An estimated 65,000 seniors 65 and older suffer from Alzheimer's Disease or other dementia disorders in Oregon. In Milwaukie, a city of only 28,000 residents located in Clackamas County, more than 16 percent of the population is aged 65 and up. The need for memory care in cities such as Milwaukie is considerable. Luckily, seniors in the city who require such care can choose from three memory care facilities in the area, as well as an additional 28 in surrounding cities such as Portland and Happy Valley.
The Oregon Department of Human Services is responsible for regulating memory care facilities in the state, which are officially known as memory care communities. According to state regulations, although memory care and assisted living services may be provided in the same facility, a memory care community must be segregated from the remainder of the facility.