The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Bellingham, WA for 2024

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Alzheimer's has a significant impact on seniors' quality of life in Bellingham. This population accounts for about 16% of the city's 91,000 residents, and the Alzheimer's Association estimates that about one in nine of these individuals is living with Alzheimer's, a fatal disease that's the most common type of dementia. Between 2016 and 2020, the number of Alzheimer's-related deaths in the Bellingham region went up by over 40%. The increase in the total number of deaths was much lower at less than 9%.

Residential dementia care provides a practical long-term care solution for seniors and families affected by Alzheimer's. These facilities have teams of highly trained caregivers who provide personal care services and oversee mealtimes and recreational activities. Residents have comfortable housing, daily meals and access to secured indoor and outdoor common areas.

Through this guide, readers can get more information on Alzheimer's care in Bellingham, including the benefits the region has for older residents and resources that provide free information and assistance.

Memory care and other senior living facilities are regulated by the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration division of the Department of Social and Health Services. This division oversees compliance with state regulations, licensing and investigating and resolving complaints about care. It also provides a facility lookup tool for seniors to locate care in their areas. 

• The cost of living in Bellingham is around 23% more than the national average but just 2% higher than the state’s average. However, compared to nearby areas, such as Seattle’s nearly 70% more than the national average, Bellingham is an affordable option for seniors looking to retire in northern Washington.
• Bellingham is home to 219 physicians per 100,000 people, slightly higher than the national average of 210. Using the annual BestPlaces Health Cost Index, the area scores 78.9, with 100 being the U.S. average, showing that the cost of care in the area is lower than the national average.
• Like much of the Pacific Northwest, Bellingham sees a significant number of days with precipitation. It rains or snows an average of 158 days per year, compared to the U.S. average of 106. The area sees 157 sunny days on average, well below the national average of 205. However, the weather in the area is quite moderate, with relatively mild winters and very comfortable summers that rarely get above 72 degrees F.
• Property crime is on the rise in Bellingham. Using a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being high crime, Bellingham scores 71.5 for property crime, compared to the U.S. average of 35.4. However, Bellingham is a relatively safe community in regard to violent crimes. On a scale of 1 to 100, Bellingham ranks 18.8 for violent crime compared to the U.S. average of 22.7. Most senior living facilities offer robust security to mitigate these numbers.
• Bellingham is home to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, a highly rated Level II trauma center hospital offering comprehensive care, joint replacement and cardiovascular care, among other services. Medicare gave this hospital a 4-star overall rating out of 5 in 2021.
• While Bellingham has a higher-than-average sales tax rate of 8.8%, Washington as a whole does not have a state income tax. This means that retirement income will not be taxed at the state level, making the state tax-friendly toward seniors.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

In Bellingham, the average cost for memory care is $5,750 per month, but this number will vary based on individual facilities.

Memory care in Bellingham is more affordable than nearly every other area in Washington, costing an average of $5,750 per month. This is more affordable than both the state and national averages of $7,500 and $5,625, respectively. South in the Seattle area, care costs increase significantly, averaging nearly $3,000 per month more. To the southeast and southwest in Bremerton and Wenatchee, costs are also higher, averaging $7,188 per month. In the southern part of the state in Olympia, costs decrease considerably but are still more expensive than Bremerton, averaging $6,006 per month.

Seniors in Bellingham not in need of the constant support of memory care may opt to age in place with in-home or home health care, both of which average $6,483 per month. Assisted living in the area offers support with daily living tasks for a 25% savings, averaging $4,600 per month. Those with more extreme needs or requiring around-the-clock skilled nursing may need a nursing home, with semiprivate rooms averaging $9,277 per month in the area.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Washington page.