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

Last Updated: June 22, 2026

Table of Contents

Legal Definition of Assisted Living / Memory Care in WyomingWyoming Memory Care CostsLaws & RegulationsAdmissions Process & RequirementsFacility / ResidenceStaff & TrainingEvictions & DischargesFinancial AssistanceCommunity Choices WaiverVeterans 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

 

Assisted living residences in Wyoming offer room and board with personal and health care to people who are elderly or have medical issues. These homes can offer limited nursing care. Regulations also say that the services provided in Wyoming assisted living must include:

Assisted living for people with dementia is often called memory care. Wyoming regulations say that assisted living with memory care must be qualified as Level 2 by the state’s Department of Health. These homes are often a wing of a larger assisted living community or an entire residence. All memory care communities have a secured area and special training for staff that makes them appropriate for people with dementia.

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

 

How Much Does Memory Care Cost in Wyoming?

The cost of assisted living and memory care can vary depending on where in Wyoming 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 $5,325/month in Wyoming in 2025.

Wyoming Assisted Living and Memory Care Median Costs per Month in 2025
Region / City Assisted Living Monthly Costs Memory Care Monthly Cost
Casper $5,675 $6,810
Cheyenne $9,150 $10,980
Non-metropolitan areas $5,290 $6,348

 

Wyoming Assisted Living Laws & Regulations

Admissions Process & Requirements

A registered nurse who works for the residence assesses any new resident within a week of moving in. This must be updated annually. The assessment covers the functional ability to perform activities of daily living like eating and bathing, as well as health needs and medications. Medical history and nutritional needs must also be part of this assessment. This is used to develop an individualized care plan so the residence can best support your loved one. In memory care, new residents with dementia must be given the Mini-Mental State Exam, and score between 10 and 20. This is a standard for people in the middle and late stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia. A diagnosis from a doctor is not required to live in memory care in Wyoming. The cost of assessing and developing a personal care plan might be included with the base rate, or the residence could charge a one-time community fee. Community fees cover move-in costs and usually run between $1,500 and $2,500.

Unlike many other states, Wyoming does not require assisted living homes to disclose all costs to potential residents. This means you need to ask for a list of charges (including optional charges) in writing and file this document as a defense against unexpected fees in the future.

And while it is possible to move into memory care on short notice in Wyoming, this is usually not a good idea. Finding the right residence is a process that should take weeks or months of investigating options, taking tours, and asking questions of residents and staff before making a final decision. The person with dementia will also be able to provide more input the sooner you begin looking. Ideally, you would start the search before a move becomes necessary.

 

Facility / Residence

Private resident units (or bedrooms) must be at least 120 square feet or 160 square feet for two people. No more than two people may share a room in Wyoming assisted living. There must be at least one toilet for every two residents and one shower or bath for every 10 residents.

There are no rules in Wyoming regulations that require dementia-friendly architectural designs for memory care units. Features that have been shown to benefit residents with dementia include a secure outdoor area, hallways that run circular so they don’t dead-end, clear sightlines, and bright paint colors and lighting. When you take tours of potential homes, think about whether your loved one will be comfortable within the spaces.

 

Staff & Training

All staff, including a manager responsible for overall operations, must complete a criminal background check. One registered nurse must be awake and on duty at all times. There are no staffing ratios, but staff must be adequate to:

Memory care staff, in a Level 2 assisted living residence for people with dementia, need training in:

For people who work directly with residents with dementia, at least 12 hours annually are required on dementia-related issues.

 

Evictions & Discharges

Generally, an assisted living community in Wyoming cannot house a resident whose needs cannot be met there. That means, if a person in memory care develops issues the residence is unequipped to handle, then that person would need to be evicted or discharged. An example would be if residence staff is unable to help someone who is nonambulatory, then someone who loses the ability to walk would need to move out. Continuous nursing care cannot be administered in a memory care home in Wyoming, so someone who becomes dependent on 24-hour nursing would need to be transferred to a hospital or nursing home.

Residences in Wyoming will have specific policies about evictions, and it’s very important to know what those are. Ask questions like: Does late payment of bills or aggression or verbal abuse get a person evicted? You need to ask before signing a contract. How much advance notice does someone get before they have to move out? The standard is 30 days, does this home follow the same guideline? What is the process for appealing an eviction? Make sure you ask all these questions about how and why a person in memory care can be evicted. Get the answers in writing, because unfair evictions are a major problem in assisted living nationwide. If your loved one has received an eviction notice and you need to know the next steps, click here.

 

Financial Assistance for Residential Alzheimer’s Memory Care

Community Choices Waiver

Wyoming Medicaid’s Community Choices Waiver (CCW) will pay for long-term care services and supports for qualified individuals, including dementia patients, who are in assisted living or memory care. Benefits are based on the needs of the individual and they can include skilled nursing, adult day care, case management, meal delivery, homemaker services, Personal Emergency Response Systems and personal care assistance with the Activities of Daily Living (mobility, bathing, dressing, eating, toileting). CCW will not pay for room and board expenses.

To qualify for CCW, 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) – and they must meet 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.

 

 Eligible? To find out if you or your loved one with dementia is eligible for Wyoming Medicaid and the Community Choices Waiver, 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 Wyoming 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 veterans’ home in Wyoming. It is located in Buffalo, in the north-central part of the state, south of Sheridan. The home offers assisted living care and nursing care and might be suitable for veterans in the early stages of dementia. State residents living near other state borders may find more state veterans’ home options crossing state lines, and many of those offer memory care. These are facilities that provides long-term residential care for veterans. In addition to nursing home care and assisted living, memory care is provided in a certified Alzheimer’s unit. 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, Colorado has five homes statewide. Additionally, Utah and Nebraska have four facilities and Montana has three. 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) Eldercare 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 for 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.