Memory Care in Illinois

When families search for senior living, Illinois is often at the top of the list — and for good reason.

People often say Illinois is a small version of the United States as a whole, meaning the state has a little bit of everything the country has to offer. With mostly moderate weather, plus plenty of farmland and rural towns to go along with its mid-size industrial cities and Chicago — the third-largest city in the U.S. — Illinois is a uniquely desirable retirement destination. It’s the quintessential Midwestern state, bordering the Mississippi River in the west, the Ohio River in the east, and Lake Michigan in the north. The “Land of Lincoln” also has a rich political history: Other than Honest Abe, several other U.S. presidents have called Illinois home, including Ulysses S. Grant, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama.

Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 390 senior living communities in Illinois that provide memory care.

The median monthly cost of memory care in Illinois is about $6,100.

In Illinois, memory care facilities are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). They are licensed the same way as assisted living facilities, therefore they must meet licensure requirements set forth by the IDPH’s Division of Assisted Living.

Illinois assisted living and memory care regulations

Because Illinois licenses both memory care and assisted living facilities the same way, memory care facilities in Illinois must provide residents with the following standard assisted living services:^[01]

• Three meals per day
• Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Housekeeping services
• Security measures
• Emergency response systems
• At least one awake staff member 24 hours per day

Illinois regulations specific to memory care units within assisted living facilities

The Division of Assisted Living also sets forth specific regulations for care provided to residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia types:^[02]

• The administrator and care staff must receive ongoing training in caring for residents with dementia.
• The facility must have safety measures in place to prevent wandering among residents with dementia
• The facility must coordinate proper communication with each resident and anyone involved in their care, such as physicians and family members.
• The facility must create individualized service plans according to residents’ capabilities and medical and social needs.
• The facility must provide engaging memory-specific activities to support cognitive function.

Illinois Department of Health contact information

Illinois Department of Public Health Chicago Headquarters Offices
122 S. Michigan Ave., 7^th and 20^th floors
Chicago, IL 60603

Phone: 312-814-2793

69 W. Washington St., 35th floor
Chicago, IL 60602

Phone: 312-814-5278

How to find memory care facility inspection reports in Illinois

Generally, Illinois assisted living and memory care facility inspection information can be found using the Illinois Department of Health’s search tool. If the search tool is unavailable, please get in touch with the IDPH directly at 312-814-5278 and request a report for a prospective community by name or address.

If you’d like to report an incident or accident that occurred in an Illinois memory care facility, you can fill out an incident report form and fax it to 217-557-2432.