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

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in Nevada

In Nevada, assisted living residences are called “residential facilities for groups”. They offer help with activities of daily living, supervision, meals, housekeeping and room and board.

In order to accept patients into memory care, a residential facility for groups must be inspected and approved by the state’s Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Additional training is required for staff in memory care as their services go beyond normal assisted living to address the needs of people with dementia.

An individualized care plan is provided for every resident in memory care in Nevada. It includes answers to the following: What is your loved one’s stage of dementia? Which activities of daily living (like bathing or eating) does the patient need help with? What programs or activities can encourage socialization and help manage symptoms? Is financial assistance needed? Residences use multiple assessments to make care decisions, while ensuring your loved ones comfort and safety.

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Nevada?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Nevada 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.

The median cost of assisted living across the country in 2025 was $6,200/month, and it was nearly identical in Nevada, where the median cost of assisted living in 2025 was $6,241/month.

Nevada Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

Upon admission, new residents must be assessed for any contagious disease symptoms and their need for help with activities of daily living. This personal assessment combined with a financial assessment are completed for every new resident. These are used to formulate a service plan supporting individual and their healthcare needs. The financial assessment determines whether Medicaid assistance is necessary. The assessments are completed by a medical professional who works at the home, or by an outside party. This cost may be included in the basic rate, or may be part of a community fee that covers move-in and up-front costs. The fee covers things like the assessments, deep cleaning and painting a new resident’s room. Community fees are usually between $1,500 and $2,500.

Anyone considering a Nevada assisted living home can receive the following information in writing:

• Rates for services and schedule for payment
• All services included in the basic rate
• Any additional or optional services not included in the basic rate
• The policy on refunds

In Nevada, you may not be admitted into assisted living if:

• The patient is bedridden
• They requires physical or chemical restraints
• Skilled 24-hour nursing care is required
• Gastronomy care is needed
• The patient has a serious infection

The residence may evict someone who does not pay a bill within five days of the due date. Additionally, someone whose needs exceed the care provided in an assisted living home may also not live there.

It is possible to move into assisted living in Nevada on short notice, but this is not a good idea. Finding the right memory care community for your loved one is so important that you should investigate as many potential homes as possible before making a decision. Additionally, your loved one will have more input into the decision the earlier you start looking.

Facility / Residence

All living units must be at least 80 square feet for one patient and 60 square feet per person if there are multiple occupants. Three is the maximum number of roommates allowed. There must be one toilet for every four residents and a tub or shower per every six. Unlike many other states, Nevada does not have regulations requiring secure outdoor areas or dementia-friendly indoor design features in memory care residences. These should be considered when checking out communities for your loved one. Look for clear sightlines with an easily navigated layout, soft paint colors, and room to walk around without encountering a dead end, as these have been shown to benefit people with dementia.

Staff & Training

Nevada’s staffing ratios for memory care are six residents for every direct-care staff member during waking hours and at least one person awake throughout the night. Additionally they require:

• Upon being hired, memory care staff members must complete two hours of dementia training in providing care, including in the event of an emergency.
• Within three months of hiring, all staff must receive at least eight hours of ongoing education in caring for someone with dementia.
• At least eight hours of continuing education is required annually.
• Administrators in Nevada memory care homes must have at least three years of experience caring for patients with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.

Evictions & Discharges

Each state has its own discharge process. In Nevada, there are no rules that require advanced notice before a resident can be evicted. Evictions are permitted when:

• Non-payment of a bill within five days of due date
• Not following rules of the residence
• The residence can no longer meet the person’s medical needs

Unfair evictions are a problem in assisted living nationally. It’s important to be very clear on a memory care home’s specific policies for how and why a person is evicted. Each home has their own guidelines and can provide them in writing. Getting this information is a vital step before signing a move-in contract. For advice on what to do next if you receive an eviction notice, click here.

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Frail Elderly

This Nevada Medicaid waiver will pay for long-term services and supports for qualified individuals, including dementia patients, who live in assisted living or memory care, or in their own home, the home of a loved one or a group residential facility. Benefits are based on the needs of the individual, and they can include adult day care, meal delivery, Personal Emergency Response Systems, housekeeping services and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting).

To qualify, applicants must meet two financial 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 requirement of needing a Nursing Facility Level of Care (NFLOC). It should be noted that a dementia diagnosis does not guarantee a NFLOC designation. The Waiver for the Frail Elderly, also called the Home and Community Based Services Waiver for the Frail Elderly (HCBS FE Waiver), does have a limited number of enrollment spots – approximately 4,500 per year. When those spots are full, additional applicants will be placed on a waitlist.

Veterans Affairs (VA)

Qualified Nevada 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 two veterans’ homes in Nevada, which are residential care facilities that provide long-term care for veterans. They are the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City, 25 minutes south of Las Vegas, and the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks, just east of Reno. In addition to nursing home care, assisted living and memory care are provided. Neighboring states also have veterans’ homes, so your 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. Additionally,  Idaho has three homes and Utah has four facilities. 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.