McLennan County centers around the city of Waco in central Texas, just west of the busy Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In the state of Texas, over 380,000 residents have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, affecting the 65 and older demographic particularly. In McLennan County, 14 percent of its population of 246,000 are seniors aged 65 and older. Out of this number, 14 percent have been diagnosed with dementia. To house and care for these residents, McLennan County is home to four memory care facilities.Â
In the state of Texas, including McLennan County, memory care facilities are licensed and regulated by the state's Department of Health and Human Services. This includes both stand-alone memory care facilities and those secure and separate wings that are part of a larger assisted living community.Â