Ali Naghibi puts spirituality and small-home care at the center of Sapphire Pacific

Ali Naghibi, founder of Sapphire Pacific Residential Care, was featured on Close Up Radio for his model of six-resident homes that blend end-of-life care, open visiting, and insurance access. The San Marcos-based company is expanding across Orange County and North San Diego County as families look for more personal alternatives to larger facilities.

Why it matters: - Sapphire Pacific Residential Care is betting that smaller homes, higher staff attention and spiritual support can improve the end-of-life experience for residents and families. - The model addresses a gap in care that a 2021 study in the National Library of Medicine’s PMC database identified: spirituality is often overlooked near the end of life, and many health professionals receive little training in how to respond to it. - The company also tries to make care more financially accessible by working with long-term care insurance and Medi-Cal.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured Ali Naghibi, founder of Sapphire Pacific Residential Care, in an interview with Jim Masters on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. Eastern. - Sapphire Pacific Residential Care operates licensed residential homes in Orange County and North San Diego County, including Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Encinitas and Oceanside. - Each residence is capped at six residents.

The details: - Sapphire Pacific homes are staffed at roughly one caregiver for every three residents, and Naghibi says the company will provide one-on-one care when a resident needs it. - Naghibi entered senior care after a career in biomedical engineering and surgeon training on operating room technology. - His shift into residential care followed the Affordable Care Act era, when hospitals had less money for new equipment and the biotech sector contracted. - His father’s care needs helped shape the business model. The family faced only two choices at the time: a skilled nursing facility or a home with one or two hired caregivers. - Sapphire Pacific’s San Diego location accepts insurance exclusively and rarely accepts private pay. - The company website includes a section that walks families through insurance options. - Long-term care insurance and Medi-Cal now cover costs that once ran several thousand dollars a month out of pocket for families. - Sapphire Pacific homes are remodeled with granite kitchens and updated bathrooms. - The company bans wall-to-wall carpet to reduce odors and support cleanliness. - In many Southern California locations, back doors stay open to encourage fresh air indoors. - Naghibi has leaned more on fresh air after the COVID-19 pandemic. - Site managers lead recruiting, and Naghibi reviews the final hiring decisions. - Naghibi prefers caregivers with decades of homemaking experience and says certified nursing assistants often resist cooking and cleaning duties that are central in small homes. - Families can visit 24/7. - Several homes have Medi-Cal contracts that require unrestricted visiting hours, and Sapphire Pacific applies that standard company-wide.

Between the lines: - Sapphire Pacific is marketing a care model that treats emotional and spiritual comfort as part of clinical quality, not as an add-on. - The company’s emphasis on six-person homes, open visitation and familiar household routines suggests a push to make end-of-life care feel less institutional. - Naghibi’s hiring philosophy favors practical domestic experience over formal senior-care credentials, which signals a different view of what matters most in a small residential setting.

What's next: - Naghibi says he wants families, years from now, to feel confident sending other relatives to Sapphire Pacific and to want to spend their own end of life there. - Sapphire Pacific appears positioned to keep growing through insurance-based access and a home-style care model across its Southern California footprint.

The bottom line: - Sapphire Pacific is trying to redefine end-of-life care around intimacy, accessibility and spiritual dignity, one six-resident home at a time. - More information is available at Sapphire Pacific Residential Care.