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Hawaii Residential Alzheimer’s Care (Memory Care): Rules, Costs & Financial Help

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Table of Contents

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Hawaii Hawaii Assisted Living / Memory Care CostsLaws & RegulationsAdmissions Process & RequirementsFacility/ResidenceStaff & TrainingEvictionsFinancial AssistanceQUEST Integration ProgramVeterans 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

 

An assisted living residence in Hawaii offers apartment-style living for people who cannot live independently, including those with dementia. As of 2024, regulations require these communities must have:

There are no additional requirements for services or staffing at memory care homes that admit people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. The Hawaii Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance regulates assisted living and memory care in the state.

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

Free Memory Care / Assisted Living Referral Service

 

Hawaii has some of the most expensive assisted living and memory care costs in the country. The average cost of assisted living in the state in 2025 was $12,096/month, almost double the national average of $6,200/month. However, the cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Hawaii the residence is located. For example, in the Kahului area, the median monthly cost of assisted living in 2025 was $5,500/month and the median cost of memory care was $7,150/month. In Honolulu, on the other hand, the median cost of assisted living in 2025 was $12,993/month, and for memory care it was $16,890/month.

 

Hawaii Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

All patients must complete a full assessment before they move into an assisted living community in Hawaii. This details what their needs are and how the facility can best support them. The assessment must be conducted by a medical professional who works for the residence and periodically updated. The cost of this assessment may be included in the base rate or may be a one-time payment often called a community fee that covers the assessment, the creation of a personal care plan, and any other initial details like preparing your loved one’s apartment. These fees generally run $1,500-$2,500. The assessment details the following:

The assessment will reveal which activities of daily living, like eating and bathing, your loved one needs the most help with. The assessment is the key tool in developing an individualized care plan that details how the residence can best support your loved one.

You do not need to have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia to move into memory care. Dementia is difficult to accurately diagnose because different diseases can seem similar. Finding a home that links symptoms with the right care is crucial. This means the residence is supporting your loved ones symptoms rather than a specific disease.

 

Facility/Residence

Every bedroom must be at least 220 square feet and include a bathroom with a sink, shower, and toilet, and a kitchen with a refrigerator, sink, and cooking space. There are no rules about how many residents may live in a single room.

There are also no rules distinguishing the design features in Hawaiian memory care residence from regular assisted living. People with dementia benefit from special architectural features in their home communities. This means things like outdoor spaces that are secure to prevent wandering and circular hallways that don’t come to a dead end. Before entering into a contract with a memory care residence, inspect the facilities with an eye on whether your loved one can be comfortable in the spaces. Freedom of movement without concern for confusion or safety are most important.

 

Staff & Training

There are no required staff-to-resident ratios in Hawaiian assisted living homes. All staff must be trained in CPR, and a nurse must always be available. Nurses also do the resident assessments and train staff. Administrators must be licensed by the state after completing additional educational and work experience. All staff must undergo training after being hired. Following that, six hours of continuing education is required annually. It covers:

 

Evictions

Residents must receive at least 14 days notice before being discharged from Hawaiian memory care. The reasons your loved one could be evicted are:

Someone may also be evicted if their care needs cannot be met at the residence. Because Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are progressive, meaning they get worse over the course of its stages. That means your loved one’s new home should anticipate changes to the type of care needed, making an eviction for this reason less likely. Each individual residence has their own rules as to the eviction process and what would cause it. Questions like: Can someone be evicted for late payment of bills, or for verbal abuse? What is the process of appealing an eviction, and does the residence help find more appropriate housing? The answer to these details are important because unfair evictions are a major problem in assisted living. Before agreeing to a move-in contract, make sure you know all the possible reasons a person can be kicked out, and what the steps are. Get these details in writing, so you’re protected. If your loved one in memory care receives an eviction notice and you need to know next steps, click here.

 

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

QUEST Integration Program

Hawaii Medicaid, which is called Med-QUEST, will pay for long-term care services and supports for qualified individuals, including dementia patients, who are in assisted living or memory care through the QUEST Integration (QI) Program. It is a Medicaid managed care program that provides benefits to Hawaii residents of all ages, including medical care, behavioral health services and long-term care. Benefits are based on the needs of the individual and they can include adult day care, case managements, nursing services, meal delivery, Personal Emergency Response Systems and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). It should be noted that the QI Program will not pay room and board expenses in assisted living or memory care.

To qualify for the QI Program, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual effective Feb. 2026 – Jan. 2027) and an income limit ($1,530/month for an individual effective Feb. 2026 – Jan. 2027). Seniors who don’t meet these limits can still qualify by using Medicaid planning strategies. Applicants must also meet the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). A dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

 Eligible? To find out if you or your loved one with dementia is eligible for Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid), 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 Hawaii 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 is available here.

Veterans Homes

There is one state Veterans’ Home in Hawaii. Located in Hilo, on the Big Island, Yukio Okutsu Veterans Home provides long-term residential care for veterans. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care may be provided. Normally, looking at neighboring states for more options of veterans’ homes would be a good idea. Because of its geographical location, there are no close options near the islands. This still might be an option for some because there are no requirements that one must live in the state. 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.