The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in New York, NY for 2024

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of Americans living with the disease will continue to rise in the coming years, with an estimated 12.7 million seniors living with dementia by 2050. Reflecting this trend, New York City, where 15.1% of residents are seniors, has seen rates of Alzheimer’s increase since 2016. According to data from the CDC, Alzheimer’s-related deaths in New York City increased by 31.5% between 2016 and 2020.

New York’s memory care communities serve these seniors with dementia, providing structured environments and around-the-clock monitoring for their residents. These communities keep residents safe, help them socialize without fear of embarrassment with others in their age group, and provide care and assistance from staff members skilled in working with seniors with dementia. This guide considers the benefits and drawbacks of living in New York City, the costs of memory care, and other types of senior care. It also lists senior-friendly resources that can help families.

The New York State Department of Health issues licenses to its city’s memory care facilities. Successful applicants have satisfied all license conditions related to health and safety, staff training, insurance and fire safety. The department inspects facilities regularly and conducts unannounced inspections, revoking licenses from those who do not correct deficiencies identified by inspectors.

• There are over 60 hospitals in the New York metro area, with many regarded as world-class. New York-Presbyterian Hospital and NYU Langone Hospital are regularly featured in the top 10 lists of the country’s best, while Mount Sinai Hospital is usually in the top 20 and has a department dedicated to the care of seniors with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Statistically, violent crimes and property crimes in New York City are above the state and national averages. This shouldn’t be too surprising, as major cities tend to attract more crime. NYC isn’t even in the top 100 of America’s most dangerous cities, and some areas are safer than others. However, Memory care facilities provide excellent security, such as specialized access control and video surveillance.
• New York City’s average cost of living index of 187.2 is very high, particularly when compared to the state and national ratios of 120.5 and 100, respectively. It’s in the top 5 of the most expensive cities to retire in the country. Although this may cause some to reconsider moving, for others, the abundance of world-class medical facilities and highly regarded memory care communities in NYC may be significant enough to warrant the costs.
• New York’s humid subtropical climate gives the city crisp winters where temperatures average 26 degrees and fine summers of around 84 degrees. New Yorkers get 19 more sunny days than the national average of 205 and rainfall that’s almost 10 inches more than the normal 38. About 25 inches of snow falls annually, too. Overall, the city’s weather for most of the year is comfortable for older residents but it pays to take extra care during winter.
• Project CART is a free transportation service for seniors in Manhattan Community Districts No.1 to No. 8. The organization’s shared-ride vans transport seniors for any purpose, including medical appointments, shopping trips and visiting relatives. Several community groups across NYC provide free transit services funded by the Department of Aging.

Since memory care support is an addition to standard assisted living services, its fees are typically 20-30% higher. To find an average memory care cost, we’ve taken the assisted living fees published in the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey and added 25%. Memory care services in NYC cost around $7,188 per month, which is $1,463 more than the state average and $1,563 more than the national average.

Families looking for more affordable memory care services within 90 minutes of NYC may like to consider Poughkeepsie, where the average is $5,963, or Kingston, where it’s $5,625. Those thinking of moving out of state should know costs can be higher, such as in Bridgeport, where $7,841 is average.

Adult day centers offer the most affordable senior care option, at $1,950 per month. Fees then leap to $5,529 for homemaker services, $5,720 for a home health aide and $5,750 for assisted living, although the latter can easily transition to memory care if it’s within the same facility. A typical semiprivate room in an NYC nursing home costs $12,471, with an additional $760 per month for a private room.

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 New York page.