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

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Minnesota

Assisted living residences, including memory care homes with special units for Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, are defined as housing with support services. In Minnesota, these homes must provide sleeping units and health-related services to their residents, as well as:

• Access to an on-call registered nurse
• A system to check on every resident daily
• A means for residents to request assistance
• 24/7 emergency response
• Two meals per day
• Weekly housekeeping and laundry
• Assistance with self-administered medications
• Assistance with three or more activities of daily living including bathing, dressing, eating and grooming

Further, memory care or special care units cannot be provided by an assisted living residence unless it offers a written document to residents, and potential residents, that lists the following:

• A statement of its philosophy specifically addressing the needs of residents with dementia
• Criteria for deciding who may live in memory care
• The process for assessment and how a residents individualized service plan is created
• Staffing credentials, duties, and training
• Description of physical environment including features that address the needs of residents with dementia
• List of programs and activities
• Explanation of family involvement and availability of family support programs
• Statement that resident will be given 30-day notice prior to any fee changes

Assisted living in Minnesota is regulated by the state’s Department of Health. There are approximately 250 memory care communities in Minnesota, but only five board and care homes, which offer the same services as assisted living in a more house-like setting. For help finding memory care that meets your family’s needs and budget, click here.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Minnesota?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Minnesota 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 $6,573/month in Minnesota in 2025.

Minnesota Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

A person can live in a care facility only if the residence meets that person’s specific health needs. For people with Alzheimer’s or dementia, this means there must be a special care unit with services appropriate for one’s stage of dementia. As one’s dementia worsens, it may become necessary to find more appropriate housing that can support someone advancing into the later stages of the disease.

An assessment by a registered nurse who works for the residence is required within five days of moving in. The cost of the assessment is usually covered by an assessment fee or community fee that covers all move-in costs including the assessment and readying a new resident’s living unit. Community fees are usually between $1,500 and $2,500. Monitoring and a reassessment are required within 14 days of move-in. If your loved one needs help with medication management, this requires another assessment by a registered nurse. When considering a memory care home, be sure to ask specific questions about the assessment process, to be crystal clear on what appointments need to be made and how they are paid for. Documents detailing what happens step-by-step leading up to move-in should be provided to any prospective resident.

Regulations do not require that a person be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, or a related dementia in order to be admitted into memory care in Minnesota. Dementia is difficult to diagnose and symptoms can change over time. It is important to match your loved one’s unique needs, rather than specific symptoms, to their new memory care home.

Facility / Residence

Minnesota does not define the size of bedroom units in assisted living, how many bathrooms per resident, or how many occupants may live in one bedroom, except to say compliance with state and local building codes is required.

Minnesota memory care residences must be built with design and security features that are dementia friendly. However, this is not specifically defined, but usually has features that include special locks to prevent wandering, a secure outdoor area, softer paint colors, and an easily navigated layout with hallways that run circular so residents with more advanced dementia do not encounter dead ends.

Staff & Training

There is no staff-to-resident ratio in Minnesota, though there must be enough people working to fulfill the needs of every person living there. Dementia-specific training is required for people who work in memory care. Supervisors must have eight hours of dementia-care training within 120 working hours of their employment start date, and two hours annually of additional training. Employees who work directly with residents must have eight hours of initial training and two hours of continuing education each year. Dementia-care training must include:

• An explanation of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia, etc.)
• Helping with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting)
• How to deal with challenging behaviors
• Best ways to communicate

The residence must provide a description of training for employees, including the frequency of training. Besides the dementia-specific training guidelines above, employees in all assisted living residences in Minnesota must receive an orientation and eight hours of in-service training annually. Managers and supervisors must have 30 hours of continuing education every two years.

Evictions & Discharges

Minnesota regulations say that a 30 days notice is required before an eviction from any assisted living or memory care. When picking a community, it’s a good idea to ask: What are the exact reasons a person can be evicted? Can your loved one be told to leave for nonpayment or aggressive behavior? The answer depends on the residence. Some states require detailed eviction rules to be provided in writing, but not Minnesota. Ask for this document before agreeing to move in, because unfair evictions are a problem in memory care. Evictions are legal, even if the person has Alzheimer’s disease, unless the residence is violating its own admissions and retention policy, so keep a copy of the policy on file. Click here for more information on what to do after receiving an eviction notice.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Elderly Waiver

Minnesota Medicaid’s Elderly Waiver (EW) provides long-term care services and supports for qualified individuals aged 65+ who are at risk of being institutionalized (being placed in a nursing home) and reside in assisted living, memory care, adult foster care, their own home or the home of a loved one. Program benefits are intended to prevent or delay nursing home placement and they include adult day health care, homemaker services, skilled nursing visits, transportation and in-home personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing/grooming, eating, toileting). To qualify for the EW, applicants must meet two financial eligibility requirements – an asset limit ($3,000 for an individual in 2026) and an income limit ($2,982/month for an individual in 2026) – as well as the medical requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation.

Minnesota Senior Health Options and Minnesota Senior Care Plus

Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) and Minnesota Senior Care Plus (MSC+) are Medicaid managed care programs for elderly state residents that provide both medical care and long-term services and supports. Benefits include respite care to relieve a primary caregiver, adult day care, home delivered meals, homemaker services and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). MSHO and MSC+ program participants receive all of their benefits via a single Medicaid health plan provided by a managed care organization (MCO) that has a network of care providers. While the availability of MCOs vary based on geographic region, many counties offer multiple options.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Minnesota 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 also five veterans’ homes in Minnesota, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. They are located in: Minneapolis; Hastings, southeast of St. Paul; Silver Bay, on the north shore; Luverne, in the southeast corner by Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Fergus Falls, along the western state line. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care may be 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, Wisconsin has three Veterans homes statewide and some are located relatively close to their shared border. Additionally, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa all have one facility apiece. 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.