The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Merrillville, IN for 2024

 

Located in the east-central region of Lake County, Merrillville sits within the Chicago Metropolitan Region, where prospective memory care residents have 11 facilities to choose from, including 3 within the city. It ranks among the most cost-friendly places in the state and nation for specialized residential care, with memory care rates coming in below Indiana and U.S. medians at $4,521.

You can learn more about memory care facilities in Merrillville, including the typical experiences local seniors have as residents, by reading through our 107 reviews reviews. Overall, memory care communities in Merrillville earn a quality rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars stars.

In Merrillville, as in all of Indiana, memory care communities must file an application for licensure with the Indiana Department of Health, Division of Long Term Care. This division recognizes memory care facilities as residential care facilities with special care units, and it enforces increased staffing and staff training requirements, along with minimum standards for housing, services and care planning.

 

• Compared to other cities with similar population sizes, Merrillville’s crime rate comes in well below norms, reporting 12.47 incidents annually per 1,000 people. This breaks down to a violent crime rate of 1.1 compared to 3.06 statewide and 4.0 nationally. Property crime occurs more often but at a lower frequency than state and national norms at 11.37, providing a safe environment for those in residential memory care communities.

 

• Indiana seniors pay state income taxes on their pension income and withdrawals from their pre tax retirement savings accounts, but the state has a full exemption for Social Security benefits. This leaves more money available for living and long-term care expenses, particularly in cities such as Merrillville where memory care costs come in relatively low.

 

• Merrillville has a score of 48 out of 100 points on the AARP Livability Index, reflecting nationwide city norms. It fosters an engaging environment through access to amenities, with 1.6 parks within half a mile of any point in the city and 2.1 cultural institutions per 10,000 people compared to 1.9 nationally.

 

• Overall, Merrillville’s cost of living runs within a percentage point of the national norm, but residents pay comparatively low prices for living expenses, such as transportation and utilities. Additionally, health care costs come in about 8% below the national mark, bringing down diagnosis and treatment costs for memory-related conditions and making the city a practical option for those seeking affordable long-term care.

 

• Compared to Indiana as a whole, Merrillville’s Lake County ranks among the unhealthiest communities, coming in at 67th out of 92 counties for general health. It has an overall life expectancy of 75.7 years, which is a year shy of the state norm and two years shorter than the national average, and less than half of Medicare beneficiaries get an annual flu shot. Fortunately, seniors in long-term care communities have access to balanced meals, regular exercise and wellness opportunities and routine checkups with visiting physicians, promoting their health and quality of life.

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.

Merrillville’s memory care communities charge a median monthly rate of $4,521 for care.

In Merrillville, memory care residents pay in the ballpark of $4,521 per month for services, offering hundreds of dollars in savings over Indiana’s norm of $5,354 and the national median of $5,625. Although monthly fees in South Bend fall about $390 below Merrillville’s norm, care costs trend higher in other cities in Northern Indiana. For example, in Elkhart, rates surpass Merrillville’s median by about $790, and in Lafayette, rates come in about $2,050 above the local norm.

Memory care rates in Merrillville come to approximately $4,521 per month, which compares favorably to rates for most alternatives. In nursing homes, seniors pay considerably higher rates of $8,456 for 24-hour medical care and monitoring in semi-private accommodations. Those who arrange private services at home pay $5,625 for non medical in-home care services, such as meal planning and preparation and help with personal grooming, as well as skilled home health care services, such as medication management. Only assisted living, which has a similar scope of nonmedical personal care and residential services as memory care but doesn't include dementia services, costs less at $3,617. 

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 Indiana page.