The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Madera, CA for 2024

Madera is home to about 68,000 people in California’s San Joaquin Valley. While it has a relatively small senior community of less than 9% of the population, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the need for comprehensive dementia care and treatment. According to this agency, the number of Alzheimer’s-related deaths climbed by 20.8% between 2016 and 2020. This was slightly higher than the 19.8% increase observed in the total number of deaths during this time frame.  

To accommodate those with dementia, the Madera region has several high-quality memory care facilities. These facilities feature secured indoor and outdoor common areas for residents to safely enjoy, along with private and semi private housing, housekeeping services and daily meals. Residents can participate in failure-free individual and small-group activities and music and pet therapy, and they have individualized care plans that address their unique needs.

This guide provides more details on memory care in Madera, including some benefits and drawbacks of obtaining care in this city and an overview of the cost of dementia care compared to other local options. 

In Madera, as well as in the rest of California, memory care facilities are officially licensed through the California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing Division as assisted living facilities. While they’re subject to the same minimum standards as all residential care facilities, they must also meet additional requirements related to staff training, security and care planning.

• While state income taxes are high in California compared to the rest of the nation, seniors can claim a senior income tax exemption that doubles the personal exemption, reducing what they owe. Social Security benefits are tax-exempt, which may help some seniors afford memory care expenses in Madera.
• The air quality in Madera is very poor, with the American Lung Association giving the region failing grades across all categories including ozone, 24-hour particle and annual particle pollution. Fortunately, many memory care facilities are equipped with air purification systems, keeping residents comfortable and safe despite outside conditions.
• Several hospitals are located near Madera, including Saint Agnes Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center, both of which are in Fresno about 20 miles outside of Madera’s center. Health care costs in this city come in about 17% lower than the national norm, and although there are only 97 doctors per capita compared to 210 nationally, many memory care facilities have on-call physicians.
• Madera features a warm Mediterranean climate with minimal humidity, mild winters and little rainfall. Over the course of the year, temperatures in this city range from winter lows of 37 degrees Fahrenheit to summer highs of 97 degrees Fahrenheit. The city gets virtually no snow and just 13 inches of rain spread out over an average of 48 days. To promote comfort year-round, many memory care facilities have individually controlled thermostats in residents’ rooms.
• Madera is among the most budget-friendly places to live in California, which may appeal to those seeking memory care services on a budget. On a 100-point index based on national living costs, the city scores 101, notably lower than the state score of 149.9.
• Crime is a little more prevalent in Madera than in a typical U.S. city, which may make residential dementia care a preferred alternative to living alone. On a 100-point index, the city scores 37.6 for violent crime and 41.2 for property-related offenses, compared to respective national scores of 22.7 and 35.4. Fortunately, both types of crime have been declining for the past two decades.

 

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.

On average, memory care residents in Madera pay $4,785 per month for care.

In Madera, memory care facilities charge competitive monthly rates of $4,785 for care, which is well below state and national norms. By comparison, average care costs statewide are 37% higher, and nationally, rates exceed Madera’s average by 18%. Local care costs are a little higher than in Visalia, where seniors pay $4,313 for care, but they come in well below care costs in other nearby cities. For example, in Merced, care costs are $215 higher than in Madera, and in Hanford, rates exceed the local norm by 14%. In San Jose, dementia care services are considerably more costly at $7,500.

 

Memory care facilities in Madera charge $4,785 for care, which is moderate compared to other recorded senior care options in the city. Residential dementia care costs 25% more than assisted living, which offers residential services and personal care for those who don’t have memory-related conditions. However, memory care costs about 37% less than nursing home care, which is for seniors who need around-the-clock medical support.

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 California page.