What Is the Difference Between Assisted Living and Memory Care?

The main difference between assisted living and memory care is that memory care is specifically designed to support individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline through specialized programs, amenities and staffing. Conversely, assisted living typically focuses on general day-to-day assistance and social programming for aging adults.

There are overlaps between memory care and assisted living services, including help with daily activities, meal plans, wellness activities and ability-appropriate engagement opportunities. Both types of care are sometimes offered within the same facility but in separate neighborhoods.

Memory care typically offers research-based programs that assist in maintaining cognitive function and prompt memory recall, alongside enrichment activities geared toward enhancing quality of life for people with all levels of dementia. Examples may include reminiscence therapy, life skills workshops and cognitively stimulating games. Communities also usually schedule multisensory activities, such as massage, pet therapy, arts and crafts and music therapy.

Residents can often join small group or one-on-one activities tailored to their interests and functional abilities. While assisted living enrichment programs may look similar, activities in assisted living communities usually rely on residents having a greater degree of autonomy and capacity.

Each care community type typically has a range of amenities for residents to enjoy, although these features vary based on residents’ safety and condition. For example, freely accessible swimming pools, community kitchens and gardens may be more appropriate for assisted living facilities. In contrast, memory care communities may have Snoezelen rooms, therapy rooms and enclosed courtyards.

Both facility types include nutritious meals, with menus often designed to appeal to even fussy eaters. Memory care communities also commonly offer therapeutic diets and pureed meals alongside services and tools to make dining safer and easier, such as easy-to-grip cutlery and feeding assistance.

Memory care communities often have enhanced security features, such as keypad entries, fenced-in gardens and window locks, to prevent wandering. Additionally, community designs typically account for common challenges associated with dementia. For example, wide, easy-to-navigate corridors can reduce confusion, carpeted level flooring lowers the risk of falls and special lighting can reduce the effects of sundowning.

Memory care and assisted living staff assist residents with daily activities, such as bathing, grooming and toileting, while enabling as much independence as possible. However, memory care staff have additional dementia-care training, often addressing behavior management, communication techniques and ways to help individuals manage challenging disease symptoms. As commonly mandated by state regulations, caregiver-to-resident ratios are often higher in memory care facilities, allowing for greater personalized attention and care, and these communities usually provide 24/7 supervision.