Differences Between Memory Care Vs. Dementia Care (7 Aspects)

December 04, 2024 | News | Reading Time 13:00 Minutes

Seniors and families of older adults: providing the right care facility, staff, and amenities is key for those living with dementia and memory-care-related conditions. But choosing — let alone knowing the difference between — memory care and dementia care, can be a bit of a challenge. We empathize with you.

After all, both options help with activities of daily living, preparing meals, and helping out with daily chores. Both provide a secure environment, with skilled nursing staff, safe environments, and life-enriching memory programs.

But choosing the right care option is crucial to ensuring the longevity and well-being of an older adult. Aging in place may not be an option for those with more severe dementia, as the cost of in-home dementia care tends to increase as levels of care increase.

So, how can you tell the difference between the two facility types? The answer lies in seven key areas of focus.

7 key differences between memory care and dementia care

1. The depth of care provided
2. The environment and level of safety provided
3. The hours of operation
4. The staff
5. The certifications and training of the staff
6. The amenities and activities provided
7. The cost

Village Green’s expert care advisors listened to our many families and loved ones, and we did our research to explain the main differences between memory care and dementia care. Join us as we explore each of these differences in greater detail in the sections below.

1. Depth of care

Before we answer the question, “What’s the difference between memory care versus dementia care?”, we want to make sure we have our definitions straight.

Dementia care is a term that refers to caring for people with dementia at any stage of their journey. Memory care is a type of dementia care facility that provides care to those with memory loss, dementia, or Alzheimer’s.

You may have heard the terms “memory care community” and “memory care facility.” Both are used interchangeably. 

Dementia care can be administered through home-based services or community- and facility-based services. With home care services, services can be in the form of dementia care for seniors with cognitive impairments.

Generally, the depth of care tends to be more expansive in a memory care community, as memory care communities offer village-wide care services for those with dementia.

Speaking of memory care communities versus home care services, let’s look at each in greater detail.

Dementia care in a memory care community

Memory care facilities and communities are often part of a larger senior living community with varied levels of care. In a memory care neighborhood (yup, this is another term for memory care facility), expert staff provide specialized support for seniors with memory loss.

Some of the services that dementia care facilities (just keeping you on your toes with the terminology — it’s good for your brain!) provide include:

• Help with activities of daily living
• Medication management
• Meal preparation and feeding
• Grooming
• Bathing
• And more

Memory care communities come equipped with unique features to help those with cognitive impairments. Some of those features include (but aren’t limited to):

• Staff who are available 24/7
• A high staff-to-resident ratio (At our community, we maintain a low 8:1 resident-to-staff ratio.)
• Full-time access to as-needed, on-site nursing care services
• Certified and trained staff who are skilled in helping those with memory loss

Dementia care with home care services

Contrast memory care communities/facilities/neighborhoods with in-home dementia care, also known as in-home memory care (We don’t make it easy on you, do we?).

With in-home caregiving, caregivers offer companionship and help for family caregivers. The difference between assisted living and home care with dementia is that most caregivers spend a few hours each day helping with meal preparation, housekeeping, daily chores, and more.

Just as in memory care communities, home care aides help with activities of daily living and social interaction. But, the difference is that the care is provided one-on-one in a home setting.

With home care, a person can form intimate connections in smaller settings.

The trade-off with the intimate setting is that most home care aides aren’t required to complete extensive dementia care training. Therefore, in-home caregivers aren’t always certified in dementia care to the degree of staff in memory care communities.

Especially with in-home dementia care services, the family caregiver and the home care services agency will determine a care contract. The care contract often discusses the following:

• Companionship provided
• Transportation for important appointments and errands
• Help with dressing, bathing, grooming, medication management, and meal preparation
• Support with chores (like housekeeping, laundry, and dishwashing)
• Financial planning and management (think: organizing and paying bills, managing finances, and bookkeeping)
• Help with managing ongoing dementia symptoms

The key difference between memory care facilities and in-home dementia care’s level of care lies in the environment in which the personnel deliver the care services.

2. Environment and safety standards

Memory care involves staying in a new community whereas home care involves a care aide coming into a senior’s home. The environment and safety standards are a bit different in both settings.

For example, home care might be a solid first choice for those in the earlier stages of dementia. When the type of care and need for care increase in the later stages of dementia, home care may not be enough.

Memory care environments offer individuals with memory loss with security, services, and features to promote their overall well-being.

Some of those features and services include:

• 24-hour staff
• Secure entrances and exits with alarm security systems, keypad entrances, and safety protocols
• Handicapable accessible features like open floor plans, walkways, and low thresholds
• Digital emergency response systems

In contrast, senior care in a person’s home looks a bit different. In-home memory care can also provide the same level of safety and security.

But to achieve the same level of care and support for individuals with dementia, the following environmental modifications are often added:

• Alarmed doors and windows
• Locking cabinets and stoves; adding grab bars and stair lifts
• Clearing paths of any clutter to ensure safe, unimpeded walking
• Adding spaces for sensory stimulation
• Adding fencing for outdoor areas to ensure safety

3. Hours of operation

Another key difference between the different types of care in memory care communities versus in-home dementia care involves when care is available. While memory care communities and in-home dementia care provide specialized care for people with memory loss, only memory care communities have staff available 24 hours a day.

With that being said, some in-home dementia care programs and agencies can ensure a caregiver is available 24 hours a day, but this situation isn’t usually the case.

Round-the-clock medical and personal care tends to be relegated to memory care facilities rather than in-home dementia care programs.

Also, individuals with dementia tend to have greater access to a variety of staff in a memory care community setting.

4. The staff

Other than hours of operation and availability, another major difference between memory care and in-home dementia care staff includes the amount of staff present.

For instance, at Village Green, we have nursing home care specialists, physical therapists, a recreation director, a culinary team, office staff, and a whole team of senior care specialists available at any given time. Our memory care units are supervised at all times to better support individuals with memory loss.

In contrast, with in-home dementia care, family caregivers must contract out specialized dementia care professionals. A multi-dimensional team isn’t readily present with in-home dementia care unless the family caregiver requests 24-hour supervision.

Both memory and dementia care include staff that provide complete memory care and assisted living solutions for those with memory loss. But, only memory care communities provide all-inclusive life enrichment programs and health and wellness services to ensure the vitality of its residents.

5. Staff training

Speaking of staff, both caregivers in memory care communities and home care aides have experience helping residents.

With that being said, staff at memory care communities abide by stricter state regulations, as a general rule of thumb.

For example, some states require caregiving staff to take memory care classes on how to manage common behaviors related to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

While home care agencies may also have aides trained in dementia care, home care agency staff aren’t required by state agencies to undergo certification.

With that said, many in-home dementia care agencies ask their staff to be certified in memory care techniques. But, the difference between the care available in a memory care community versus in-home dementia care lies in the fact that memory care communities often require staff to undergo extra certification.

At a home care agency, staff aren’t required to take extra courses and certifications to serve people with dementia and memory loss.

6. Amenities and activities provided

One of the major differences between memory care communities and in-home dementia care involves amenities and activities.

Only in a memory care community are specialized life enrichment activities designed and implemented in a purpose-built setting.

Memory care settings are built to help residents stay engaged, active, and independent. Plus, older adults in memory care communities engage with a community of like-minded individuals to better support their well-being.

In many memory care communities, facilities will include a variety of thoughtfully designed spaces and amenities to better serve seniors’ needs. For example, at Village Green, we provide the following amenities to our residents:

• Beautifully appointed formal dining room
• Casual bistro with adjoining patio
• Courtyard with outdoor patio
• Fitness center
• Theater for movies and entertainment
• Central living room for socializing
• Creative arts studio
• Hair styling salon
• Library/lounge with outdoor terrace
• Calendar of events and entertainment
• Nearby access to train stations to New York City

That isn’t to say that home care aides can’t create memory care plans that include all of the activities and amenities provided at a memory care community. However, memory care facilities offer these services as part of their community, whereas in-home dementia care aides must contract and source these services to a person’s home.

At memory care communities, care is designed to be a package deal — amenities and activities included.

7. The total cost of memory care facilities vs. in-home dementia care

Lastly, we turn to costs. Memory care communities tend to be more expensive than dementia care services in homes (Statista, 2024).

Yet, memory care programs and dementia care services differ in price depending on the state in which you live.

For example, while the median cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home in 2023 cost $104,025, in Alaska, the same semi-private room cost $224,500 (Statista, 2024). Likewise, the cost of home health aide services was $68,640 on average but ranged as much as $99,528 in places like Washington state.

In short, prices fluctuate by state. And home care services tend to be cheaper than memory care communities.

Regardless of location or services, both memory care communities and dementia care programs provided individualized care plans to help people navigate memory loss and cognitive decline.

The cost tends to be greater in memory care communities, because all services, amenities, and activities are included.

Fun fact about memory care and assisted living communities

Did you know that many memory care communities focus on minimizing isolation and providing a thriving community for residents?

To read more on the importance of socializing in assisted living and memory care communities, check out this short article on our Facebook page on how senior living staff help combat resident social isolation.

Key considerations when choosing memory care and dementia care

After looking through each form of assisted living care, you might wonder how to choose between a memory care community and in-home dementia care.

When weighing your long-term care options, consider whether your loved one is safe in their home or their health warrants greater supervision.

If you or a loved one feel unsafe at home and need 24-hour supervision — and you’re not able to be there to care for your loved one’s memory loss-related needs — memory care or dementia care can help.

You may find that reaching out to a doctor, family member, or trusted friend for a second and third opinion might make the decision easier.

Just know that as dementia progresses, you’re never alone. Whether choosing a memory care neighborhood or in-home dementia care provider, you’ll have options to make you and your loved one feel well cared for and comfortable.

How to find the right memory care plan for your needs

Finally, when weighing out your options, to help determine the level of care for your loved one’s needs, consider the following:

• The staff and organization’s training, experience, and references
• Whether nursing homes and assisted living should be part of your overall search
• How much help your loved one would need to maintain optimal memory and cognitive functions

At Village Green, we provide assisted living, memory care, and dementia care in our senior living facility. If your loved one needs memory care — or if you’re looking for the right assisted living community for your loved one’s needs — don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our Levittown, NY-based senior living advisors.

They’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. To learn more about the types of memory care treatment we provide, contact us today.

Welcome to Village Green Senior Living in Levittown, NY