Dementia care and memory care are both services that provide specialized, comprehensive support for people with memory loss related to Alzheimer’s disease. But despite sharing similarities, memory care and dementia care also have major differences, which can create confusion for families navigating the healthcare system.
This comparison guide breaks down key differences between memory care and dementia care, including cost and caregiver training, so that you and your loved one can make an informed decision.
- What Is Dementia Care?
- What Is Memory Care?
- Key Differences Between Dementia Care and Memory Care
- Choosing Levels of Dementia Care
- Dementia and Memory Care FAQs
What Is Dementia Care?
Dementia care is a broad term that encompasses a wide range of services for people with mild to advanced memory loss resulting from Alzheimer’s disease or brain injuries.
Depending on what stage of memory loss the person has reached, this type of care can include services like assistance with daily activities, help with household chores, transportation to medical appointments, and in-home medical care.
Dementia care is offered in a variety of settings, including nursing homes, assisted living communities, and facilities that operate adult day programs. In-home dementia care, which allows the person to remain in the comfort of their own private residence, is also available through networks of qualified caregivers, nurses, and home care agencies like BrightStar Care®.
Benefits of Dementia Care
- Medical Management: Nurses and other licensed medical professionals can provide convenient in-home skilled nursing care like medication reminders, in-home infusions, vital sign monitoring, and speech therapy.
- Cognitive Support: Research shows that cognitive support, like cognitive stimulation therapy (CST), can help improve symptoms of mild to moderate dementia.
- Behavioral Management: Caregivers are trained to prevent or limit harm from behaviors like aggression and wandering, offering greater safety and better quality of life for those with dementia.
- Activity and Socialization: People with dementia can benefit from stimulating, enriching activities like guided art therapy, pet therapy, sensory boxes, music therapy, and physical exercise. These activities can help boost their mental wellness and cognitive health.
- Nutritional Care: Caregivers can assist with food preparation and mealtimes to help your loved one eat healthy, nutritious foods or follow the MIND Diet to slow cognitive decline.
- Environmental Modifications: Facilities that provide dementia care often feature soothing colors, clutter-free footpaths, visual cues like shadowboxes outside resident rooms, and lighting designed to keep residents’ sleep patterns stable.
- Caregiver Support: Caregivers provide compassionate companionship and emotional support, which combats feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression.
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is a specialized type of dementia care geared toward people with severe memory loss, such as people experiencing mid-stage (moderate) to late-stage (advanced) Alzheimer’s disease.
To maximize safety and well-being, memory care is typically provided in facilities that are designed to prevent wandering, while offering comfort, stability, and enrichment. Memory care facilities are also equipped to provide medical care, along with a variety of structured therapies and activities. In-home memory care may also be available through a home care company , enabling the individual to remain in a familiar environment.
Benefits of Memory Care
- 24/7 Supervision: Around-the-clock supervision helps protect against accidents, falls, and injuries.
- More Security: Secure environments prevent dangerous wandering while providing residents with a comfortable, inviting setting that feels like home.
- Dementia-Trained Staff: Dementia-specific medical training ensures that nurses and other staff members follow best dementia care practices and treat those in their care with compassion and respect.
- Structured Daily Routines: Memory care integrates structured daily routines that support memory, reduce agitation, and provide a sense of stability and community.
- Assistance with Daily Living: By providing assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), like dressing and personal grooming, memory care supports an individual’s ’ health, comfort, and dignity.
- Personalized Care Plans: Care plans are personalized to each resident’s interests and needs, improving quality of life by strengthening cognitive function, supporting emotional well-being, and providing a greater degree of independence.
- Therapies and Cognitive Stimulation: Reminiscence therapy, memory boxes, creative activities, and other forms of therapy provide healthy cognitive stimulation.
- Emotional and Social Support: Empathetic caregivers provide companionship and emotional support, alleviating distress and agitation.
Key Differences Between Dementia Care and Memory Care
The table below provides an at-a-glance comparison between dementia and memory care, including what levels of care they offer, how staff members are trained, and how much each type of care costs on average. Comparing can help you and your loved one decide whether memory or dementia care is a better fit.
| Dementia Care | Memory Care | |
|---|---|---|
| What level of care is provided? | Customized to meet the individual’s needs and stage of dementia progression, ranging from light assistance with household tasks to personal care, such as assistance with using the bathroom. | Designed for individuals with advanced memory loss and offers a higher degree of support than dementia care. |
| How are staff members and caregivers trained? | Often provided by home health aides or licensed medical professionals, such as Registered Nurses (RNs), depending on what services the individual requires. Medical services, like wound care or administering infusions, should be performed exclusively by licensed medical professionals. | Led by nurses who have undergone dementia-specific training, completing certifications and continuing education requirements that cover topics like dementia therapies, behavioral management techniques, and new research in the field. |
| Where does it take place? | Offered both in-home and at various types of facilities, including nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), assisted living communities, and senior day programs. | Typically offered at home or in secure memory care facilities with features like secured exits to prevent wandering. Some nursing homes and assisted living communities may have memory care wings. |
| What types of therapies and activities are offered? | Physical exercise, reminiscence therapy, creative activities like crafting, puzzles and games, and social events. Group-based activities are generally not part of in-home dementia care, but can be coordinated through in-home caregivers. | Guided, structured activities and therapies like group exercise, pet therapy, art therapy, musical performances, sharing hobbies, and reminiscence-based activities. |
| How much does it cost? | Dementia care costs depend on factors like your location, what types of services you need, and whether you choose in-home or facility-based care. The average cost of in-home dementia care is around $34 per hour or $6,292 per month. | Memory care costs depend on what state you live in, what type of care setting you choose (such as in-home care vs. a memory care facility), and what services or amenities are offered. The average cost is $7,899 per month in 2025. |
| Are care plans personalized? | Personalization varies by facility and care setting. While some dementia care services offer a high degree of personalization, those offered by nursing homes and assisted living communities may follow generalized care plans. | Typically, yes. Each memory care plan is tailored to the individual based on their needs, preferences, abilities, and personal history. |
| How are clients and care plans monitored? | Dependent on the individual’s medical needs. | Generally overseen by RNs, physicians, and/or other healthcare professionals. |
Cost Factors to Consider When Choosing Care
There are numerous factors that impact the cost of memory care and dementia care, which means different families can have very different expenses.
Details like your insurance coverage, geographic location, and what type of facility your loved one resides in can all affect your care costs. For example, memory care facilities tend to charge fixed monthly rates, while in-home dementia care services may charge by the hour for caregiver visits.
Here’s a quick overview of key factors that affect dementia and memory care costs:
- Type of Care Setting: Skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities, adult day programs, and in-home caregiver programs each have different average costs.
- Level of Supervision Required: Your costs will be directly impacted by how much supervision your loved one needs, like daily in-home visits that charge by the hour vs. around-the-clock residence at a standalone memory care facility.
- Geography and Facility Amenities: Costs vary widely by U.S. state, along with what amenities the facility provides, such as walking paths, housekeeping services, chef-prepared meals, and on-premises salons.
- Progression of Dementia: Your loved one may need to transition from in-home dementia care to standalone memory care as their cognitive status changes, which will cause your care costs to increase.
- Insurance and Medicaid Coverage: Medicaid, Medicare, VA benefits, private health insurance, supplemental insurance, LTC insurance, and Medigap coverage can all help reduce the amount you pay out-of-pocket.
Choosing Levels of Dementia Care
When you’re researching memory care and dementia care services, the options can feel overwhelming. A helpful place to start is by determining what level of care is best for your loved one.
This decision depends on factors like what stage of dementia they’ve reached and whether they have any mobility impairments. For example, is it safe for your loved one to remain in their own home without monitoring, or do they require around-the-clock supervision?
Other important factors to think about include the cost of care, your loved one’s social needs, and the impacts on your family’s mental and physical health. For instance, if someone in your family is struggling with exhaustion or fatigue after taking on a caregiver role, in-home respite care can help them recharge.
Dementia and Memory Care FAQs
Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about memory and dementia care.
Can someone transition from home dementia care to memory care later on?
Yes. Not only is it possible, but, in some cases, it’s recommended. As your loved one’s needs evolve, transitioning from in-home dementia care to facility-based memory care may be the best strategy to protect their safety and well-being. Memory care provides a higher degree of security and supervision, along with numerous types of activities and 24/7 access to advanced medical support.
What kinds of activities are offered in memory care?
The types of activities offered in memory care vary by facility. However, some typical examples include social activities like game and movie nights, physical activities like walking or doing gentle yoga, and creative activities like painting, crafting, or singing.
Memory care facilities also offer activities that are designed to provide cognitive (mental) stimulation and tactile (touch-based) experiences, such as aromatherapy, sorting or organization-based tasks, and exposure to sensory bins filled with different materials.
How do families pay for memory care or dementia care?
Depending on factors like where you live and if your loved one served in the military, there are several resources your family can use to help pay for dementia or memory care. Some examples include private health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid coverage, and veterans benefits for former servicemembers. Additional coverage may also be available through government benefit programs, like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
How does memory care differ from assisted living?
Memory care specifically caters to those with moderate to severe memory loss, while assisted living offers varying levels of care to meet a wide spectrum of senior resident needs. Some assisted living residents live independently, while others receive full caregiver assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs). Another significant difference is the price. Memory care costs around $7,800-$7,900 per month on average, while the average cost of assisted living is closer to $4,500 per month.
Are memory care facilities the same as nursing homes?
No, nursing homes and memory care facilities are designed for different purposes. Nursing homes, also called skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), provide long-term medical care and rehabilitation for people with chronic or severe illnesses and injuries, including people who are recovering from strokes, heart attacks, or major surgeries.
In contrast, memory care is specifically tailored to individuals with moderate to advanced memory loss. Memory care is usually provided in the recipient’s home or at a standalone facility, but some SNFs and assisted living centers also feature memory care units.
BrightStar Care Is Here for Dementia and Memory Care Needs
Whichever approach to dementia and memory care you decide is right for you and your loved one, BrightStar Care® can make your family’s journey easier by offering comprehensive support.
With nurse-led care plans, compassionate caregivers and highly skilled nurses, and options for in-home care, we help families and clients with dementia get the companionship, personal care, and medical care they need. Find a location near you, contact us online, or call (866) 918-3286 to learn more about how BrightStar Care can help your family.