New Jersey Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Laws, Costs & Financial Help

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in New Jersey

As of 2024, New Jersey regulations define assisted living residences as facilities that provide room and board with personal and healthcare services for people with special needs. All assisted living must have dining and stimulating activities for residents, as well as nursing services for residents who need nursing-home-level care.

Assisted living for people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is often called memory care. These communities are required to have written policies and procedures that take into account the specific needs of people with dementia. Additionally, staff must have specialized training and the facility must provide caregivers a list of activities that specifically benefit residents with dementia. (More in Laws & Regulations below.)

People who require specialized long-term care, like ventilators or people with severe behavior management problems, cannot be admitted. An assisted living residence may not admit someone whose needs are greater than the services provided.

Assisted living residences are regulated under the New Jersey Department of Health’s Division of Health Facilities Evaluation and Licensing. There are approximately 200 memory care homes in New Jersey. The size of these homes varies, from large apartment-complex-style communities to smaller home-like residences with fewer than 12 people.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in New Jersey?

There can be significant differences in the cost of assisted living and memory care depending on what part of New Jersey 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. 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.

New Jersey Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

Two assessments are required for admission into a residential care facility. The first needs to be done after admission and is a general assessment to determine specific medical needs while the second is a more comprehensive evaluation by a registered nurse. The assessments are required within 14 days of admission. A service plan is created documenting the new resident’s medical and personal needs. The individualized plan will detail medications, ability to perform activities of daily living (like eating and bathing), as well as personal issues like tastes and favorite activities. The assessments are conducted by medical professionals who work for the residence, and the cost can be included in the basic rate or the residence may charge a community fee. Community fees cover up-front move-in expenses like assessments, deep cleaning and painting a new resident’s room. Community fees are one-time usually run between $1,500 and $3,500.

All new residents are given in writing a statement of resident’s rights and the home’s policies on Medicaid (for more on Medicaid, see below).

An official diagnosis of dementia is usually not required to move into memory care, because Alzheimer’s and related dementias are difficult to diagnose as symptoms vary and change. New Jersey regulations allow a home to establish its own admissions rules, however, so it’s possible a diagnosis is part of moving in. Someone who requires specialized full-time care such as respirators or ventilators cannot live in New Jersey memory care homes.

Facility / Residence

Bedrooms in New Jersey assisted living must have at least 150 square feet of floor space for one resident, and 230 square feet of space in a room for two residents. Two is the maximum number of people allowed per bedroom. Every living unit needs to have a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower and bath. Additional bathrooms with toilets must be provided elsewhere. Smoke detectors are required in all bedrooms, living rooms, and common areas, with an automatic fire suppression system throughout the building.

New Jersey does not require residences with memory care to be built with features that are specifically designed to benefit people with dementia. Examples of dementia-friendly designs include circular hallways (so someone walking avoids a dead end), clear sight lines, soft paint colors, and a secure outdoor space to spend time in the open air. This makes it important you inspect any home you’re considering with an eye on whether your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia will be comfortable within the spaces.

Staff & Training

An administrator must be on-site at all times in facilities with 60 or more beds, and half-time in facilities with less than 60 beds. At least two employees are required to be on duty at all times, and a registered nurse must also be available 24-hours per day.

Administrators must be at least 21 years old with a high school diploma, and must be licensed in New Jersey as an assisted living administrator. Thirty hours of training on assisted living issues is required every three years for administrators.

For staff, an orientation and education plan is required at every facility. There is annual training in:

– Providing services and assistance to residents with physical impairments
– Emergency plans and procedures
– Infection prevention and control
– Resident rights
– Abuse and neglect
– Care of residents with Alzheimer’s and related dementia

Additionally, twenty hours of training in issues related to assisted living residents is required every two years. Anyone who assists with medication administration must have an extra 10 hours of training every two years.

Evictions & Discharges

An assisted living residence in New Jersey must evict anyone whose health gets so bad that they require more specialized long-term care, including being put on respirators or ventilators. A resident who needs severe behavior management, for aggression or puts themselves or others in danger, can also be evicted. Patients cannot stay in a home that does not meet their medical needs. Other possible examples of eviction are:

– Patient becomes bedridden for more than 14 consecutive days

– Needs 24-hour nursing supervision

– Needs help for four or more activities of daily living (like bathing, getting dressed, eating and using the bathroom)

– Has a stage III or IV pressure sores

New Jersey does not require advance notice before a person can be evicted. This means your loved one can be evicted suddenly, and the residence does not necessarily need to help find a new home. Make sure to familiarize yourself with a memory care community’s eviction policy before moving in. Ask how a person is evicted, for what specific reasons, and get the answer in writing because unfair evictions can be a problem in assisted living. If you receive an eviction, do not just move out if you think it’s unfair. For information on what steps to take if you receive a notice of eviction from assisted living, click here for your next steps.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Managed Long Term Services and Supports

New Jersey’s Medicaid Managed Long Term Services and Supports (MLTSS) is a long-term care supportive assistance program for those with financial and medical needs. Run through the state Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services, this program facilitates independent living. This gives enrollees of the program benefits to help cover the costs of extra care services. Participants can live in their own homes, that of a loved one, an assisted living facility, or an adult foster care community. Medicaid only covers the cost of care services in assisted living and memory care and cannot pay for room and board costs. Recipients who are Medicaid-eligible can choose their providers and even self-manage their caregiving service. Benefits are based upon an individual’s need and can include assistance with activities of daily living, adult day care, home modifications, transportation, skilled nursing, and case management.

To qualify for MLTSS, applicants must meet two financial requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual as of 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual as of 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC).

I Choose Home Program

I Choose Home – NJ is for people with Medicaid who want to move from a nursing home into their own house or assisted living. Also called Money Follows the Person, this program works with your loved one to come up with a care plan. Their goal is to get patients out of nursing home care and into the community, which can include their own home, a family member’s, or a group home. This program claims to have transitioned more than 29,000 people out of nursing home care and saved $35 million in the process. For more, click here.

Personal Preference Program

The Personal Preference Program (PPP) is a state-run Medicaid program that enables enrollees to self-direct their benefits through an allotted monthly stipend. Benefits enable those who qualify for extra long-term support care services where can choose the caregiver which extends to spouses and loved ones. Benefits can include assistance with activities of daily living, housework, meal prep, home modifications, vehicle modifications, respite care, and adult daycare.

To qualify for PPP, applicants must meet two financial requirements – an asset limit ($4,000 for an individual as of 2026) and an income limit ($1,330/month for an individual as of 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of having a physician-documented need for hands-on help with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting) for at least six consecutive months.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Veterans are statistically more likely to develop dementia. Among the reasons for this is that traumatic brain injuries and posttraumatic stress disorder lead to a higher probability of developing the condition. The VA offers many benefits for Alzheimer’s and dementia as well as different pension types.

VA Pensions

Qualified New Jersey 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

As of 2024, there are also three veterans’ homes in New Jersey, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. They are in Vineland (in the southern coastal plain), in Edison (in the Piedmont region about an hour outside New York City) and in Paramus (in the northern highlands). In addition to nursing home care and assisted living, all three of these homes have Special Needs Units for veterans with dementia. 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, New York has five veterans homes statewide and several are located relatively close to their shared border. Additionally, Pennsylvania has six facilities. 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.