Plenty of people have asked me directly: What is memory care? Memory care offers a secure, structured environment designed explicitly for cognitive challenges, with trained staff, therapeutic activities, and safety features to reduce confusion and anxiety.
We explore how memory care differs from assisted living, what to look for in a quality facility, and when to consider this option.
Every person with dementia deserves to live with dignity in surroundings that understand their unique needs. In this post, we’ll provide an overview of long-term care options for dementia. We hope to answer the critical question: What is memory care?
Memory Care is Long-Term Care for People with Alzheimer’s and Dementia
If you’re looking for assisted living for an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or another cognitive impairment, a memory care community is an excellent option.
Memory care facilities provide specialized care for seniors with dementia.
Let’s explain how memory care is different from assisted living, how much it costs, and share two checklists you can use to evaluate a memory care community.
How is Memory Care Different from Assisted Living?
Memory care communities have environments that are secured against wandering and specially designed to be calming and easy to navigate.
Memory care facilities provide 24-hour supervision and a higher staff-to-patient ratio to ensure a higher level of care.
In memory care communities, staff are specifically trained to work with older adults who have cognitive impairments.
Memory care residents receive assistance with essential daily tasks, including taking medications, bathing, dressing, and eating.
There are also structured activities, exercise programs, and therapy sessions.
Over 50% of dementia patients will eventually need professional memory care support. -Alzheimer’s Association
How Much Does Memory Care Cost?
Because of the specialized care and larger staff, memory care usually costs more than other senior living options and, on average, about 20-30% more than assisted living.
As of 2025, the national median cost for a memory care unit is approximately $6,450 to $7,000 per month. This translates to roughly $77,400 to $84,000 annually.
Because memory care requires more specialized staffing, enhanced security, and tailored cognitive programming, it is typically 20–30% more expensive than standard assisted living, which averages $5,190-$6,129 per month.
This is an estimated national average; costs can vary by thousands of dollars per month across states.
Cost Breakdown by Region
The price varies significantly by location. High-cost-of-living areas often see prices double those in more rural regions.
| State Example | Estimated Monthly Cost (2025) |
|---|---|
| Highest Cost (e.g., Hawaii, DC, VT) | $10,500 – $11,600+ |
| Mid-Range (e.g., CA, NY, TX) | $6,000 – $8,200 |
| Lowest Cost (e.g., MS, AR, MO) | $4,000 – $5,500 |
Important to note that memory care costs usually reflect an area’s cost of living. If you’re trying to keep costs low, consider communities in less expensive neighborhoods.
What Drives the Price of Memory Care Facilities?
Specialized Staffing for Memory Care Facilities
Memory care wards maintain a lower staff-to-resident ratio to provide 24/7 supervision and manage dementia-related behaviors.
Facility Security for Memory Care Facilities
Costs include specialized infrastructure like secured entrances, alarmed exits, and “looped” hallways designed to reduce frustration for residents who wander.
Memory Care Price Tiers
Many facilities use a tiered pricing model. While the base rent covers a room and meals, the total cost may increase by $500 to $2,000 per month as a resident’s dementia progresses, and they require more hands-on assistance.
Financial Assistance Options for Memory Care
While Medicare generally does not cover the “room and board” portion of memory care, other options can help bridge the gap:
- VA Aid and Attendance – Eligible veterans or surviving spouses may receive $1,300 to $2,600 per month in assistance.
- Long-Term Care Insurance – If a long-term care insurance policy was purchased before the diagnosis, it often covers a significant portion of memory care costs.
- Medicaid – In some states, Medicaid HCBS waivers may cover the cost of care services (though not typically room and board) for individuals with limited assets.
What to Look For in a Memory Care Community
Finding a good memory care community for your older adult can feel overwhelming.
At first glance, every community might seem the same and blur together. That’s why it’s helpful to have a way to compare them.
This handy evaluation checklist from CANHR helps you evaluate Alzheimer’s and dementia care communities based on the quality of care provided and practical aspects – for example, how easy is it for you and your family to visit that location?
There is an additional dementia care checklist with questions focused on key issues. These questions provide a framework for differentiating among communities, helping you find the best fit for your older adult’s needs, budget, and personal preferences.
Final Thoughts on Memory Care
What is memory care?
Navigating the path of Alzheimer’s or dementia care is a journey that redefines the meaning of love and commitment. While it presents profound challenges, understanding the fundamentals of memory care (from creating a safe environment to engaging in meaningful communication) empowers you to provide compassionate, practical support.
Remember, the goal is not to restore lost memories, but to create new moments of comfort, connection, and dignity. By focusing on your loved one’s remaining abilities and emotional well-being, you become their anchor in a changing world. This journey is demanding, but you do not have to walk it alone; leaning on professional resources, support networks, and the strategies outlined here can provide strength and guidance.
In providing this dedicated care, you are offering one of the greatest gifts: a supported, respected, and loved life through every chapter.
Recommended for you:
- 7 Senior Housing Options: Which One Works Best?
- How to Choose an Assisted Living Facility: Helpful Checklist and Tips
- How to Pay for Assisted Living: 6 Options
About the Author
Connie is the founder of DailyCaring.com and was a hands-on caregiver for her grandmother for 20 years. (Grandma made it to 101 years old!) She knows how challenging, overwhelming, and all-consuming caring for an older adult can be. She also understands the importance of support, especially in the form of practical solutions, valuable resources, and self-care tips.
There is extreme disagreement about a locked facility for people with dementia. On the one hand it is argued as in the interest of the facility by reducing “risk”. On the other it causes stress and angst for the individual. Al Power, author of “Dementia Beyond Disease”, has been a strong advocate for not having locked environments.
The checklist referenced in the article notes that California has a law against placing people in a locked facility without their or their conservator’s approval.
Does anyone have further insights or experiences in other states? We are in Virginia, and this is a significant issue.
First, of course being able when needed to place your loved one in a well managed, clean and “nice” Assisted Living and/or Memory Care unit would be ideal, with the average cost being twice or 3 times the fixed income many of us have on Social Security, it is out of the question.
Here in AZ, we have ALTCS – Arizona Long Term Care Solution – and the 4 or so places that take that as payment have only 1 or 2 rooms dedicated to ALTCS and 3 of them are not places I would put anyone, let alone my beloved husband! The 4th is quite nice, but does not have memory care!
So for us, and thousands of others, we have to take care of our loved ones, often on our own with no family to help and we also are elderly with our own physical issues.
In this country = health care is all about Profit and Money. So very sad that those of us who built this country and left alone without help if we haven’t managed over our lifetimes to save the up to a million dollars that it would take for us to have assistance.
It’s absolutely true that long-term care is costly and that different cities vary in terms of the care communities, services, and pricing options that are available. Unfortunately, the U.S. government currently doesn’t provide enough funding and support for older adults or for family caregivers.
Well written article, but reality is often quite different. My wife has lived in a locked Unit for 4 years; I live on the property as well, and spend several hours daily with her. The facility regularly passes all State (FL) examinations … BUT, there are many very scary events. I have documented many and would counsel that the LAST thing a family should do is place a loved one in Memory Care. Even in the best of conditions, it is an awful existence. One cannot describe it as LIFE in any reasonable form.
We’re so sorry to hear that scary things have happened in your wife’s care community and that everyday life isn’t pleasant 🙁 Unfortunately, the quality of care varies widely among different care communities. Some are truly wonderful and others aren’t what we’d want for someone we care about.