Memory care and assisted living both provide housing, meals, and help with activities of daily living (ADLs), like bathing and toileting. However, memory care also offers a specialized environment, security, and staff for people with dementia. While memory care isn't the same as assisted living, you'll find that some communities offer both assisted living and memory care. This makes it easier for seniors to continue living in the same community even if their care needs change. A Place for Mom highlights five key areas where general assisted living and memory care differ.
Key takeaways
- Assisted living provides caregiver assistance that focuses on activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing.
- Memory care communities also help with (ADLs), but also provide specialized staff, safety, security, and activities for seniors who have dementia.
- Memory care costs more than assisted living because residents need more specialized care and frequent supervision.
- Some assisted living communities offer memory care on site, making it easy for seniors to get the care they need without moving.
1. Safety features
While assisted living communities may offer features such as in-room emergency alert systems and daily check-ins, memory care communities provide additional security features to ensure the safety of residents who have memory loss and may be experiencing wandering, aggression, and falls. Such features may include:
- Locked entrances and exits
- Keypad entries
- Obscured exits
- Doorbells that signal entering and exiting
- Design elements that minimize confusion
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2. Costs
According to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data through July 2, 2026, the national average cost of assisted living is $5,830 per month, and the national average cost of memory care is $6,999 per month. Factors that affect the cost of both assisted living and memory care include:
- Location of the community
- Unit floor plan and size
- Whether a space is shared with a roommate
- Community amenities
- Services provided
3. Staff training
Staff at assisted living and memory care communities have experience supporting residents with day-to-day tasks and activities of daily living (ADLs). Memory care staff, however, are specially trained in dementia care and are trained to manage difficult behaviors caused by dementia, such as wandering and aggression.
“Memory care communities tend to have a much higher caregiver-to-resident ratio. This is important because it can take longer to provide ADL care, and people in memory care often need more direct oversight for safety and social engagement,” says Maureen Bradley, a senior new hire support specialist with A Place for Mom, who has advised families on senior care for 20 years.
4. Amenities
Amenities vary greatly from one community to the next, but most assisted living communities offer the following:
- Gyms
- Beauty salons and barber shops
- Outdoor spaces like gardens or courtyards
- Pet-friendly accommodations
- Transportation services
- Library, TV, and game rooms
- Arts and crafts studios
- Spas or relaxation rooms
Memory care communities often feature many of these same amenities, but you’ll also find unique layouts and design features to help orient residents and reduce confusion. For instance, design elements in memory care communities may include the following:
- Clearly defined common areas
- Color-coded walls to make it easier for residents with memory loss to find their way
- Outdoor gardens to prevent residents from feeling trapped or confined
- Increased opportunities for personalization, like memory boxes outside of residents' doors to guide and help them feel at home
5. Activities and therapies
Assisted living communities offer activities such as:
- Exercise classes
- Book clubs
- Games
- Parties
- Karaoke
- Outings
Some of the specialized therapies available at memory care communities may include the following:
- Music therapy, which promotes relaxation and reduces agitation in seniors with Alzheimer's or other types of dementia
- Art therapy, which may help slow cognitive decline
- Reminiscence therapy, which uses senses like smell, taste, touch, and sight to help seniors remember people, events, and places
- Pet therapy for companionship
In memory care communities, Bradley says, “There’s focus on structure, sensory stimulation, getting direct sunlight whenever possible, and cultivating engagement. All these things minimize or even eliminate sundowning, help with sleep patterns, and allow residents to enjoy their days.”
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How to decide between assisted living and memory care
Bradley encourages families considering assisted living and memory care to be mindful of their loved ones’ prognosis.
“The average age in assisted living these days is around 85, and that age group makes up nearly three-quarters of the people who have dementia. What this means is that it’s very common for people in assisted living communities to be in the early stages of dementia,” Bradley says.
“It helps to understand the kind of dementia your loved one has and how quickly it is expected to progress,” Bradley says.
Choosing assisted living
Assisted living may be a good fit for your loved one if memory loss isn't an immediate concern or if they’re in the early stages of dementia.
It may also be a good fit for seniors whose dementia is more advanced, provided they don’t wander.
“Assisted living communities can be very helpful with things that matter during the early- and mid-stages of dementia, such as managing medications and helping with reminders for showering, meal times, and the like,” Bradley says.
If you're unsure about how advanced your loved one's dementia is, you may want to speak with their doctor to determine if you're noticing signs that it might be time for memory care.
Choosing memory care
As dementia progresses and symptoms worsen, many families choose memory care.
“Oftentimes, safety is the driving factor for deciding it’s time to make the switch to memory care,” Bradley says. “If someone is prone to going for walks and getting lost, for example, assisted living is no longer an option. They may also start doing things like trying to drink their shampoo or get restless later in the day.”
The additional safety and security features of a memory care community, as well as the specialized activities and therapies, can provide families with essential peace of mind.
Memory care in assisted living: A third option
Many assisted living communities also offer memory care services. Seniors who have early-stage dementia can begin in assisted living and transition to memory care without having to move away completely.
“As dementia progresses, moving someone can be very hard on them and even trigger a big decline in condition,” Bradley says.
It’s less traumatic for the person living with dementia to simply change rooms or locations in the same community, she says. “They know the staff, recognize the surroundings, and oftentimes there’s intermingling for activities and events. They can still see their friends.”
Families also ask
How do family involvement and visitation policies differ between assisted living and memory care?
Assisted living and memory care communities typically encourage family involvement in residents’ daily life and care plans. Visitation policies vary, but memory care communities may have more strict visiting hours to ensure visits don’t disrupt residents’ daily schedules.
Can pets be accommodated in memory care settings as they are in many assisted living communities?
Because of safety concerns, memory care communities tend not to allow personal pets to live on site. They do often allow visits from therapy pets, however, and some facilities may have a community pet that staff care for.
Are there specific state regulations that define when someone must move from assisted living to memory care?
No, states don't tend to regulate when someone must move to memory care from assisted living. This is typically a decision that's made in consultation with the resident themselves, their medical care team, their family, and community staff.
This story was produced by A Place for Mom and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.