Memory Care vs. In-Home Care for Dementia: 5 Key Differences

Dementia care is a broad term that refers to caring for people with any type of dementia at any stage. Both memory care facilities and home care services can be forms of dementia care for seniors with cognitive impairment. However, they vary in the level of care they provide.

Memory care facilities for dementia care

Memory care communities can be stand-alone facilities or part of a larger senior living community with multiple levels of care. These facilities provide a higher level of specialized assistance for seniors experiencing memory loss, often due to Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.

Dementia care facilities provide many of the same services as assisted living, including help with activities of daily living (ADLs), medication management, and nutritious dining options. They also offer unique features to properly care for seniors with cognitive impairment:

• Full-time supervision to prevent wandering-related accidents
• A high staff-to-resident ratio
• Staff trained in dementia care techniques
• Access to on-site nursing care services when needed

Home care services for dementia care

In-home care for dementia enables a senior with dementia to age in their own home. In-home caregivers offer companionship, practical help, and peace of mind for family caregivers. Levels of care vary by need and can span from a few hours of weekly meal prep and housekeeping to 24-hour supervision.

Like in memory care communities, home care aides can help with activities of daily living and social interaction. However, the one-on-one setting of a home can make it easier to form a bond between the person with dementia and their aide.

While some home care aides are trained to understand the nuances of senior and dementia care, they usually aren’t required to complete dementia training. Therefore, it’s important to request caregivers certified in dementia care if a home care agency offers them.

Senior home care services will be determined when you create a care contract, but they often include:

• Companionship, like reading aloud, chatting, and other in-home activities
• Transportation to doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, or errands
• Assistance with ADLs like dressing, bathing, and grooming
• Meal preparation or delivery
• Housekeeping, laundry, and dishes
• Helping the senior organize bills, manage finances, and write checks on time for utilities
• Assistance managing common dementia symptoms

Let our care assessment guide you

One of the most obvious differences between memory care and home care is the environment. Memory care requires moving out of the home into a new community, while home care involves a care aide coming to the senior’s home.

Because many seniors have lived in the same house for decades, moving to a new, often smaller, space can be a difficult and emotional process. Therefore, home care might be the easier choice when beginning to think about care options. However, when care needs increase in later stages of dementia, home care may not be enough, or it may be too costly.

Memory care environments can offer security with services and features like:

• 24-hour awake staff
• Secured entrances and exits (alarmed doors, keypad entrances, etc.)
• Accessibility features, like open floor plans and low thresholds
• Emergency response systems

Many dementia safety precautions can be taken in a senior’s home, but they may result in expensive in-home modifications, such as:

• Alarmed doors and windows, to prevent dangers caused by wandering
• Safety modifications, such as locking cabinets, stove locks, grab bars and stair lifts, and replacing carpets to help promote ambulation
• Clear, specially designed paths throughout the home that are free of clutter and conducive to safe, unimpeded wandering
• Sensory stimulation spaces, like a room designated for touch, light, and sound therapy

• Fencing for any open outdoor areas, or GPS trackers in case of separation

Caregivers in memory care communities and home care aides both have experience supporting residents on a daily basis, but memory care communities often have to follow stricter state regulations. In some states, regulations require caregiving staff to take extensive memory care classes. These classes train and certify caregivers in updated, effective strategies to manage common behaviors associated with dementia.

Home care agencies may also have aides trained in dementia care practices, but they’re not required to do so by state agencies. The lack of regulations can make it harder to find a care aide that meets your loved one’s needs. However, there are still many reputable home care agencies that require their care aides to get certified in memory care techniques before caring for an individual with dementia.

To learn more about an agency’s practices, be sure to ask questions about their dementia-specific caregiver training requirements.

A key component of dementia care is the activities and therapies designed to help individuals in any stage of dementia. Activities can be incorporated at home or in a community, but the major difference is that memory care facilities offer specialized activity programming within a purpose-built setting.

Memory care settings are designed to help residents stay engaged, active, independent, and feeling like their normal selves within a safe space. The goal is to provide holistic support for all aspects of life in one convenient location. These communities offer dedicated, accessible common areas stocked with necessary materials, supplies, and assistive devices to help ensure that residents feel comfortable, safe, and engaged.

Some common, thoughtfully designed spaces that engage residents and offer convenience in memory care communities include:

• Arts and crafts rooms
• Raised garden beds or therapeutic gardens
• Movie theaters
• Game rooms
• Barbershops and beauty salons
• Indoor and outdoor walking paths

Take a look at what amenities you can expect within A Place for Mom’s vast memory care network:^[01]

• Over 60% of communities have arts and crafts rooms and raised garden beds.
• About 50% of communities have on-site movie theaters and game rooms.
• Over 70% of communities offer on-site barber or salon services.
• Over 55% of communities have indoor walking paths, and over 65% have outdoor walking paths.

While memory care communities offer built-in activities and amenities, home care aides can also incorporate dementia activities at home. The added comfort of being at home can make it easier to recall memories, especially if it’s been their residence for a long period of time. Keep in mind that it can become quite expensive if you’re trying to provide everything a memory care community can. You’d have to invest in supplies and assistive devices for each activity, incorporate specialized renovations, and increase supervision.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

The national median cost of memory care is $6,200 a month, according to A Place for Mom’s 2024 report on the cost of long-term care.^[02] However, prices vary depending on the community and state. For example, the median monthly cost of memory care in South Dakota is $3,210, compared to $10,370 in Vermont.

In-home care has a national median cost of $30 an hour. Hourly cost of home care varies based on location. For instance, the cost of home care in Louisiana is $21 per hour, while it’s $50 per hour in Maine.^[02]

Home care costs also vary based on hours of care received. So, if you’re looking for standard full-time care at 44 hours per week, it equates to $5,270 per month, based on the national median cost.^[02] However, prices may increase if you’re looking for home care aides with professional dementia care training in handling common dementia behaviors.

When a senior with dementia has fewer care needs, home care may be more affordable. But if care needs increase due to the progression of the disease, it could become much more expensive. For instance, 24/7 home care is about $21,823 per month based on the $30 hourly rate.^[02]

Read more:Costs of Memory Care: State-by-State Guide

Ultimately, deciding between memory care and home care will come down to your loved one’s needs, safety, and comfort level. If your loved one is safe in their own home, or if you’d prefer to move them into your home, home care may be a suitable option. But if your loved one is unsafe at home and needs 24-hour supervision and your obligations don’t allow you to be there round the clock, memory care may be a better, more affordable option.

“Families need to remember that, as dementia progresses, safety becomes paramount,” says Amy McLoughlin, a learning and development specialist at A Place for Mom.

To make an informed decision, try to get the input of your loved one’s doctor, other family members, and friends. Talking to others can help you consider things you hadn’t thought about.

“Families must carefully evaluate their loved one’s home layout and take necessary precautions to ensure their well-being,” McLoughlin explains. “This includes securing entrances, making sure the bed and bathroom are easily accessible, and keeping potentially harmful objects out of reach.”

Finding local care options

When hiring an in-home care provider, consider things like dementia training, experience, and references to see if they’d be able to help with your loved one’s needs and behaviors. When searching for memory care facilities, you’ll want to take a memory care touring checklist. This checklist can help you compare communities’ services, amenities, training procedures, care plan processes, and more details.

Remember that there are many senior care options. You can try respite care to see if memory care would be a good fit in the long run. If your loved one is in the earlier stages of dementia and just needs assistance with activities of daily living, you can compare assisted living to memory care. Or, if your loved one with dementia has serious medical conditions, nursing homes with dementia care units may be the best option.

A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors can help you navigate the many senior care options. They can answer any questions about the different types of care available in your area, and they can help you narrow down local options based on your loved one’s needs, budget, and preferences — all at no cost to your family.