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What Memory Care Costs

There is no published median for memory care in any state. Here is what that means and how to get real numbers.

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Short answer

The CareScout Cost of Care Survey, the most widely cited source for senior care pricing, does not survey memory care as a separate category anywhere. Every memory care price you find online is therefore an estimate, an average of self-reported figures, or an extrapolation from assisted living data.

Why no reliable memory care price exists

We could publish a number. It would get traffic. It would also be made up, and families make six-figure decisions on these pages.

How to get a real number

  1. Ask for the all-in monthly cost at your parent's current assessed care level, in writing.
  2. Ask what triggers a move to the next care level and what that costs.
  3. Ask for the rate increase history for the last three years.
Memory care regulation in North Carolina. NC requires a Special Care Unit disclosure statement, not a separate certification, before a community can market secured memory care. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

My mother fell at home in Apex and is being sent to rehab — what happens if she can't go back home afterward?

If your mother's rehab stay ends and she still needs help with daily activities beyond what home care can safely provide, the rehab facility's social worker can help evaluate options ranging from an adult care home (assisted living) to continued skilled nursing on a long-term basis. If she is running low on funds, ask the facility's social worker about applying for long-term-care Medicaid through Wake County DSS and, if she needs nursing-facility-level care but wants to try staying home instead, ask about the CAP/DA Medicaid waiver. Start these conversations early in the rehab stay rather than waiting for discharge day, since Medicaid applications take time to process.

I'm exhausted from caring for my husband with Parkinson's in Durham — what respite options exist before I burn out completely?

Adult day programs in the Durham area provide structured daytime supervision so you can work, rest, or run errands, and the Central Pines/Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (1-800-310-9777) maintains referral information on local options. If your husband qualifies for the CAP/DA Medicaid waiver, respite care is one of its covered in-home services, allowing a paid aide to step in for scheduled breaks. Short-term respite stays at licensed adult care homes are another option for a multi-day break; ask Duke Health's care coordination team or the Area Agency on Aging for current openings.

I live in Seattle and my mother lives alone in Raleigh — how do I manage her care from across the country?

Start by identifying a local point of contact: a geriatric care manager, a trusted neighbor, or a home-care agency that can do in-person check-ins, since phone calls alone won't reveal safety issues at home. Contact the Central Pines/Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (1-800-310-9777) for free options counseling covering Wake County, and ask your mother's primary care provider (WakeMed, UNC REX, or Duke-affiliated practices all offer patient portals) whether you can be added as an authorized contact so you can join telehealth visits remotely. Establishing power of attorney for healthcare and finances now, while she's able to sign, will make it far easier to act quickly if a crisis happens.

My father's savings are almost gone after 18 months in an adult care home near Raleigh — what happens next?

Before his funds run out entirely, apply for North Carolina's State/County Special Assistance (SA) program through Wake County DSS, which is a state- and county-funded cash supplement (not a Medicaid waiver) that helps pay room-and-board costs for eligible low-income adult care home residents. SA recipients are automatically eligible for Medicaid, which then covers his personal care and medical needs. Start the application at least a month or two before his assets are projected to hit the $2,000 asset limit, since processing takes time and a gap in payment can jeopardize his placement.

My wife is in assisted living in Cary but her dementia has progressed — does she need to move to memory care?

If she's showing signs like wandering, exit-seeking, or needing more supervision than the general assisted living staff can safely provide, ask the facility directly whether they have a licensed Special Care Unit (SCU) on-site or whether a transfer to a memory-care-designated community is recommended. In North Carolina, a Special Care Unit is a distinct designation added to a facility's adult care home license, requiring a specific state-approved disclosure statement about staffing, programming, and physical safety features — ask to see that disclosure before deciding. If you're the community spouse and finances are a concern, know that Medicaid rules protect a minimum monthly income allowance for you even if she eventually needs Medicaid-covered nursing facility care.

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