oakley established the Mary Oakley Foundation in memory of his late wife, Mary Oakley, who died of complications of Alzheimer's Disease in 1994. Mr. Oakley directed that the proceeds of his Family Trust be used to improve the quality of life for indigent seniors suffering from one of the adult dementias in the Tri-Counties (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo) area. He died in 1996, but not before seeing his Foundation bear fruit.
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Staffed by an all-volunteer Board composed principally of family members, the Foundation since its inception has supported public education and high-grade academic medical research projects associated with age-related cognitive diseases and other disorders of the brain and its end-related organs of special sense. The Foundation only supports pre-selected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals or donations. Institutional Large Grant provision is extended by invitation only. The Foundation underwrites Daycare and Respite Care grants for specifically qualified indigent individuals with dementia who are able to appreciate the attributes and offerings of such care. Qualifications are enumerated below. After many years supporting research in neurodegeneration and dementia basic science, the Foundation established the first The Mary Oakley Foundation Chair in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2017. In 2018 the Foundation became a member of the Zenith Society of the Alzheimer's Association, one of 68 then members, offering Grants designated to support the International Research Grant Program, the LEARN Extension and the Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS). In 2021, the Foundation established the Mary Oakley Foundation Professorship of Neurodegeneration at the University of California, San Francisco. In 2024 the Foundation established the Mary Oakley Foundation Professorship of Neuroethics at the University of California, San Francisco. A Professorship of Neurodegeneration is in development at the University of California, Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. At the local level, Individual Respite Grants and Family Services programs and public education seminars have been funded in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Association's California Central Coast Chapter. The Foundation currently funds and supports a Daycare Program and Respite Care Program in conjunction with a long-established renown facility in its primary service area dedicated to seniors who may safely live at home with family, along with major research projects in Alzheimer’s Disease at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Foundation also supports Alzheimer's Disease International in information dissemination, its Annual World Alzheimer’s Report and its Annual Meeting which is accessible to all via the Internet.

Statement of Purpose

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How the mary oakley foundation works

Day Care and Respite Care Grants underwritten by the Mary Oakley Foundation are managed by an individual 501(c)(3) organizational Grant Recipient of the Foundation locally. This organization has decades of experience in such administration and management, and follows the specific qualification guidelines of the Foundation as enumerated below. The Mary Oakley Foundation oversees the decisions and actions of such entities with regularity, and reassesses the Grant-making process when indicated. See ‘Contact Us’ below.
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Applicant Qualification Requirements

A diagnosis of a senior dementia such as Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, lacunar infarct dementia, vascular dementia or other similar senior dementia is required and must be endorsed by a practicing internist or neurologist. A family practitioner diagnosis without appropriate specialty consultation is not acceptable. Any individual considered for a Grant must have a family member, legal guardian or Conservator willing to function as an interested party for their participation. An individual without a family member, legal guardian or Conservator will not be considered for a Mary Oakley Foundation Grant under any circumstances. The individual must be considered indigent (does not own a home, car, savings, investments, real estate or other possessions, etc.). The provision of incontrovertible proof of U.S. Citizenship is required. The individual applicant must qualify for and be issued a valid Medi-Cal number; participation will be delayed until that card is in the stipendee's possession and a copy is provided to the Mary Oakley Foundation or its representative. The applicant must be a long-time resident of the Tri-Counties area (Ventura, Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo Counties), with proof thereof. Long-time residency is defined as being a continuously domiciled resident of one or more of the aforementioned Counties for a period of no less than ten years. The Foundation will not consider the application of individuals who have been moved to the Foundation's service area (as defined above) by their families in order to obtain a Grant from the Mary Oakley Foundation or participate in its programs. Individuals with a history of prior Skilled Nursing Placement long-term are not candidates for a Mary Oakley Foundation Grant. Unusual circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Individuals enrolled in Hospice in any way, shape or form, or who have been previously enrolled in Hospice, are not candidates for a Mary Oakley Foundation Grant under any circumstances. Individuals requiring injectable medications (e.g. insulin) cannot be considered for Grant program placement in Mary Oakley Foundation programs due to staffing limitations. Individuals must be ambulatory at the time of placement.
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Contact us

Should you have any questions regarding The Mary Oakley Foundation, or wish to apply for a Daycare or Respite Grant on behalf of an individual as their family member, caregiver or responsible party (legal guardian), you may contact Friendship Adult Day Care Center, Inc., at 89 Eucalyptus Lane, Montecito, CA 93108 (805.969.0859) expressing interest in one of the Mary Oakley Foundation Day Care Grant or Respite Grant programs. Administrative or operational questions may be addressed to the CEO, as shown below. William C. Stivelman, M.D. CEO and Medical Director The Mary Oakley Foundation, Inc. 494 Twin Oaks Court Thousand Oaks, CA 91362-3166 Email: MaryOakleyFndtn@aol.com Phone: (805) 494-5137
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