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

Last Updated: June 16, 2026

Table of Contents

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in DelawareDelaware Memory Care CostsLaws & RegulationsAdmissions RequirementsFacility / ResidenceStaff & TrainingEviction RulesFinancial AssistanceDiamond State Health Plan PlusVeterans Affairs (VA)SSIOther Options

Free Medicaid Eligibility Test

Financial Assistance for Dementia Care

All-Natural Dementia Treatment

Get Paid to Care for a Family Member

Find Assisted Living/Memory Care Near You

 

In Delaware, housing communities that offer room and board with security, supervision, and personal and health care for patients who cannot live independently are called assisted living facilities. Medically stable residents enter into a service agreement with the care facility to receive personalized care. A service plan is created which includes details the activities of daily living a resident needs help with, such as dressing, eating, going to the bathroom, etc. Assisted living in Delaware must also provide activities and opportunities for socialization.

An assisted living home that offers specialized care for people with dementia, also called memory care, must have policies and procedures that go beyond regular care and address the needs of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Extra security is required, and staff at these residences must have additional training, though regulations are not specific about what it needs to be about.

Assisted living and memory care residences in Delaware are regulated by the Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Long Term Care Residents Protection.

 Help is Here: Dementia patients in Delaware and their families can use a free online test by clicking here to see if they qualify for Delaware Medicaid, which is also known as Diamond State Plan Health Plan Plus and covers long-term care services in memory care, assisted living, or at home, as well as the full cost of nursing home care. Delaware seniors can also receive free assistance finding memory care residences that match their needs by clicking here.

 

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Delaware?

The median cost of assisted living in Delaware in 2025 was $7,600/month while the median cost in the U.S. was $5,845/month. In Dover, the state’s capital, the median cost for assisted living in 2025 was $7,400/month and the median cost of memory care in 2025 was $9,620/month.

Families seeking more affordable options may find slightly less expensive memory care in neighboring states. This can be especially true in Pennsylvania, where the median cost of assisted living in 2025 was $6,480/month. And Maryland may be more affordable as well, with the median cost of assisted living coming in at $7,137/month in 2025.

 

Delaware Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Requirements

Within 30 days of moving into a residence, your loved one must have an assessment completed by a registered nurse or another medical professional who works for the residence, as of 2024. This evaluates your loved one’s personal and healthcare needs. The assessment is to be completed on an official form (available here) and includes sections on the individual’s ability to perform activities of daily living, dietary requirements, medical history, and more. Whether you pay extra for this assessment will depend on the residence; there may be a community fee that covers multiple move-in costs including the assessment and other details like getting the living unit cleaned and painted. A medical evaluation by a doctor is also required within the same time frame. This evaluation may be paid for by the residence but, again, it depends on the specific assisted living community’s policy. Anyone considering moving into a Delaware assisted living home is entitled to a document that lists all charges and potential charges, and this document will tell whether assessments and evaluations are covered.

Moving into memory care does not require an official diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, or any other related disease. The services a residence provides are based on treating your loved one’s symptoms. Assisted living, especially memory care, needs to match your loved one with a staff that can help with specific needs, not necessarily a specific disease.

Memory care homes must provide potential residents with a detailed list of services suitable for people with dementia, including specialized staff training. Be sure to file this document in case of new management or any other change at the residence. Someone with the following issues may not be admitted into assisted living or memory care in Delaware:

And while it might be possible for someone to move into memory care in Delaware on short notice, this is not a good idea. Finding the right home takes months of investigating residences and asking questions of staff and others who live there. Ideally, you would begin searching for memory care before a move becomes necessary. The sooner you begin investigating options, the more input the person with dementia can have on the decision.

 

Facility / Residence

Bedrooms must be at least 100 square feet for one person or 160 square feet for two people, not including closets and bathrooms. Two is the maximum number of people allowed to live together in one room. Rooms must have a kitchen, or there must be a kitchen that’s easily accessible for all residents. One bathroom with a toilet, sink, and shower or bathtub is required for every four residents. A plan for emergency and fire safety must be put into place, and staff must be drilled regularly.

Unlike many other states, Delaware regulations do not require dementia-friendly building layouts, like curving hallways that do not lead to dead ends. Before choosing a home, be sure to inspect it with an eye on whether someone with Alzheimer’s disease can easily navigate corridors. Secure outdoor areas are also beneficial for people with dementia, and Delaware does not have a rule requiring outdoor access for memory-care residents, so look for these as well.

 

Staff & Training

There are no required staffing ratios in Delaware for assisted living. There must be enough staff to adequately meet the needs of every resident. Likewise, regulations do not specify requirements for staff training, only that training must be adequate to meet all residents’ needs.

Orientation is required for all new staff. At least one awake staff member must be in residence. Every residence must have a nursing director who is also a registered nurse, and all administrators must maintain certification with the state.

 

Eviction Rules

Regulations in Delaware do not have rules about the process for evicting someone in assisted living. This means that facilities will set their policies. It’s very important to be clear on what exactly it would take for your loved one to be asked to leave. Can you be evicted for nonpayment? Will a change in medical condition mean you need to find another home? These are important questions to ask upfront. Get the policy in writing before agreeing to a move-in contract. Aggressive or inappropriate behavior can get your loved one evicted from assisted living, but only after the residence has documented the behavior for 60 days, and made a reasonable effort to fix the problem. If you receive an eviction notice and need to know the next steps, click here.

 

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Diamond State Health Plan Plus

Delaware’s Diamond State Health Plan Plus (DSHP Plus or DSHP+) is a managed care Medicaid program that will pay for long-term care services and supports for qualified Delaware residents, including dementia patients, who are in assisted living or memory care. DSHP Plus is mandatory for all Medicaid beneficiaries who require long-term care, including those who live at home, in the home of a loved one, in a group home or in a nursing home. For those who are in assisted living or memory care, benefits are based on the needs of the individual and they can include adult day care, meal delivery, homemaker services (cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc.), Personal Emergency Response Systems, respite care and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting). DSHP Plus will not cover room and board expenses in assisted living or memory care.

To qualify for DSHP Plus, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual as of 2026) and an income limit ($2,485/month as of 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of being “at risk” of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

 Eligible? To find out if you or your loved one with dementia is eligible for Delaware’s Diamond State Health Plan, click here to use a free online test. If you or your loved one have a complicated financial situation, don’t meet the eligibility criteria, or just want to talk to a professional, click here to contact a Certified Medicaid Planner.

 

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Delaware 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:

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

VA Aid & Attendance MAPRs

VA Housebound MAPRs

 More information on VA Pensions’ eligibility criteria, payment rates, and the application process are available here.

Veterans Homes

There is also one veterans’ home in Delaware, which is a residential care facility that provides long-term care for veterans. It’s in Milford, in the central part of the state, and accepts residents who need nursing home-level care. Memory care may be provided. This is a facility that provides long-term residential care for veterans. They also have a special wing that has 30 beds for Alzheimer’s care. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care are provided. Neighboring states also have veterans’ homes. Your loved one might consider looking there for more options as there are no requirements that one must live in the state. For example, Pennsylvania has six veterans’ homes statewide. Additionally, New Jersey has three facilities and Maryland has one. 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 Medicaid approval 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.