The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Dayton, OH for 2023

As of the 2021 Census estimates, people ages 65 and over make up 12.8% of Dayton’s overall population of 137,571. As such, there are just over 17,600 locals deemed to be at moderate or high risk of Alzheimer’s. Statistics from the CDC indicate a very significant reduction of 20.4% in Alzheimer’s-related deaths in Dayton between 2016 and 2020. In contrast, the city experienced an increase of 23.9% in overall fatalities. Despite this promising trend at the local level, a special report from the Alzheimer’s Association predicts an 11% nationwide increase in seniors with Alzheimer’s by 2025, and a doubling by 2060.

Fortunately, there are numerous dementia care facilities in and around Dayton that provide safe, secure and social environments for seniors with Alzheimer’s. Federal, state and local governments are responding with increased funding for aging-related services, particularly for low-income residents. This guide examines the cost of care in Dayton, with comparisons to nearby cities, and provides details about the financial assistance and resources available in the city and state as a whole.

The Ohio Department of Health regulates all residential care centers in the state, including memory care facilities. Every facility in Ohio receives at least one inspection every nine to 15 months. At each inspection, the DOH evaluates all aspects of the facility’s care and service to ensure they’re in accordance with state standards.

• Dayton has a true four-season climate, with average highs near 90 in the summer and average lows down to 21 in the winter. Spring and fall tend to be mild and pleasant, with temperatures ranging from the 50s to the 70s. 
• Crime rates in Dayton are substantially higher than the average U.S. city. Fortunately, most memory care facilities feature abundant security, including secure entrances, video surveillance, alarms and staff members, so residents are far less likely than the average citizen to encounter crime.
• The greater Dayton area is home to 15 hospitals, many of which excel in certain areas of medicine that are important to seniors. Kettering Medical Center offers top-of-the-line cancer treatment along with state-of-the-art technology for cardiac care.
• Dayton’s cost of living is significantly lower than the national average, with an index of 71.4 compared to the national 100. Health care, groceries and transportation all cost much less on average in Dayton than in a typical U.S. city. Housing costs in Dayton, with an index of only 21.9, are some of the least expensive of any metro area in the country.
• The air quality index in Dayton is rated 43 compared to the national average of 58, which could be an issue for seniors with asthma or other respiratory issues.
• While Dayton lacks a robust public transportation system, the community is taking steps to provide options for seniors who can no longer drive. One such option is the Miami Valley Ride Finder, which is staffed by volunteers who drive seniors to doctor appointments, stores and other errands.

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.

The average cost of memory care in Dayton is $5,313 per month, several hundred dollars less than both the Ohio and national averages.

Dayton has some of the lowest average memory care costs in Ohio, with seniors paying substantially less than in Cincinnati, where the monthly average is $5,833, or in Lima, where it’s $5,754. However, memory care in Columbus, at an average of $5,106 per month, costs less than in Dayton, while nearby Springfield comes in even lower at $4,575 monthly.

Seniors in Dayton have other care options besides memory care facilities. The most intensive level of care is a nursing home facility, where a semiprivate room carries an average monthly expense of $8,091. In-home care and home health care both cost $5,434 per month on average, while an assisted living facility averages $4,250. The least expensive care option is adult day health care. While the Genworth study didn’t publish adult day health care data for Dayton, the average monthly cost in nearby Cincinnati is $1,690.

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 Ohio page.