The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Agawam, MA for 2024

Agawam sits at the Massachusetts-Connecticut border on Connecticut River’s western side and shares the Springfield metropolitan area. The region offers diverse memory care options for seniors and families, including 2 within Agawam proper and 11 more in nearby cities. These facilities charge approximately $6,310 per month for care compared to the statewide median of $8,125 and the national expense of $5,625.

In this directory, we list review reviews of Agawam’s memory care facilities to help families determine options that may be right for them. Based on these reviews, facilities have an average rating of stars.

 

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services enforces regulations for memory care communities to promote a consistent standard of care in Agawam and throughout the state. This agency requires facilities to obtain licensure as assisted living special care residences and to follow rules related to staffing, staff training and security. It also publishes information on residents’ rights.

 

• Agawam’s proximity to Springfield gives memory care residents access to high-quality hospitals, including Baystate Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center, both of which have neurologists who diagnose and treat dementia. Additionally, many memory care communities in Agawam have on-site wellness suites where visiting physicians provide routine care and medical oversight.
• Hampden County, where Agawam is located, ranks last among Massachusetts’ surveyed counties for general health, as well as in the bottom percentile for health factors and outcomes. Its average life expectancy trends below state and national norms at 77.4 years, and 14% of adults report being in fair or poor health compared to 11% statewide and 12% nationally. Even so, about 57% of Medicare beneficiaries get the flu shot annually, reducing the spread of illnesses in residential communities.
• Agawam’s cost of living surges 13.2% higher than the national average, impacting affordability for those seeking local memory care services. Although housing and food costs come in a little lower here than in a typical U.S. city, seniors spend about 24.4% more on health care expenses. Fortunately, Massachusetts funds programs such as the Frail Elderly Waiver, which covers community supports for those living with conditions such as Alzheimer's.
• Agawam scores 50 on the AARP Livability Index compared to the typical U.S. city score of 48, putting it in the top half of communities in the country. The region has a relatively low number of days per year with unhealthy air quality, rating 0.7 for this metric compared to the national score of 3.9, and about 92% of public transportation vehicles and stations are ADA-accessible.
• Massachusetts exempts Social Security income and most income from public pensions from income taxes, promoting financial stability for those who rely mainly on these forms of retirement income. It taxes all other income at a flat rate of 5% and doesn’t offer any exemptions or deductions.
• Agawam’s crime rate runs higher than 94% of cities across Massachusetts, coming in at 19.23 incidents per 1,000 people. However, most crime occurs in the city’s northeastern neighborhoods, leaving safe options for those seeking local memory care services.

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 Agawam, memory care facilities charge a median monthly rate of $6,310 for residential care.

Memory care rates in Agawam come in at around $6,310, which exceeds the national norm of $5,625 but offers monthly savings over Massachusetts’ typical rate of $8,125. While seniors in Pittsfield pay lower rates of $2,605, other cities have costlier care than Agawam. For example, in Worcester, median rates run hundreds of dollars higher at $7,106. Similarly, in Boston and Barnstable Town, seniors pay respective norms of $8,524 and $8,750 for specialized care.

 

In Agawam, memory care residents pay approximately $6,310 per month for services, which is high compared to most other senior care options. For example, seniors pay $5,339 for private full-time in-home care, which includes personal care and help with household tasks, as well as for skilled nursing services they receive through home health care. Similarly, assisted living facilities charge lower rates of $5,048 for non specialized personal care, recreation and meals, and nonresidential adult day health care facilities charge $2,123 for recreational activities and individualized care. By contrast, memory care costs about half as much as nursing home care, which comes in at $12,623 and accommodates seniors who need around-the-clock medical services and monitoring.

 

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 Massachusetts page.