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

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Oregon

Assisted living homes in Oregon for people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia are called Endorsed Memory Care Communities. These communities offer more specialized care than assisted living and residential care facilities in care units that are apart from other residents who do not have dementia. The state requirements say that these communities must offer:

• Person-directed care
• Resident protection
• Staff training specifically for dementia
• Physical design and environmental requirements that are dementia friendly

All assisted living and residential care homes in Oregon, including memory care, must assist residents with activities of daily living like eating and bathing, and meet whatever health and social needs residents require to thrive. Other requirements that all care facilities must offer, as of 2024, are:

• Three nutritious meals daily, plus snacks, from menus made with input from residents
• Social and recreational activities daily
• Help with medications
• Household services (like laundry)

The Oregon Department of Human Services oversees assisted living communities in the state. This includes board and care homes, which offer the same services as assisted living (sometimes including memory care) in a smaller more home-like setting, usually for fewer than 12 people.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Oregon?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Oregon the residence is located. The table below lists the median monthly cost of both assisted living and memory care facilities in different areas 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.

For context, the median cost of assisted living across the country in 2025 was $6,200/month, while it was $6,875/month in Oregon in 2025.

Oregon Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

Assisted living homes in Oregon (including those with memory care) are required to provide a disclosure form to anyone who asks. The disclosure must include the following:

• Policies including possession of firearms and ammunition
• Payment details including basic rental rate and what that includes, cost of all additional services, billing method, due dates, deposit, and which fees are non-refundable
• Method for evaluating residents’ needs
• Policies for changes to costs
• Refund conditions
• Description of the total scope of services (what staff can provide)
• Philosophy on healthcare and help with activities of daily living
• Statement of residents’ rights and responsibilities
• Medication policies including administration and pharmacy choice
• Details including actions and circumstances that will result in an eviction
• Staffing plan
• Notice that the Department of Human Services may examine residents’ records when evaluating the residence

There are also four requirements particularly for people moving into memory care:

• Philosophy of care and services for people with dementia
• Admission, discharge, and transfer criteria
• Staff training topics and amount, and names of trainers
• Number of direct-care staff assigned to the memory care unit during every shift

An evaluation of a resident’s needs must be made before move-in, and then quarterly (four times a year) thereafter. The evaluation must include:

• Resident’s specific routines and preferences
• Physical health condition
• Communication ability
• Ability to perform activities of daily living
• Ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living
• Skin condition
• Nutrition needs
• Weight
• Medical treatments required
• Nursing needs
• Risk indicators

The residence is responsible for these evaluations, which are used to make a personalized service plan that details how exactly a person will be cared for. A medical professional working for the home performs the assessment. If the cost of assessing isn’t included in the base rate, then there may be a one-time move-in fee, called a community fee, that covers up-front expenses including the assessment and also things like deep cleaning and painting a new resident’s room. Community fees usually run between $1,500 and $2,500.

Someone with the following issues may not be admitted into (or may be evicted from) memory care in Oregon:

• Care needs exceeding the residence’s abilities
• Behavior that interferes with the rights, health, and/or safety of others
• Complex or unstable medical condition that the home cannot properly address
• Unable to evacuate during an emergency
• Poses a danger to self or others
• Commits a crime
• Fails to pay

There is not a rule requiring that a person be diagnosed with dementia in order to move into memory care in Oregon. Many people with Alzheimer’s or a related disease are never officially diagnosed because symptoms can vary widely and the process involves expensive tests like PET brain scans.

Facility / Residence

Regulations in Oregon differentiate between assisted living and residential care facilities, both of which may have a separate wing for memory care. Assisted living facilities provide apartment-style living, with a kitchen and bathroom, and these units must be at least 160 square feet (220 square feet if newly constructed). Residential care facilities have bedrooms built around a centrally located bathroom, and the bedrooms must be at least 80 square feet excluding closets and bathrooms. No more than two people may live in one room.

The physical design of a building must be beneficial for people with dementia. This means clear sight lines and a layout that’s easy to navigate, soft paint colors, bright lighting, and secure outdoor spaces. Hallways that run circular to avoid dead ends have been shown to allow for wandering without a person becoming agitated. Special locks or security are also necessary to prevent a wandering resident from getting outside.

Staff & Training

There is no staff-to-resident ratio requirement in Oregon memory care. However, there must be adequate staff to meet the needs of every resident at all times. Every residence must establish a system (defined in writing) to decide how many caregivers and staff are working at a time.

An administrator must be on-site 40 hours per week, and is responsible for making sure staffing is adequate for the health needs of the residents. Administrators must be at least 21 years old and have relevant experience and education. Administrators must also attend a state-approved training program for at least 40 hours before beginning the job. All administrators must have 20 hours of additional training annually, and administrators in memory care must have 10 additional hours of dementia-specific training.

All regular staffers must complete orientation before they can start work, including education on residents’ rights, community-based care, abuse and reporting requirements, standard precautions for infection control, and fire safety and evacuation procedures.

Specific dementia-care training must include:

• Education in the dementia disease process, including behavioral symptoms in early, middle, and late stages
• Techniques for understanding and managing symptoms
• Strategies for encouraging socialization and providing meaningful activities
• Addressing pain
• Providing proper nutrition
• Preventing wandering

Evictions & Discharges

A resident must be given 30 days notice before getting evicted. That requirement can be waived if there is an urgent situation involving health and safety. Before an eviction, the memory care community must try to resolve the issue or otherwise demonstrate that the discharge is a last resort. A resident can be asked to leave if:

• Care needs can no longer be met at the memory care community, normally due to a change in medical condition
• There is dangerous behavior
• Unable to evacuate in an emergency
• There is drug use or other criminal activity
• Non-payment of bills occur

Memory care communities in Oregon may have their own guidelines on what can get a person evicted. It’s very important to ask exactly how and why a person can be evicted before agreeing to a move-in contract, because unfair evictions can be a major problem in assisted living. Get the answers in writing. If you’ve received an eviction notice in an Oregon assisted living home and need to know next steps, click here.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

K Plan

Oregon Medicaid, also called the Oregon Health Plan, will pay for long-term care services and supports for qualified dementia patients who are in assisted living or memory care (as well as other locations in the community) through the K Plan, which is also known as the Community First Choice option. Benefits are centered around personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting) as well as the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (cleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, etc.), and they can also include meal delivery, Personal Emergency Response Systems and other assistive technology. To qualify for the K Plan, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026) – as well as the medical criteria of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It’s important to note that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

Aged and Physically Disabled Medicaid Waiver

Oregon Medicaid’s Aged and Physically Disabled waiver provides financial help for people who live in a nursing home to move back into their community. This can include transitioning into an assisted living facility, memory care residence, or the home of a family member. The benefits are slightly different from the K Plan above, and recipients can be enrolled in both programs. Benefits include assistance finding a residence in the community and paying for transitional services like security deposits, utility set-up fees, movers and essential furniture. To qualify, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026) – as well as the medical criteria of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC).

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Oregon 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 assisted living or memory care.

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 two veterans’ homes in Oregon. They are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. They are:

• The Oregon Veterans Home located in Dalles. It is along the Columbia River and the state’s northern border. They currently have a 25 bed Alzheimer’s Unit.
• The Edward C. Allworth Oregon Veterans’ Home located in Lebanon. It is less than an hour south of Salem.

In addition to nursing home care and assisted living, memory care is provided. Neighboring states have 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, California has eight veterans’ homes statewide and one is located relatively close to their shared border. Additionally, Washington has four facilities statewide with one close to its border.

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.