The 3 Best Memory Care Facilities in Suffolk, VA for 2024

Suffolk's senior population makes up 14.8% of its 98,537 residents. With the Alzheimer's Association predicting a 26.7% increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's from 2020 to 2025 throughout Virginia, many of Suffolk's seniors may require dementia care in the future. Fortunately, the city's Alzheimer's mortality rate remains low, with CDC data showing a 26.09% decrease in Alzheimer's-related deaths from 2016 to 2020. All-cause mortality, in comparison, rose by 31.2%.

Memory care communities in Suffolk provide care specialized to the unique needs of seniors with Alzheimer's. This specialization spans from professionally trained staff to soothing environments and tailored programming. Memory care residences prioritize safety and easy-to-navigate floor plans for a more homelike environment that may ease confusion and anxiety.

Families reading this guide will learn how much memory care costs in Suffolk, how to cover these expenses and how they compare to prices in other locations. The guide also outlines the city's major benefits and drawbacks.

Specialized residences or secure units in assisted living communities offer memory care, but providers must have a license from the Virginia Department of Social Services. The department sets stringent health and safety requirements to ensure seniors' well-being while they reside in memory care communities.

• Suffolk's cost of living measures above the state and national averages overall, but not all expenses rank higher than usual. For example, seniors can save over 10% on health care in Suffolk, and food costs nearly 22% less than the U.S. norm. Virginia doesn't tax Social Security income and offers further deductions of up to $12,000 for seniors' other income.
• The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 Scorecard on State Health System Performance highlights Virginia's 20% better-than-average medical care. Seniors can choose from about 19 hospitals within a 50-mile radius, allowing them to receive timely emergency or surgical care. Additionally, around 3,700 primary care physicians work in the region, ensuring relatively easy access to doctors.
• CrimeGrade assigns an F rating to Suffolk due to the city's high crime rates. Overall, 122.5 out of every 1,000 residents experience crime yearly in Suffolk. However, the city can still be safe for seniors living in memory care communities, as these residences tend to have comprehensive security measures.
• Suffolk's climate may expose seniors to both heat and cold for short periods of the year. Temperatures range from a low of 33.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the height of winter to a high of 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of summer. However, seniors in memory care generally spend much time indoors, where they can benefit from air conditioning and heat.
• The air in Suffolk sometimes picks up slightly higher levels of particulates than the WHO guidelines. However, overall quality generally meets the good category criteria of the U.S. Air Quality Index. Air meeting this category rarely causes health problems, including in most individuals with asthma.

 

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.

Memory care providers charge $5,863 per month in Suffolk.

Averaging $5,863 per month in Suffolk, memory care is nearly 10.7% cheaper than the state norm but over 4.2% more expensive than it is nationwide. While Suffolk remains one of the most affordable cities in Virginia, Lynchburg ranks slightly cheaper, as care costs $82 less. Memory care expenses rise by only $22 in Staunton, making this location comparable to Suffolk. However, families spend about 21.5% more on care in Charlottesville and over 26.3% more in Roanoke.

Seniors pay $5,863 per month for memory care in Suffolk, whereas assisted living costs $1,173 less for personal care and may still provide sufficient support for people with only early-stage memory loss. Another alternative is adult day care, which costs $4,173 less than memory care for daytime support. In-home care and home health care — both $1,096 cheaper than memory care — assist in activities of daily living and skilled nursing, respectively. However, seniors needing more intensive nursing support may benefit more from a semi-private room in a nursing home, which costs over 43.4% more than memory 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 Virginia page.