The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Surprise, AZ for 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists Alzheimer’s disease as the seventh leading cause of death in Arizona, but in the dementia-friendly community of Surprise, trends are promising. Although this city has a large senior community that makes up nearly a quarter of its population, which typically correlates with a high number of Alzheimer’s diagnoses, the CDC reports a decline in Alzheimer’s-related deaths. Between 2016 and 2020, the organization reported a 9% increase in deaths from Alzheimer's in the region, compared to the 34% increase among deaths of all causes. In 2016, it tied 1 in 10 deaths in the county to Alzheimer’s, but in 2020, this disease accounted for about 8% of deaths.

Even so, the Surprise region has numerous memory care facilities for seniors who need dementia care and support. These facilities have increased security to promote residents' safety, and many use evidence-based therapies and recreational programs to enhance engagement. 

The following guide provides more insight into memory care in Surprise, including details on care costs, options for paying for services and helpful resources. 

The Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Residential Facilities Licensing, licenses all memory care communities in Surprise. These facilities follow the same licensing requirements as assisted living facilities for staffing, staff training, nutrition services and care planning, but they must meet increased criteria for building security to prevent wandering.

• The Dementia Friendly America Network recognizes Surprise as a dementia-friendly community, meaning the city has a variety of initiatives and resources that serve seniors and families facing dementia diagnoses. Through the city, individuals can connect with support groups, informational and educational classes and a range of online resources from Banner Health.
• Surprise doesn’t have its own hospital, but several major medical facilities reside nearby. For example, Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center sits in neighboring Sun City West, and Banner Boswell Medical Center resides 4 miles away in Sun City. In addition to this, many memory care facilities contract with physicians who provide on-site care and medical monitoring.
• A 100-point index based on national living costs assigns Surprise a cost of living score of 113, which exceeds the national norm by 13% and the state average by about seven percentage points. Although grocery prices and health care expenses tend to run low here, residents expect to spend comparatively high prices for housing, utilities and transportation. Fortunately, Arizona may cover some memory care services for qualified individuals through ALTCS, its managed care program for those who need long-term care.
• The Surprise region has poor air quality that may affect memory care residents with heart or lung conditions. The American Lung Association gives the region failing grades for both 24-hour particle and ozone pollution levels and reports about 119 high-ozone days and 16 high-particle days annually. Memory care residents with sensitivities to environmental irritants typically have a variety of indoor activities available to them, helping them stay active throughout the year.
• Surprise has a dry climate and warm temperatures throughout the year, with daytime highs ranging from 73 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 106 degrees Fahrenheit at the peak of summer. During the wetter season, which runs from June through March, residents see about 6 cumulative inches of rain, and during the dry season, the city only gets about an inch of rain. This may appeal to prospective memory care residents seeking sunny skies.

 

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 Surprise, memory care residents pay $4,969 per month on average for care.

In Surprise, memory care rates come in at $4,969, which reflects the state norm of $5,000 and falls 12% below the national norm. Seniors in nearby communities tend to pay higher care costs, including Tucson, where monthly care costs exceed Surprise’s norm at $5,063, and facilities in Sierra Vista charge 4% more for care. Similarly, memory care residents in Prescott Valley pay 13% more for care than seniors in Surprise, and in Flagstaff, care costs exceed the local norm at $6,250.

Memory care rates in Surprise average $4,969 per month, making it a relatively affordable senior care solution. By comparison, rates for in-home care, which includes nonmedical custodial services, and home health care, which includes basic skilled nursing services, exceed the memory care norm by 20%, and seniors who need around-the-clock medical care and supervision pay 29% more for nursing home care. On the other hand, seniors who don’t need memory support but are seeking residential care pay comparatively affordable rates of $3,975 for assisted living, and adult day health care facilities charge $2,167 for daytime services in a community environment.

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 Arizona page.