Guide · Choosing care
This decision is rarely obvious. A parent with early dementia might do fine in assisted living for a year. Or need a secure memory care building today. Here's how we help Chicagoland families decide.
Assisted living monthly
$4,500-$8,500
Memory care monthly
$6,800-$10,500
Advisor response
Under 24 hrs
Memory care is secured (entry and exit), higher-staffed (typically 1:6 or better on days), and built around dementia programming. Structured activities, environmental cues, dementia-trained staff, and dining that supports independence. Assisted living is more open, more social, and priced lower.
Wandering or getting lost. Aggression or agitation that puts your parent or staff at risk. Unsafe cooking or medication errors that a locked med cart can't fully solve. Isolation because assisted living activities feel too fast. Behavioral changes staff can't safely redirect.
Some communities offer memory-support programming inside assisted living for residents with mild cognitive impairment. It works well for a while. Until it doesn't. We help you plan the eventual move so it's proactive, not reactive.
Share what daily life looks like and we'll come back within 24 hours with two or three communities worth touring.