Memory Care Communities in Fairfax, Virginia

Memory care fees in Fairfax come in at around $9,185 per month, exceeding the state median by over $1,600. The farther residents look from Washington, D.C., the lower rates trend, with seniors in Richmond paying around $7,126 and facilities in Harrisonburg charging approximately $4,656.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we've estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth's 2024 Cost of Care Survey.

In Fairfax, memory care units charge around $9,185 monthly for specialized care.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Virginia page.

With monthly rates near $9,185, memory care ranks among the most expensive senior care solutions in Fairfax. While nursing home residents pay higher rates of around $12,623, seniors who don’t need memory support pay roughly $7,348 for assisted living. In-home care offers comparatively modest fees of around $5,911, and adult day health care facilities charge about $1,354.

The Virginia Department of Social Services licenses memory care facilities in Fairfax as assisted living facilities. It sets minimum standards for the number of residents, accommodations and scope of services. It officially recognizes them as secure dementia units and requires them to provide at least 16 hours of scheduled dementia-informed recreational and therapeutic activities per week.

• Seniors in Fairfax don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security benefits, even if they owe federal taxes on that income, which helps many afford local memory care costs. Although the state taxes most other forms of retirement income, it has a deductible of up to $12,000 for seniors, further supporting their financial stability throughout retirement.
• Fairfax reports about 23 nonviolent crimes and one violent offense per 1,000 people. Although property crime occurs at a higher frequency here than the statewide rate of 17 incidents for every 1,000 residents, violent crime is comparatively rare. Memory care facilities support seniors' safety through fully enclosed outdoor areas and monitored entrances.
• The cost of living in Fairfax runs about 45% higher than the national norm, making local memory care services unaffordable for some prospective residents. Housing costs are high in this city and exceed the national average by about 37%. Fortunately, Virginia funds Medicaid waivers, such as the CCC Plus waiver, which pays for some memory care services for those who qualify.
• Fairfax County, where Fairfax sits, provides resources and assistance to seniors and families affected by dementia through the Dementia Friendly Fairfax initiative. This initiative partners with local agencies, such as the Area Agency on Aging and Insight Memory Care Center, to host webinars, conduct memory screenings and facilitate memory cafés for those with memory loss.
• Fairfax County ranks among the healthiest communities in the state and nation, outpacing norms in both health factors and health outcomes. The local life expectancy of 84.9 years exceeds the national average by over seven years, and 52% of Medicare beneficiaries get the annual flu shot versus 46% nationally, supporting a healthy environment in local memory care communities.
• Fairfax has warm, humid summers with daytime temperatures between 78 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit. Its winters are chilly, with lows ranging from 26 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Many memory care units provide unit-controlled thermostats to support residents' comfort.