Memory Care Facilities in Wooster, OH

Wooster has 27,000 residents and a large senior community that makes up 19% of the population. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 1 in 9 seniors nationwide have Alzheimer’s, a disease that comes in as the seventh leading cause of death in Ohio. This disease has had a similarly profound impact on seniors’ health in the Wooster region, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that between 2016 and 2020, the number of local Alzheimer’s-related deaths went up by 39%. This outpaced the 23% increase across deaths from all causes.

Fortunately, the Wooster region has several memory care facilities for seniors and families seeking dementia care and treatment. These facilities often incorporate evidence-based programming to support residents' cognitive and physical health, along with dementia-informed dining programs, fitness classes and personal care services. Most memory care facilities have enclosed courtyards, and many feature open layouts to promote self-direction. 

This guide highlights the pros and cons of choosing memory care services in Wooster and lists some of the free and low-cost resources that serve local seniors and families. 

In Wooster, memory care communities comply with the Ohio Department of Health’s rules for residential care facilities. While the state doesn’t enforce additional rules for facilities that provide dementia care beyond standard assisted living regulations, many memory care facilities follow additional guidelines for security, staff training and care planning.

• Seniors in Ohio don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security income, and they can reduce their tax bills on other forms of income through credits and exemptions. This may help some seniors pay for memory care expenses in the Wooster region.
• Wooster Community Hospital, located in the city proper, serves the region as a full-service acute-care facility with a range of specialties. Its neurology department features a team of board-certified health care providers who treat a range of conditions, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s disease and other forms of dementia.
• Wooster has warm summers and cold, snowy winters, with temperatures ranging from 20 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. Conditions tend to be muggy in July and August, but humidity levels remain low throughout the rest of the year, and the city gets about 10 inches of annual snowfall and about 30 inches of rain. To help residents stay comfortable, memory care facilities often feature amenities such as secured courtyards and indoor activity rooms.
• Living costs in Wooster align with the state norm and come in about 19% below the national average, indicating affordability for those considering local memory care services. Additionally, Ohio promotes access to memory care through programs such as the Assisted Living Medicaid Waiver, which helps pay for residential services for qualified individuals.
• On a 100-point index, property crime in Wooster scores 47.2 compared to the national norm of 35.4, indicating that property-related offenses occur more often in this city than in a typical U.S. community. Crime frequency has been dropping over the past decade, although memory care may still be a better alternative to living alone for vulnerable individuals. Violent crime occurs less frequently, earning the city a score of 18.4 versus 22.7 nationally.

 

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.

Residential dementia care facilities in Wooster charge an average monthly rate of $5,998.

Memory care costs in Wooster average $5,998, which exceeds the state rate of $5,794 and the U.S. median of $5,625 by hundreds of dollars. Many cities in the region have lower monthly rates, including Lima, where rates come in at $5,754. Similarly, care costs in Wooster exceed monthly fees in Toledo by 14% and care costs in Columbus by 17%. On the other hand, Wooster may be a budget-friendly alternative to memory care in Canton, where facilities charge $6,131 for care.

Memory care facilities in Wooster charge $5,998 per month for care. While this amount offers a 10% reduction from the cost of local nursing home services, other senior care options tend to be lower. For example, assisted living rates come in 20% below the cost of memory care, and seniors pay about 24% less for in-home care and specialized home health care.

 

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.