The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Oshkosh, WI for 2024

In Oshkosh, an age-friendly city with a senior population that accounts for 14% of the 66,000 residents, those seeking dementia care have access to a broad range of resources and health care amenities. This support system may be partly responsible for the decreasing number of Alzheimer's-related deaths in the city, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting a decline in the number of deaths in recent years. In 2016, Alzheimer’s was the underlying cause of 7.7% of deaths in the Oshkosh region, compared to 7.3% of instances in 2020. During that period, the total number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths went up by 11%, even though the total number of deaths across all causes increased by 18%.

Oshkosh has several memory care facilities that support seniors living with Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. These facilities have specially trained caregivers and offer evidence-based therapies and recreational activities to support residents' cognitive, physical and social functioning. 

This guide provides an overview of memory care costs in the Oshkosh region and highlights free and low-cost resources that can help seniors and families.

 

Memory care facilities are officially called community-based residential facilities, and they comply with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services' rules for care planning, nutrition and medication services and specialized staff training. The department also sets minimum standards for how many residents a facility must have, and it publishes information on residents’ rights and state waivers that pay for long-term care.

 

• As a member of the AARP Age-Friendly Network, Oshkosh has received national recognition for its efforts toward creating a welcoming community for people of all ages, including seniors with dementia. It has a high livability score of 59, putting it in the top 40% of communities across the nation for its performance in metrics such as affordable senior housing, access to grocery stores and parks and preventable hospitalization rates.
• In Wisconsin, residents pay state income taxes at rates ranging from 3.54% to 7.65% on most forms of retirement income, which may impact how much some seniors and families can put toward memory care costs in the Oshkosh region. Fortunately, the state doesn’t tax Social Security benefits, even those the federal government taxes, and it provides a $5,000 deduction on qualified income for those aged 65 and over.
• Oshkosh residents experience distinct seasons throughout the year, including warm summers with clear skies and chilly, overcast winters. During the warmer season, which lasts from late May until mid-September, daytime temperatures fall between 70 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The colder season lasts from late November until early March and has average daytime temperatures between 26 and 37 degrees Fahrenheit. To prevent residents from wandering off-site, especially in unsafe weather conditions, many memory care facilities have fully secured indoor and outdoor common areas.
• The American Lung Association ranks the Oshkosh region as the 75th worst out of 227 surveyed metropolitan areas for ozone pollution, indicating that pollution levels may be high enough to affect seniors’ health and comfort. Additionally, out of 223 metropolitan areas, the organization rates Oshkosh as the 77th worst for 24-hour particle pollution. To minimize the impact of environmental pollutants, some local memory care facilities have installed air purification systems.
• Oshkosh has two hospitals, including Ascension NE Wisconsin – Mercy Campus and Aurora Medical Center – Oshkosh. These hospitals offer a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, including neurology. Many local memory care facilities provide nonemergency medical transportation to help residents keep regular appointments.

 

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 Oshkosh, seniors pay $6,446 per month for residential dementia services.

 

Memory care facilities in Oshkosh charge $6,446 per month for housing and dementia support, making this city one of the most expensive places in the state and nation for care. By comparison, statewide, care costs are 11% lower than in Oshkosh, and nationally, seniors pay 13% less for care. Rates in nearby communities also trend lower than in Oshkosh, with Madison residents paying $6,000 per month for residential dementia care. Similarly, in Sheboygan, rates are competitive at $5,781, and in Green Bay, monthly care costs come in at $5,563. Fond du Lac may also be a cost-friendly alternative to Oshkosh, with local facilities charging $5,219 for services.

 

In Oshkosh, memory care residents pay $6,446 per month for care and housing. While this rate is high compared to most other senior care options in the city, it’s about 30% lower than the cost of nursing home care. Seniors who arrange private in-home care or home health care services in their homes typically pay monthly rates of $5,339 for services, and those who don’t have memory-related conditions pay $5,157 for assisted living.

 

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 Wisconsin page.