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Alzheimer's, dementia and memory care are often provided in a secure residential care facility, assisted living or nursing home setting, usually in a separate floor or wing. Residents may live in semi-private apartments or private rooms and have structured activities delivered by staff members trained specifically on caring for those with memory impairment.

Alzheimer's Care

Alzheimer's disease is a specific form of dementia. As Alzheimer's disease or dementia progresses, the level of care and assistance a person requires increases. While many families prefer to keep their loved one home for as long as possible, a person who suffers from dementia and Alzheimer's will eventually require 24-hour supervised care.   For example, Alzheimer's living environments have secured areas to prevent wandering and typically, residents in memory care need help with medications, bathing, grooming eating dressing and other daily tasks. Memory care provides intensive, long-term medical care to seniors with serious health and dementia conditions in a fully-staffed and monitored facility.

Cost of Memory Care

Memory care requires a larger staff to resident ratio and additional training to ensure the safety of all the residents, therefore the cost is usually higher than other communities. Costs may vary, depending on the following factors:

Level of care needed

Whether a room is private or semi-private

Geographical location of the community

The average cost of memory care for a single resident can be anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 a month. 

Services Offered in Memory Care

Memory care offers 24-hour supervised care with meals, activities and health management for residents.

Here are some of the basic services offered in memory care:

Comfortable private, or semi-private, rooms

Daily meals

Housekeeping and laundry service

Medication management 

Exercise and physical therapy programs

Social programs and activities

24-hour staffing and personal assistance