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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 father is a wartime veteran in Fuquay-Varina — can his VA Aid & Attendance benefit be combined with Medicaid if he later needs nursing home care?

Yes, in principle — VA Aid & Attendance is a pension add-on (up to about $2,424/month for a veteran with no dependents as of the current VA rate period) that can help pay for care while he's still living independently or in assisted living, and it doesn't automatically disqualify him from later applying for Medicaid nursing facility coverage. However, VA pension income counts toward Medicaid's income limits, so if his combined income exceeds North Carolina's nursing facility Medicaid income cap, some of that VA income may need to be addressed through Medicaid's income planning rules at the time he applies. Talk to a VA-accredited benefits counselor and, separately, Wake County DSS about how the two programs interact for his specific finances before he needs nursing home care.

My mother is on hospice at home in Clayton — does that mean we've given up on her getting better?

No — electing hospice means her care team has shifted focus from curative treatment to comfort and quality of life, typically because a physician has certified a life expectancy of six months or less if the illness runs its normal course, but she can still receive symptom management, emotional support, and can revoke hospice at any time if her situation or family's wishes change. Hospice in the Johnston County area is typically provided by a Medicare-certified agency coordinating with her primary physician, delivering visits at home rather than requiring a move to a facility. If you're unsure whether hospice or palliative care (which can be paired with ongoing treatment) is the better fit, ask her physician to walk through both options before committing.

What Area Agency on Aging serves Wake County, and what services do they offer families in Raleigh and Cary?

Wake County is served by the Central Pines Regional Council (formerly Triangle J Council of Governments), reachable at 1-800-310-9777, which operates the region's Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, information and referral services, and private-pay options counseling for families across Raleigh, Cary, and the rest of Wake County. The Ombudsman program specifically investigates and helps resolve complaints for residents of nursing homes, adult care homes, and family care homes. For suspected abuse or neglect of an older or disabled adult in Wake County, contact Wake County Human Services Adult Protective Services directly at 919-212-7264.

What's the main hospital system for seniors in Wake County, and who do I contact if I suspect abuse or neglect?

Wake County's senior population is primarily served by WakeMed (with campuses in Raleigh and Cary) and UNC REX Healthcare, both offering emergency, inpatient, and geriatric specialty care across the county, plus Duke Raleigh Hospital for Duke Health-affiliated care. To report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an older or disabled adult in Wake County, contact Wake County Human Services Adult Protective Services at 919-212-7264 (fax 919-212-7354) during business hours, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.

Is Durham County covered by the same Area Agency on Aging as Wake, and what's the main hospital system there?

Yes — Durham County is covered by the same Central Pines Regional Council (Triangle J) Area Agency on Aging as Wake County, reachable at 1-800-310-9777, which provides the regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program and options counseling for Durham families. Durham's dominant hospital system is Duke Health, anchored by Duke University Hospital and Duke Regional Hospital, including Duke's geriatrics and memory-care specialty programs. For suspected abuse or neglect of an older adult in Durham County, contact Durham County DSS Adult Services directly, since Adult Protective Services is administered at the county level rather than through a single statewide number.

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