Memory Care Communities in Vancouver, Washington

Regional memory care is quite expensive. Vancouver’s monthly cost of $6,219 is far below the Washington state average of $7,500 but also far above the U.S. average of $5,625. Spokane is just below Vancouver’s costs at $6,110. Walla Walla’s prices are relatively low at $4,014. Seattle tops them all with an estimated monthly cost of $8,438.

The cost of memory care is about 20%-30% higher than that of assisted living as memory care usually represents an additional level of service for residents of such facilities. We’ve estimated memory care costs as 25% higher than the assisted living costs reported by the 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey. 

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 Washington page.

Vancouver’s other local care options are also quite pricey. Seniors looking to stay in nursing homes face five-digit prices, with $11,777 per month required for a private room and $10,611 for a semiprivate one. Homemaker or home health aide services are nearly $1,000 more expensive than memory care at $7,146. Assisted living, at $4,975, is approximately $1,200 cheaper than memory care. The least expensive option is adult day health care, which carries a cost of $2,708 a month.

The licensing, certification and regulation of memory care facilities in Washington fall to the Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, which is part of the state’s Department of Social and Health Services. Memory care facilities are considered assisted living facilities under state law.

• In general, the state of Washington has a higher cost of living than the average state in the U.S. On a scale where 100 represents that national average, Washington scores 118.7. On the positive side, Vancouver is slightly cheaper than the rest of the state, scoring a 114.3 overall on that same scale, and its health care costs and utilities rank much lower than average.
• The Pacific Northwest has a reputation for wet weather and gray skies, and Vancouver reflects it: This city only gets 143 sunny days a year, compared to the national average of 205. Rainfall is slightly above average, with 42 inches of rain per year versus the U.S. average of 38. However, snow is a fairly rare occurrence here; Vancouver averages a mere 3 inches per year. 
• At 8.4%, sales taxes in this area are nearly 1 percentage point over the national average of 7.3%. However, Washington state has no personal income tax, which can make it a particularly appealing retirement location for seniors.
• With the bustling city of Portland just over the Columbia River from Vancouver, seniors have near-immediate access to a number of highly respected Oregon hospitals. OHSU, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Portland Medical Center are all ranked in the top five of state medical facilities by U.S. News & World Report.
• Vancouver’s mild temperatures are excellent for seniors who prefer to avoid extremes of hot and cold. High temperatures range from the mid-60s to the low 80s from May to October, and even in the winter months, the low temperatures flirt with freezing but rarely drop below 32 degrees.