The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Milwaukee, WI for 2024

Mikwaukee is home to 569,330 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and 16.8% of those residents are aged 65 or older. These residents are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that is affecting increasing numbers of Americans over age 65. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s. By 2050, the organization predicts that this number will increase to 13 million. Alzheimer’s rates appear to be growing in Milwaukee as well. The number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths increased by 37.27% between 2016 and 2020, according to data from the CDC.

Milwaukee is home to many memory care facilities that can offer seniors with Alzheimer’s disease the resources and care they need. These memory care facilities offer around-the-clock dementia care, therapy and services designed to meet their unique health care needs. This guide offers more information about memory care in Milwaukee, including average costs, ways to pay for memory care and resources for families facing an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Wisconsin’s memory care facilities are overseen by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The state’s memory care facilities are officially categorized as community-based residential facilities. The Wisconsin DHS’ Division of Quality Assurance is responsible for the welfare of those living in CBRFs.

• Milwaukee’s cost of living is measurably lower than both U.S. and Wisconsin averages. On the BestPlaces scale, where 100 represents the national average, Wisconsin rates 90.9 and Milwaukee rates 84.9.
• With a score of 9.3 out of 10 on the BestPlaces Comfort Index, Milwaukee easily beats the U.S. average of 7.8. Milwaukee enjoys quite mild summers; even in the hottest months, high temperatures barely break the 80s. The city’s lakeside location means that winters can get fairly cold, with average January highs under freezing at 30 degrees.
• AARP has repeatedly highlighted Milwaukee as one of the most livable cities in the United States for older adults; as of 2022, it’s No. 5 on the national list and the top-rated city in the Midwest. AARP’s criteria for livability include quality of health care, convenience of transportation and opportunity for social engagement, among others.
• Milwaukee is very convenient to Chicago by train. The ride from Milwaukee’s Intermodal Station to the larger city’s Union Station is only about 90 minutes long, which can make Milwaukee a good choice for seniors with family in Chicago. In terms of intracity transportation, eligible seniors can sign up for the discounted GO Pass, which allows unlimited trips on Milwaukee County buses for $2 per day.
• Unfortunately, crime is quite a bit higher in Milwaukee than elsewhere in America. The city ranks 73.1 on a 1-100 scale for violent crime compared to the national average of 22.7. For property crime, the numbers are 59.5 for Milwaukee and 35.4 for the national average. However, as of 2020 data, crime has been falling in the area since hitting a high in 2017.

While there is no source that specifically tracks its costs in the United States, memory care is usually an additional service offered by assisted living communities at a 20%-30% premium. In the lists below, we’ve estimated memory care costs as 125% of the assisted living costs for a particular location; data comes from Genworth’s annual Cost of Care Survey.

Milwaukee’s estimated monthly memory care cost of $6,655 is well above both state and national averages; nationwide, the cost averages $5,625, and the Wisconsin-wide cost is $5,750. At $6,813, Racine is the only Wisconsin city with a higher monthly cost than Milwaukee. Madison’s monthly cost comes in at an even $6,000. Prices are much lower in the Wausau area at $5,156.

Nursing home care is the only level of support more expensive than memory care in Milwaukee. A semiprivate room in a nursing home runs $10,872 per month, and a private room averages $12,045. Meanwhile, at $6,101, the home-based care available from homemaker or home health aide services is roughly $500 cheaper than memory care. Assisted living averages $5,324 per month. Finally, the most affordable option by far is adult day care, which costs a relatively low $1,322 a month.

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.