The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Ridgeland, MS for 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ranks Alzheimer’s disease, which affects approximately 1 in 9 seniors nationwide, as the seventh leading cause of death in Mississippi. While Ridgeland’s senior community only accounts for 11% of the 24,000 residents, Alzheimer’s has had a significant impact on public health and quality of life. The CDC shows a 49% increase in Alzheimer’s deaths in the Ridgeland region between 2016 and 2020, with this cause of death driving the 25% increase in the total number of deaths countywide during that period. In 2020, the agency linked 14% of deaths to Alzheimer’s compared to 12% in 2016.

To meet seniors’ needs and provide effective dementia care solutions, the Ridgeland region has several memory care facilities. These facilities promote cognitive, social and physical engagement through tailored recreational therapies and activities, such as brain games and life skills stations, and they have compassionate caregivers who provide 24-hour monitoring and assistance.

This guide provides information on memory care in Ridgeland, including the benefits and drawbacks of moving to this region and an overview of supportive resources.

In Ridgeland and throughout Mississippi, the Mississippi State Department of Health monitors all memory care facilities and enforces licensing criteria for the scope of services a facility must provide, staffing and move-in and move-out procedures. It also has special provisions for dementia facilities regarding caregiver training, building design and how many hours of care residents must receive.

• Memory care residents in Ridgeland have access to numerous high-quality medical facilities, including Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and University of Mississippi Medical Center. These facilities sit within 8 miles of Ridgeland proper and provide age-informed medical care and referrals for Alzheimer’s care.
• The Ridgeland region offers generally clean air with minimal levels of environmental irritants, supporting seniors’ health and comfort. The American Lung Association ranks the Jackson metropolitan area, where Ridgeland resides, among the cleanest in the nation for ozone pollution. Additionally, the organization discloses a decline in the number of high-particle days over the past two decades.
• Mississippi exempts all retirement income from state taxes, including Social Security benefits, pension income and disbursements from retirement savings accounts. While seniors don’t pay sales tax on prescription medications, Mississippi functions as one of the few states in the nation that taxes groceries. Fortunately, seniors may avoid this added expense by choosing a memory care community with all-inclusive pricing.
• While Ridgeland ranks as one of the most expensive places to live in Mississippi, its cost of living trends lower than the national norm. On a 100-point index based on living costs nationwide, the city scores 93.2, indicating that living expenses run 7% lower here than in a typical U.S. city. Fortunately, qualified individuals may reduce their memory care expenses through the state’s Assisted Living Waiver.
• Ridgeland has warm weather throughout the year, with daytime temperatures ranging from 57 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit. Residents rarely see more than a light dusting of snow, but the city gets an average of 54 inches of annual rainfall. Local memory care facilities often have outdoor amenities, such as fully secured courtyards, and unit-controlled thermostats to accommodate a variety of temperature preferences.

 

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 Ridgeland, memory care facilities charge monthly median rates of $5,438 for care.

Memory care residents in Ridgeland pay approximately $5,438 per month for care. While this comes in below the national average of $5,625, it surpasses the state norm by 24% and exceeds care costs in nearby cities. For example, rates in Hattiesburg come in 5% below care costs in Ridgeland, and in Gulfport, seniors pay 13% less for care. This trend continues across state lines, with seniors in Mobile, AL, paying $4,404 for memory care and residents in Hammond, LA, paying $4,313.

In the Ridgeland region, memory care residents pay some of the highest senior care rates of $5,438 per month. While nursing home rates are higher at $7,087, other options tend to be more economically priced. For example, seniors who don’t require dementia support pay 20% less for assisted living. Similarly, seniors who live in private residences pay 35% less for skilled home health care and 37% less for in-home care, and they may save 74% on monthly care expenses by obtaining the services they need through adult day health care.

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 Mississippi page.