Golden Valley, located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, is a western suburb of Minneapolis and is home to about 20,000 residents. Around 20 percent of Golden Valley's population is 65 years of age or older, and of its senior population, many require residential memory care and support for dementia disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Throughout the entire state, 94,000 seniors have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
Seniors and their families can choose from 46 memory care facilities in the Golden Valley area, with three located in Golden Valley and an additional 43 in surrounding cities such as Minneapolis, Minnetonka and Fridley. The staff in these facilities, officially known as special care units, are specifically trained to support residents with Alzheimer's Disease and other dementia disorders. These facilities often provide seniors with both memory care and assisted living services, as the regulations for both levels of care are similar in Minnesota.