The Best Memory Care Communities in Washington County, OR

Washington County, located in northwest Oregon along the Columbia River, is home to 529,710 people, 10 percent of whom are seniors aged 65 and older, the vulnerable age bracket for diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. There are currently 65,000 people in Oregon living with Alzheimer’s, a number that’s expected to grow by almost 30 percent in the next six years. There are 11 memory care facilities in the county to support this growing demographic.

Memory Care Communities, as they are known in Washington County and the rest of Oregon, are governed by the Oregon Department of Human Services.

• Washington County has warm summers with highs of 80 degrees and cooler winters with temperatures rarely dropping below 35. Although the county gets 43 inches of rain each year, 4 inches more than the national average of 39, it only gets 3 inches of snow annually, much lower than the U.S. norm of 26. The county only has 143 sunny days each year compared to the country's average of 205. Seniors who enjoy participating in supervised outdoor activities might not like living in Washington County.
  
• Oregon doesn’t tax Social Security income, although it partially taxes pensions and fully taxes retirement savings account withdrawals. Seniors on tight budgets in Washington County might benefit from these tax savings.
  
• The air quality in Washington County ranks 40 on a scale where 100 represents the best air quality, compared to the national average of 58. Seniors with ailments like COPD, asthma or lung cancer might have a harder time breathing in the county than in other parts of Oregon.
  
• The cost of living in Washington County is 140.4, more than 40 points higher than the national average of 100. Healthcare ranks lower at 83, but transportation costs are higher at 144. Seniors on fixed incomes might want to take the higher cost of living in the county into consideration when allocating funds toward their memory care budgets.

Memory Care costs in Washington County start around $5,198 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,694 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Washington County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in Oregon page.

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 Oregon page.

Washington County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in Oregon are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in Oregon page for more information about these laws.