Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Michigan

Memory care for your loved one with dementia can be provided by two types of non-nursing home residences in Michigan: homes for the aged and adult foster care. A main difference between them is that homes for the aged have a minimum age limit of 55. Both types of homes provide supervision and personal care. Regulations state that adult foster care is for people who are aged, mentally ill, and developmentally or physically disabled. They are required to offer more care services like medication administration, social activities, and assistance with activities of daily living. These services may also be provided in homes for the aged but are not mandated.

Facilities offering memory care (also called Alzheimer’s care or dementia care) must have the following information available in writing for any potential resident or caregiver:

• A philosophy and mission statement regarding the needs of residents with dementia
• The admission and eviction processes for residents with dementia
• Explanation of how a resident is assessed and how the assessment is used to create and implement an individualized care plan
• Staff training and education practices
• Dementia friendly housing, environmental and design features
• The frequency and types of activities for residents
• Explanation of any potential fees (See below for more on costs.)

Assisted living in Michigan is regulated by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. There are approximately 380 memory care communities in the state. There are also more than 1,000 board and care homes. These offer the same services as assisted living, including memory care, but in a smaller home-like setting with fewer than 12 residents. Free assistance is available to help families find a memory care that meets your loved one’s needs and budget. Click here for more information.

 

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Michigan?

There can be significant differences in the cost of assisted living and memory care depending on what part of STATE you are in. The table below lists the median monthly cost of both assisted living and memory care facilities in different regions of the state as of 2025, and it includes the statewide median cost, as well as the median cost for non-metropolitan areas. Individuals who are in the early to mid stages of dementia may be best suited for assisted living facilities, which are less expensive than memory care, while those with more severe symptoms or who are in the late stages of dementia will likely need memory care.

 

Michigan Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

To live in a home for the aged, a written statement from a resident’s doctor about specific health care needs is required. Adult foster care guidelines are even stricter, requiring a written assessment that includes the determination that the residence can offer adequate care and that the person appears compatible with others who live there. When considering memory care for your loved one in Michigan, begin the process as soon as possible by speaking with a primary care doctor about what appointments and documents are required. The cost of these visits, before the residence assessment, will probably need to be covered by your loved one, but help with the costs might be available (see Financial Assistance below).

An individual assessment and service plan is required for every resident upon moving into either type of facility. The assessment is conducted by a health professional working for the memory care community. The cost of the assessment is usually covered by an assessment fee or a one-time community fee paid during the move-in process. The fee also covers other up-front costs like painting and deep cleaning and generally runs between $1,500 and $2,500.

Care plans that are formed to your loved one’s unique needs for physical and mental health, and must be updated by qualified residence staff annually or whenever there is a significant change in a resident’s health. Anyone who needs continuous nursing care cannot move into either type of facility, because the residences can not admit someone it cannot adequately care for.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, or related dementia is not required for admittance into memory care in Michigan. Dementia is difficult to diagnose as symptoms change over time, and it’s important to find a community that serves people as individuals with unique symptoms rather than any specific disease.

 

Facility / Residence

Homes for the aged must have bedrooms that are at least 100 square feet. Rooms with multiple residents must have at least 80 square feet per person. A maximum of four people are allowed in one bedroom. There must be one bathroom for every eight people, and a bath or shower facility for every 15.

Adult foster care must have bedrooms that are at least 65 square feet. The maximum allowed per bedroom is two. There must be one bathroom and shower or tub for every 10 residents.

Memory care residences in either type of facility must be constructed with design features appropriate for people with dementia. Friendly features aid patients who may be prone to wandering or becoming very confused. An explanation of these design features must be included as part of written information given to all residents and their caregivers.

 

Staff and Training

Regulations in Michigan say there must be an adequate number of staff who are awake and able to serve residents at all times. There is no staffing ratio in homes for the aged, but in adult foster care they must have at least one staffer for every 12 residents. All employees must have clean background checks, including fingerprinting to check for a criminal record.

In homes for the aged:

– Administrators must be at least 18 and have relevant education, training, and/or experience.

– For training, management is required to establish training programs based on the home’s program statement and residents’ service plans.

– Training must also address employee issues like reporting requirements, first aid and medication administration, residents’ rights, and infectious disease containment.

In adult foster care:

– Administrators must have a high school diploma or GED and at least one year of experience working with the population identified in the home’s program statement and admission policy.

– Administrators must also be trained in nutrition, first aid, CPR, the Adult Foster Care Act, fire safety, financial and administrative management, residents rights, and how to contain and prevent communicable disease.

– Staff must be trained in reporting requirements, first aid, CPR, personal care, supervision, protection, residents’ rights, safety and fire prevention, prevention and containment of communicable diseases.

Additionally, all staffers who work with people who have dementia must be trained to meet the specific needs of each resident.

 

Evictions and Discharges

An assisted living home in Michigan is required to give a resident 30 days notice before discharge or eviction. Unlike other states, Michigan regulations do not require the home to help find your loved one a new residence. A person may be asked to leave assisted living, including memory care, because:

– A medical condition that cannot be treated at the residence
– Represents a danger to self and others
– Destruction of property
– Non-payment

Unfair evictions are a problem in all facilities. For information on what steps to take if you receive a notice of eviction from assisted living, click here.

 

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

MI Choice Medicaid Waiver Program

This Home and Community-Based Services Waiver, available through Medicaid, is meant to give extra assistance to seniors and disabled people who require nursing-home-level care but want to stay in their home, that of a loved one, adult foster care home, or in assisted living. Benefits can also aid those who want to transition from a nursing home into memory care. To qualify for the MI Choice Medicaid Waiver, applicants must meet an asset limit ($9,950 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026), as well as the medical eligibility criteria of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It’s important to note that dementia diagnosis does not always equate to a NFLOC designation. Click here to lean more about Medicaid eligibility requirements.

Services for people accepted into the program are determined on a case-by-case basis but can include personal care within an assisted living residence. In addition to assistance with activities of daily living, benefits can include home modifications, meal delivery service, respite care, adult day care, and skilled nursing. Eligible people with Alzheimer’s or related dementia must apply for MI Choice as soon as possible because there’s a waiting list that typically takes between six months and a year before one receives entry into the program. The MI Choice Wavier Agency runs the program. To find the office in your area, including more program information, click here.

 

MI Health Link

The MI Health Link is another Home and Community-Based Services Waiver that is part of the statewide Medicaid program. This waiver is meant to assist those via extra long-term care support services to stay in their community and not need to prematurely transition into a nursing home. MI Health Link is available to individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, combining coverages from both into one streamlined long-term care plan. Benefits are based on an individual’s need and can include assistance with activities of daily living, transportation, adult day care, meal service, respite care, skilled nursing, home modifications, and light housework. More information is available on the program’s website here.

To qualify for the MI Health Link, applicants must meet an asset limit ($9,950 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026), as well as the medical eligibility criteria of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It’s important to note that dementia diagnosis does not always equate to a NFLOC designation. Click here to lean more about Medicaid eligibility requirements.

 

Home Help Program

The Home Help Program is a benefit of Michigan state Medicaid. This program is designed to assist qualified individuals with extra care services to live independently. This includes those living in their own homes or that of a loved one and does accept applicants in adult foster care homes or assisted living facilities. Benefits are primarily based on assistance with activities of daily living but also extend to medication management, case management, meal prep, and light housework. To qualify for the Home Help Program, applicants must meet an asset limit ($9,950 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($1,330/month for an individual in 2026), as well as the medical eligibility criteria of needing hands on assistance with one of the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). Click here to lean more about Medicaid eligibility requirements.

 

Community Transition Services

Community Transition Services (CTS) is a program that is a unique benefit of Michigan’s statewide Medicaid program. This program aids individuals who are residing in a nursing transition back into their community. This can include their own home, that of a loved one, an assisted living facility, or an adult foster care home. To qualify for CTS, applicants must meet an asset limit ($9,950 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($1,956.25/month for an individual in 2026), as well as the medical eligibility criteria of showing a need for the CTS benefits. Click here to lean more about Medicaid eligibility requirements.

 

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Michigan veterans (or their surviving spouses) with dementia can also receive financial assistance through a Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension that they could use to pay for a residential care facility.

There are three levels of VA Pensions – Basic, Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound. To qualify for any of them, veterans or their surviving spouses need to meet a net worth limit of $163,699 (effective Dec. 1, 2025 – Nov. 30, 2026), which is calculated by adding the total of their assets to their annual income. Some assets are exempt, like a primary home, primary vehicle and household furniture and appliances. VA Pension applicants also have to meet an income limit to be eligible – their income must be less than the VA Pension they are applying for in order for them to qualify. And veterans must meet a military service requirement, which includes not having received a dishonorable discharge.

To qualify for A&A, veterans or their surviving spouses must also meet a medical requirement, which is one of the following must be true:

• They need help to perform the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting) OR
• They have to stay in bed for at least a large portion of the day due to illness OR
• They are in a nursing home due to loss of mental or physical abilities OR
• Their eyesight is extremely limited (5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contacts; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or fewer)

To qualify for Housebound, veterans must spend most of their time in their home due to a permanent disability.

There is no medical requirement for VA Basic Pensions.

Qualified veterans or their surviving spouses are entitled to their Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) minus their annual income. The following MAPRs are effective from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 30, 2026:

VA Basic Pension MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $17,441
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $22,839
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $11,699
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $15,311
• Two veterans married to each other: $22,839

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $29,093
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $34,488
• Surviving spouses without dependent children a maximum of $18,697
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $22,304
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A: $33,548
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for A&A and one for Housebound: $38,350
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for A&A: $46,143

VA Housebound MAPRs

• Veterans without spouses or children: $21,313
• Veterans with dependent spouses or children: $26,710
• Surviving spouses without dependent children: $14,298
• Surviving spouses with dependent children: $17,902
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies for Housebound: $26,710
• Two veterans married to each other and both qualify for Housebound: $30,580
• Two veterans married to each other and one qualifies Housebound and the other for A&A: $38,350

 

Veterans Homes

There are also two veterans’ homes in Michigan, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. They are the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans and the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans, in the Upper Peninsula. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care are provided. There are 70 beds in the Grand Rapids VA memory care unit and 26 beds in the D.J. Jacobetti memory care unit. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care may be provided. Neighboring states have more veterans’ homes, so a loved one might consider looking there for more options as there are no requirements that one must live in the state. For example, South Carolina has five veterans homes statewide and several are located relatively close to their shared border. Additionally, Tennessee has four facilities and Virginia has two more homes. More info.

 

Supplemental Security Income

Dementia patients age 65 and over with limited income and assets may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These funds can be used to pay for the cost of assisted living or memory care. As of 2026, the maximum SSI benefit for an individual is $994/month and for a married couple it’s $1,491/month.

To qualify for SSI, applicants must be age 65 and over or have a significant disability, and they must meet an income limit and an asset limit. As of 2026, individuals may meet the SSI income limit if they earn less than $2,073/month OR they get less than $1,014/month from non-work sources, like Social Security benefits or pension payments. They may meet the SSI asset limit if they have $2,000 or less in countable assets. For couples, the income limit is $3,067/month in work income or $1,511/month in non-work income, and the asset limit is $3,000.

 

Other Options

1)Elder care loans exist for families to cover the costs of moving into memory care while waiting for other financial resources to become available. For example, if one is waiting for a VA pension to be approved or waiting to sell a home. More on bridge loans for memory care.

2) Some tax credits and deductions can provide financial relief for seniors with dementia and their families. Seniors with limited financial resources can claim the Credit for the Elderly and/or the Disabled, as long as no one can claim them as a dependent. If someone (like an adult child) can claim the senior as a dependent, they can utilize the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and they can deduct any medical or dental expenses they paid for the senior.

3) A reverse mortgage loan can be a viable option for some senior homeowners who are in need of extra income to help pay dementia care. However, reverse mortgages are not recommended for every senior homeowner who needs extra income, so it’s important to consult with a professional before taking out one of these loans.