The 5 Best Memory Care Facilities in Mcallen, TX for 2024

The population of McAllen, Texas, is approximately 143,920, with seniors 60 and over making up 18% of the city’s residents. Older adults are at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s, the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. The CDC reports that Alzheimer’s deaths increased by 63.48% in McAllen from 2014 to 2018, while all deaths in the city increased by a lower percentage of 11.16%. The 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report projects people aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s in the United States will reach 12.7 million by 2050 making it a growing health crisis among the elderly.

For seniors dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementia living in McAllen, memory care communities offer safe and nurturing accommodations with around-the-clock staff specially trained to work with cognitively impaired seniors. These facilities also staff therapists trained to administer care and memory-stimulating therapies to inhibit the advance of dementia. This informative guide provides the pros and cons for seniors living with memory care challenges in McAllen, the average costs for memory care and types of living alternatives for seniors as they move through the stages of aging.

The Texas Health and Human Services licenses and oversees assisted living facilities, including those with memory care units. The department also ensures all licensed long-term care facilities adhere to state regulations according to the Texas Health and Safety Code and provides additional licensing standards for assisted living facilities certified for Alzheimer’s care

• The average cost of living index for McAllen is 78.6, much lower than the Texas index of 93.9. These numbers are in comparison to the national average of 100. Included in this low cost of living is a healthcare index of 90.7, which is less than Texas at 95.4, indicating McAllen offers lower healthcare costs for seniors, especially those living on a fixed income.
• Seniors will find quite a few choices for hospital care, including the South Texas Health System McAllen, recognized as part of the top ten percent of inpatient rehabilitation centers in the U.S., the South Texas Health System Heart center for specialized cardiac care and the Cornerstone Regional Hospital for general care. McAllen also offers 93 physicians per 100,000 residents, which is half the U.S. average of 210 per 100,000, making healthcare in McAllen more accessible.
• McAllen boasts 223 sunny days compared to the U.S. average of 205, and residents enjoy winters without snow or freezing temperatures. The lowest temperature averages 49 degrees in January, and the highest temperature of 97 degrees is in July. While the city receives 22 inches of rain per year, September averages the most precipitation at 6.5 days and March the least at 3.5 rainy days.
• For seniors who may live with respiratory conditions, the air quality index in McAllen is 74 out of 100, with 100 being the best. This is higher than the overall average air quality of 58 for the U.S. Due to the high air quality, the overall risk of respiratory illness is only 18.3 compared to the U.S. risk of 38.5. McAllen does include hot, humid days in the summer, but its temperate climate places the area in the high percentile for cities with pleasant weather.
• Seniors living with Alzheimer’s and dementia have access to many programs and services provided through The Texas State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease 2019-2023. The plan is based on Texas Senate Bill 999, established in 2019, adding a Health and Safety Code to the Department of State Health Services (DHSH). The Texas DHSH is developing a state plan that includes education and treatment options for residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.

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 monthly fee for memory care in McAllen is $6,063 per month, which is much higher than the state median of $4,998 and higher than the U.S. rate of $5,625.

McAllen has some of the highest costs for memory care in Texas, topped by Victoria to the north of McAllen, averaging $7,000. Seniors can expect to pay a lot less for memory care in Corpus Christi, where the average is $4,235 and in San Antonio, directly north, with an average of $4,266. Brownsville, to the east, joins McAllen as a border town and averages $5,000, only a few dollars less than Texas’s average of $4,998 per month.

For seniors who do not need the specialized services of a memory care facility, adult day care is the least expensive option at $652. Seniors living at home can take advantage of home care options such as home care and home health care, both averaging $2,860 per month. Assisted living, where most memory care units are part of the community, averages $4,850. The most expensive option is a semiprivate room in a nursing home facility providing a higher level of medical care and costing $6,129.

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 Texas page.