How to Choose a Memory Care Facility

Almost half of family, friends, and other caregivers for older adults care for a person with Alzheimer's or dementia, according to the Alzheimer's Association. At-home caregiving can become difficult in the later stages of dementia.

In some cases, memory care is the best choice. In our Dementia Care Insights poll, 16% of respondents chose this option for their loved one. Almost 75% cited home safety concerns as the primary reason for this choice. Memory care facilities can give people with dementia a home-like setting that supports their medical, physical, emotional, and social needs.

Learn more about this type of care and how to choose a memory care facility for your loved one.

 

Memory care offers long-term care and support for seniors with dementia. A memory care facility offers similar services to assisted living facilities, such as help with daily tasks and transportation to medical appointments.

Unlike an assisted living facility, memory care residents can also get dementia-specific care, like specialized therapies, dementia-friendly dining, and structured routines. These settings also have dementia-trained professionals who understand the challenges of dementia and respond with patience and compassion.

Every memory care facility is different, and no single memory care facility can excel in all aspects of care. When wondering how to choose memory care for your loved one, aim to find the best match for you and your  loved one's needs. 

Follow our checklist when researching or visiting potential locations. Consider printing this list and our more general assisted living checklist to make the best decision based on the facts you've found.

Start by taking a careful look at your loved one's level of independence. This evaluation can indicate what sort of care may be necessary, especially if you're wondering whether it's too soon for memory care. 

To decide between assisted living vs. memory care and other senior living options, consider whether your loved one needs safety features, like door alarms and secure outdoor space. Also, do they need dementia-specific support, like memory aids and structured social activities? These features and supports are common in memory care facilities.

Once independent living is no longer feasible, memory care may be the best option. However, since there are seven stages of dementia, various levels of memory care are available to support your loved one's needs. These levels of care range from mild to advanced.

Memory care facilities can help provide for older adults in various stages of dementia, from mild memory loss to more advanced dementia. In the early stages of dementia, residents receive support for independent tasks like cooking or exercising. Seniors may also get cognitive support, like enrichment activities and brain stimulation games.

Moderate memory care services help people transition from mild to more advanced care. These efforts might include regular monitoring and extra support for grooming, mobility, communicating, and socializing.

Memory care for advanced dementia focuses on safety, enriching activities, and extensive help with daily living tasks. Staff may also use individualized care plans to manage aggressive dementia and give personalized support.  

As with most things, location matters when it comes to choosing a memory care community. Consider visiting hours, traffic patterns, and distance. Read reviews for local facilities and ask for recommendations from others who have experience with these settings.

Also, call the facilities to ask about staff training. Most states mandate CPR and infectious disease training for assisted living staff, but regulations vary on the timelines for emergency evacuation training. 

Ask about activities and specific support a facility could offer your loved one. Important memory care facility amenities include socialization opportunities, outdoor spaces, dining options, and medical alert systems.

A visit is a great way to get a feel for the place and see the memory care staff in action. Staff can have a significant impact on your loved one's happiness. When you visit, pay attention to how the staff interacts with the residents. Do they seem genuinely engaged?

Also, look for outdoor and common indoor spaces with safe and pleasant environments. Check that such spaces have visual indicators to keep your loved one oriented. Many facilities build in visual memory cues to help residents navigate spaces, like signed paths or color-coded hallways.

For some seniors, memory care has more advantages than home care. A home setting may not have the tools to support loved ones with advanced medical needs, but memory care facilities often offer specialized services, and most even offer 24-hour staff. If you're on the fence about when to move to memory care, it might help to know what to expect from these facilities.

Person-first care is a best practice in most memory care facilities. In person-centered memory care communities, caregivers prioritize individualized care, paying attention to the needs and wishes of each resident to improve their quality of life. 

In a person-centered care community, your loved one should receive an individualized care plan that addresses their challenges, needs, and interests. It may include medication management, a daily schedule, cognitive development activities, and hobbies, for example.

Many memory care facilities also encourage seniors to keep and use their personal belongings, such as furniture, clothing, and other items, as much as possible. These items offer familiarity and comfort to residents and may help spark memories.

Various new technologies have made senior care more holistic and compassionate. These may include the following:

• Less-intrusive security cameras for 24-hour surveillance
• Personalized monitoring devices, such as Wanderguard, to keep patients who are at risk in safe areas
• Automated dispensing systems for medications reduce the risk of errors in managing complex medication schedules.
• Virtual reality systems, which can give seniors with limited mobility or those feeling socially isolated a way to experience "adventures," which could improve mood and counter memory loss
• Digital assistants such as Siri or Alexa can help seniors track time, play their favorite songs, enjoy games, and more

 

Approaches to communicating with and medicating seniors have evolved in memory care facilities. Staff may have training in techniques such as empathic validation, which acknowledges residents' feelings and shows gratitude to reduce their anxiety. Residents with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia may enjoy interactions where they have plenty of time to respond to simple questions.

While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, new medications can also help older adults with dementia live more active and healthy lives. The FDA approved Lecanemab, for example, in 2023 to treat people with mild dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. By targeting the disease in its early phases, this drug and others like it have given new hope to those with mild cognitive impairment. 

Memory care and home care differ, but many memory care facilities create home-like environments for residents to feel at ease. 

"Increasingly, long-term care facilities are moving away from the sterile, institutional feeling and creating more home-like settings," says Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care. "Incorporating personal items in resident rooms and creating comfortable common areas help residents and families feel more at home."

Choosing memory care is a major decision, and understanding your loved one's situation and different care options can make it easier. When researching memory care vs. assisted living, consider the best level of safety, structure, and support for your loved one. People with mid- to late-stage dementia may benefit from specialized memory care. By recognizing your loved one's needs, you can find the right community for them.

• 2025 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. (2025). Alzheimer's Association
• Alzheimer's: Medicines help manage symptoms and slow decline. (2024). Mayo Clinic
• Average length of stay in memory care unit. (n.d.). Senior Living Services
• Bradley, Lyndsey, et al. (2023) Effectiveness of digital technologies to engage and support the wellbeing of people with dementia and family carers at home and in care homes. National Library of Medicine
• Designing a comfortable life: Features of top-notch memory care facilities. (2024). PACE Rhode Island
• How long can dementia patients remain in memory care? (2022). Rocky Mountain Assisted Living
• How long do most people live in memory care? (2023). Buckner Retirement Services
• How to move a parent with dementia to assisted living. (n.d.). EverTrue
• Memory care assisted living. (n.d.). Silverado
• Memory care levels. (n.d.). Webster at Rye
• Smetanka, L. (n.d.). Personal interview 
• Suyeon, Bae. et al. (2024). Improving home-like environments in long-term care units: an exploratory mixed-method study. National Library of Medicine
• The impact of personalized care in dementia treatment. (2024). Assured Senior Living
• The positive effects of personal items in memory care communities. (n.d.). Sunshine Retirement Living
• The power of shared experiences. (n.d.). Rendever
• Validation: An empathic approach to the care of dementia. (n.d.). Adult Protective Services Library