Memory Care in Texas: Costs, Certification & How to Choose
Memory care in Texas can mean dementia-focused services within an assisted living facility, but families should understand an important distinction: marketing specialized Alzheimer’s care and state certification are not the same as simply offering reminders or general support.
Texas has specific certification and disclosure rules for assisted living facilities or units that advertise specialized care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders.
What is memory care?
Memory care generally provides residential support for people with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia who need structured routines, supervision, help with daily activities, and dementia-informed care. Services vary substantially among communities.
Texas Alzheimer’s certification
Texas rules require a facility that advertises or promotes specialized Alzheimer’s care to meet applicable certification requirements. Current Texas rules provide for certification of qualifying Type B facilities or units and require the certificate to be posted for public view.
Texas also requires a memory-care disclosure statement when an assisted living facility markets memory-care services. The disclosure identifies whether the facility is certified or not certified to provide services to residents with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders.
Why Type B matters
Texas Type B assisted living can serve residents who need staff assistance to evacuate, require nighttime attendance, or cannot follow emergency directions. Alzheimer’s certification is tied to Type B licensure under the applicable state rules.
How much does memory care cost in Texas?
CareScout’s national/state Cost of Care Survey does not publish a separate Texas memory-care median. The latest Texas assisted living median is $5,666 per month for a private one-bedroom, but memory-care pricing may be higher because of specialized supervision and services.
Do not apply an arbitrary percentage markup and treat it as the Texas memory-care price. Ask communities for written quotes based on the resident’s needs.
What affects memory-care pricing?
- Room type.
- Level of personal assistance.
- Medication administration.
- Nighttime supervision.
- Wandering or behavioral support needs.
- Incontinence and feeding assistance.
- Specialized programming and staffing.
- One-time and recurring fees.
Match the memory-care program to the resident, not only the certification
Certification and disclosure records are useful checks, but families still need to test whether the program fits the resident’s actual dementia pattern. Ask about wandering, nighttime behavior, meals, personal care, mobility, medication support, meaningful activities, and how the team responds when cognition or medical needs change.
For the broader search process, use How to Find Memory Care for a Parent. If wandering is a major concern, use the memory-care wandering safety checklist.
What to ask about certification and services
- Are you certified by Texas HHSC for specialized Alzheimer’s care?
- Can I see the current certificate?
- Can I review the required memory-care disclosure statement?
- What dementia diagnoses and behaviors can you safely support?
- How are staff trained for dementia-related communication and behaviors?
- How do you respond to wandering or nighttime wakefulness?
- What would cause a resident to need another setting?
Verify the facility
Texas HHSC publishes assisted living facility information, directories, and regulatory resources. Verify the underlying facility license and ask about inspection and violation history before choosing care.
Does Medicare pay for memory care?
Medicare generally does not pay the ongoing room, board, and custodial-care cost of residential memory care. It can still cover otherwise eligible medical services.
Can Texas Medicaid help?
STAR+PLUS HCBS can include assisted living services for eligible members, but provider participation, medical and financial eligibility, authorization, room-and-board responsibility, and availability all matter. See Does Texas Medicaid Pay for Assisted Living?
Explore memory care in Texas
Nursing Home Placement can help families build an initial Texas shortlist. Directory inclusion does not guarantee Alzheimer’s certification, memory-care services, pricing, Medicaid participation, or availability.
Frequently asked questions
Does every Texas memory care facility have Alzheimer’s certification?
No. Texas requires certification when a facility or unit advertises or promotes specialized Alzheimer’s care under the applicable rules, while memory-care disclosure requirements can also apply to facilities marketing memory-care services. Verify the specific facility’s status.
How much does memory care cost in Texas?
There is no separate CareScout statewide Texas memory-care median. The latest assisted-living median is $5,666 per month, but dementia-care quotes may be higher and vary by resident and provider.
What should I ask for?
Ask to see the facility’s license, any applicable Alzheimer’s certificate, the memory-care disclosure statement, written pricing, and an explanation of what happens if needs increase.
For statewide context across Texas care settings, licensing, costs, Medicaid, and how the pieces fit together, see Senior Care in Texas: A Complete Guide for Families.
Sources and further reading
- Texas HHSC — Assisted Living Facilities
- Texas HHSC — Memory Care Disclosure Statement
- CareScout — 2025 Cost of Care Survey
- Medicare — Long-term Care
Last reviewed September 2026. Verify current certification, licensing, services, pricing, and availability directly.
