The 10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Crystal Lake, IL for 2024

Crystal Lake, 45 miles west of Chicago, ranks as McHenry County’s largest city, with a population of nearly 41,000. Individuals find 4 memory care communities within city limits, plus 12 more nearby. Older adults with dementia can access specialized services at these facilities, with a monthly cost of $8,125, surpassing both the Illinois median rate of $5,610 and the national norm of $5,625.

On average, memory care communities in the Crystal Lake region earn 4.4 out of 5 stars stars. In our guide, we include 190 reviews reviews of local memory care facilities, providing insight into their amenities and services.

The Illinois Department of Public Health licenses all memory care communities in Crystal Lake and requires them to submit disclosures related to the dementia-specific services they provide. The department enforces baseline standards for housing, care planning and staffing, and it monitors compliance through unannounced inspections and by investigating complaints.

• Crystal Lake doesn’t have a hospital, but Northwestern Medicine Woodstock Hospital sits a few miles outside the city. This major medical center provides a full range of inpatient and outpatient services, along with emergency care and community services. Additionally, it houses the Northwestern Medicine Neurobehavior and Memory Clinic, which ranks nationally for its diagnostic and treatment services. This clinic has board-certified neurologists and neuroscientists who specialize in treating memory-related disorders.
• According to a total crime index, Crystal Lake scores 90 points, indicating its crime rate sits lower than 90% of U.S. communities. On an annual basis, the city reports just two crimes per 1,000 people, with both violent and property crime rates at a fraction of state and national figures. Those seeking local memory care services may want to narrow their search to neighborhoods such as Crystal Vista, Turnberry and The Villages, where crime rates remain low.
• Illinois has retiree-friendly income tax laws with full exemptions for Social Security income, money withdrawn from retirement accounts and income from government and private pensions. Although the state levies a higher sales tax rate than most other states, it has lower taxes for food and medications, which comprise memory care residents’ most purchased items.
• The cost of living in Crystal Lake sits less than a percentage point higher than the national norm, indicating affordability for seniors seeking local memory care services. Although housing and food costs run slightly higher than nationwide averages, seniors spend about 24% less on health care expenses. To further maximize affordability, qualified seniors may pay for memory care services through the state’s Supportive Living Program, depending on program availability and their facility’s Medicaid policies.
• Out of Illinois’s 102 ranked counties, Crystal Lake’s McHenry County ranks third for overall health, indicating quality access to medical support for seniors with memory loss. The local life expectancy surpasses state and national norms by nearly two years, coming in at 80.3, and the community maintains good air quality compared to the rest of the state.

 

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 Crystal Lake, memory care residents pay approximately $8,125 monthly for specialized services.

Seniors in Crystal Lake pay a median rate of $8,125 per month for memory care. This figure exceeds Illinois’ baseline rate of $6,531 and the national norm of $6,688. While local rates are lower compared to care costs in Kankakee, where residents pay approximately $9,604 monthly, they are more expensive compared to Bloomington, where fees are around $6,000 less than Crystal Lake’s rates. Similarly, in Rockford, costs are $6,563, which is much lower than the local median. 

Memory care communities in Crystal Lake charge approximately $8,125 monthly. This is $544 less than the cost of nursing home care, which stands at $8,669 for a semi-private room, offering intensive personal and medical support in a hospital-like setting. In comparison, non medical in-home care, which includes help with personal tasks and chores, is $2,405 less at $5,720 monthly, and home health care, featuring private skilled nursing, costs $1,547 less at $6,578. Assisted living, which includes housing and around-the-clock care staff without dementia support, costs $1,625 less at $6,500. Adult day health care offers the most significant savings at $2,123, providing daytime-only services in a community setting.

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 Illinois page.