The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Thurston County, WA for 2024

Thurston County, located in west-central Washington at the south end of Puget Sound, is home to 252,264 residents, 13 percent of whom are seniors aged 65 and older, the target age group for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia diagnoses. Thurston County has seven memory care facilities to support these seniors located in Olympia, Yelm and Lacey.

Memory care facilities are known as Assisted Living Facilities in Washington, including Thurston County. These facilities are licensed by the Aging and Long-term Support Administration Department of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

• With summer highs of 77 degrees and winter lows of 34, the area receives 56 inches of rainfall each year, almost 20 inches more than the national average of 39 inches, and 10 inches of snow annually, compared to the U.S. average of 26 inches. Seniors’ families may want to ensure that their loved one’s room has individual climate controls to help keep them comfortable during the colder winter months.
  
• Seniors in Washington don’t pay taxes on retirement income, including Social Security benefits, retirement savings account income or pensions. Seniors in Thurston County may find that their budgets stretch further, providing more money for memory care expenses.
  
• The cost of living in Thurston County has a rating of 115.6, slightly higher than the national average of 100. Healthcare is also rated lower at 78, but transportation, groceries and housing all rank higher at 106, 100.4 and 161, respectively. Seniors’ families with tight budgets should take the cost of living in the county into consideration when allocating funds for memory care expenses.
  
• On a 100-point scale where one represents the safest areas, Thurston County has a violent crime rate of 39.2, and a property crime rate of 38.8, only slightly higher than the national averages of 31.1 and 38.1, respectively. Although the crime rates are almost on par with the national average, families might want to ask facility staff about the safeguards they have in place to keep their residents safe.

Memory Care costs in Thurston County start around $5,365 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Thurston County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in Washington page.

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 Washington page.

Thurston County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in Washington are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in Washington page for more information about these laws.