More than 300,000 people reside in Lancaster County, and nearly 14 percent of those residents are age 65 and over. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about one in 10 seniors who receive Medicaid services in Lancaster County have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Lancaster County’s assisted living facilities that offer memory care services must meet the guidelines outlined in the Alzheimer's Special Care Disclosure Act, including providing a secured and separate unit for residents with dementia. In this county, there are 10 memory care facilities for local families to choose from.
- Nebraska imposes a state income tax, without exemptions or deductions, on all types of retirement income. Because seniors pay state income tax on Social Security benefits, withdrawals from retirement savings accounts and money from government and private pensions, they may have less money to put toward memory care expenses in Lancaster County.
- The air quality in Lancaster County is exceptional, with the American Lung Association giving the county an A for ozone pollution, an A for short-term particle pollution and a passing score for annual particle pollution. This may make the county a good option for seniors who have conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
- Lancaster County's crime rate is relatively low. On a 100-point scale, the county's violent crime is rated 16.3 and the property crime is rated 34.3. This is compared to the national averages of 22.7 and 35.4. Even so, families may want to seek out memory care facilities with security features like alarm systems and surveillance cameras.
- Lancaster County's cost of living is relatively low, which may be beneficial to seniors who have restrictive memory care budgets. While healthcare in this county costs about 20 percent more than in the nation as a whole, it is roughly 7 percent lower than the statewide median.
Note: Data reported on this page was updated in 2019 and based on the latest 2018 figures.