Georgia Memory Care and Assisted Living for Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias: Costs, Regulations & Financial Help

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Georgia

In Georgia as of 2024, two types of residences can provide memory care for your loved one with dementia: assisted living communities and personal care homes (PCH).

Regulations are more restrictive for assisted living than PCH. Personal care homes tend to be much smaller, but either can serve the full-time needs of people with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. Both types of residences provide housing, food, and care services 24 hours per day. Personal care homes have a minimum of two (unrelated) residents and assisted living communities care for a minimum of 25 people. Assisted living facilities also provide more specialized services like help taking medications and other activities of daily living.

Residents of either type of home must be capable of moving from place to place and not require continuous nursing care, or physical or chemical restraints. Some medical care may be provided at a Georgia memory care community, and residents are allowed to contract with outside healthcare providers if those services are required. Assisted living and personal care residences are not allowed to admit anyone who needs to be isolated or confined because of behavioral problems.

There are more than 370 assisted living communities with memory care in Georgia. There are also around 100 personal care homes. Georgia’s Department of Community Health’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division oversees these residences. For free help finding a memory care home to meet your family’s needs and budget, click here.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Georgia?

There can be significant differences in the cost of assisted living and memory care (assisted living communities that are licensed to accept residents with dementia) depending on what part of Georgia 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.

Georgia Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

To be admitted to a memory care residence, a person must be able to move from place to place and not require full-time nursing care. As of 2024, the capabilities of your loved one must be fully assessed by a physical examination within 30 days prior to moving in. For memory care, this examination must determine that the person exhibits symptoms of dementia and placement in a specialized care home is necessary. In other words, a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia is required to move into Georgia memory care. The assessment is often performed by a medical professional at the residence itself, and the cost of being assessed should be included in the base rate. There may be a separate community or move-in fees that cover up-front expenses like the assessment, cleaning and painting your loved one’s new bedroom.

A post-admission assessment is also required, to determine familial support, ability to perform activities of daily living, physical care needs, and any behavior impairments. This post-admission assessment is performed by residence staff, and should not cost extra. In assisted living communities, an assessment must happen within 14 days of admission and an individual care plan must be created. This plan is to be updated annually, or whenever the resident has a dramatic health change.

It is possible to find a memory care home on short notice in Georgia, but it’s not a good idea because of the importance of finding the right fit. You’ll want to begin planning early, well before the move is necessary. Not only will you be able to compare options and make the best choice, but starting early also gives your loved one with dementia more input. Alzheimer’s and related diseases are progressive, meaning they get worse until someone can no longer make decisions. Your family should decide on living options before the middle and later stages, when decision-making is compromised.

Facility / Residence

In both assisted living facilities and personal care homes, bedrooms must be at least 80 square feet per resident. Two residents per bedroom is the maximum allowed. Assisted living communities are also required to have handrails, doorways, and corridors that accommodate mobility devices. Memory care residences in Georgia must protect patient safety. This is done by counteracting wandering through installing safety devices on doors and having updated photographs of every resident in case of escape.

Staff and Training

All staff who work in memory care residences must be trained on policies and procedures to deal with behaviors particular to dementia, like wandering. Memory care residences must have a stated philosophy on care for residents that incorporates:

– How to handle behavioral problems,
– Management techniques,
– Communication skills,
– Therapeutic activities,
– The family’s role,
– Understanding and adhering to service plans,
– Recognizing changes in behavior that require medical attention, and
– Keeping people with dementia safe.

Staff must be trained on this philosophy, and must also be up-to-date on new developments in diagnosis and therapy. Eight hours of specifically dementia-care continuing education is required annually.

These residences must have at least one administrator or manager on-site 24 hours per day. That person must be at least 21 years old. Georgia staffing ratio in both assisted living communities and personal care homes who serve patients with dementia must have one employee for every 12 residents during the day. One for every 15 patients at night, during sleeping hours is also required. There is also a general rule in regulations that staffing be adequate to meet all residents’ needs at all times. Assisted living communities must maintain written staffing plans that include the specific needs of residents.

Anyone working in either type of home must have Department of Community Health-approved work-related training within 60 days of beginning the job. Training must include:

– CPR
– First aid
– Emergency procedures
– Medical and social needs of the residents
– Residents’ rights
– Reporting abuse
– Infection control
– Fire safety

Staff who work directly with residents must complete a total of 24 hours of continuing education within the first year of employment, and 16 hours each year after.

Evictions

Georgia regulations do not have rules about the process for evictions or discharge, except to say that someone may not live in a residence that cannot meet their needs. This means that if your loved one’s dementia worsens to a point that staff doesn’t know how to handle it, an eviction is allowed. Because dementia is progressive, however, worsening symptoms should be considered during move-in, and new care needs should be anticipated.

Whether you can be evicted for nonpayment in Georgia, or for aggressive behavior or other issues, is up to the specific residence. You’ll want to be very clear on the policy for eviction, asking exactly what it would take for your loved one to be asked to leave, before signing a contract. For more on memory care evictions, including what to do if you receive an eviction notice, click here.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Georgia Medicaid’s Community Care Services Program (CCSP)

Operated under the Elderly and Disabled Waiver, Georgia Medicaid’s Community Care Services Program is designed to help older adults remain in their own houses or state-licensed personal care homes instead of transferring into a nursing home. The program pays for care services and support (rather than room and board) for people who qualify for Georgia Medicaid. Benefits can span assistance with activities of daily living, transportation, respite care, skilled nursing, transitional services, therapies, and meal delivery services. To qualify for the Community Care Services program, applicants must meet an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026), and they must need a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It’s important to know that a dementia diagnosis does not automatically lead to a NFLOC designation. Click here to read more about Medicaid’s eligibility requirements.

Medicaid SOURCE Waiver

This Medicaid waiver is for people who need nursing-home-level care but want to remain in their own houses or personal care homes. For low-income Georgians, the SOURCE waiver provides funding for both medical and non-medical care services, except for room and board costs. Benefits can include assistance with activities of daily living, Recipients must qualify for Georgian Medicaid and require nursing-home-level care. To qualify for the SOURCE Waiver, applicants must meet an asset limit ($2,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($994/month for an individual in 2026), and they must need a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It’s important to know that a dementia diagnosis does not automatically lead to a NFLOC designation. Click here to read more about Medicaid’s eligibility requirements.

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 Georgia 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 two veterans’ homes in Georgia. One is in Augusta and the other is in Milledgeville (northeast of Macon). Veterans homes are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. In addition to nursing home care and assisted living, memory care is also 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, Florida has more than three times as many VA homes coming in at seven statewide and several are located relatively close to their shared border. 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.