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Alzheimer’s disease is an increasing concern in Missouri. This disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the state, accounting for 2,641 deaths statewide in 2018. In 2017, the rate of emergency room visits per 1,000 people with dementia was 1,515. The disease is associated with a nearly 20% increase in emergency room visits over the number reported 10 years prior. In 2020, the Alzheimer’s Association estimated 120,000 people aged 65 and over live with Alzheimer’s. This number is projected to increase by 8.3% by 2025 to 130,000.
Memory care services provide around-the-clock care and monitoring, special programming, and an enriching environment, enabling those with dementia to enjoy the highest quality of life possible. This type of care costs $3,601, which is considerably lower than the national average of $5,064.
This guide covers the cost of memory care in and around Missouri and the financial assistance programs that are available to those who need help paying for care. It also summarizes the regulations that govern memory care facilities and outlines local resources that provide support and services for individuals and families affected by dementia.
The SeniorScore is a livability index that’s formulated specifically for older residents. It's based on over 100 factors, such as cost of living, climate, crime and access to health care, gathered from numerous public and private databases. The final score is based on four categories, including Finances, General Quality of Life, Health and Safety and Recreation and Leisure. Missouri’s SeniorScore is 74 compared to the national score of 72, indicating that it is among the more comfortable states for seniors. The category in which Missouri scores the highest is General Quality of Life, and it scores lowest in Health and Safety.
Missouri has a generally temperate climate, making it a comfortable place to live. Over the course of a year, Missouri's average low temperature is 43 degrees, and its average high is 66 degrees, and it receives about 41 inches of rain. This state has an average population density close to the national mean, and its graduation rate is on par with the nationwide average. These are just some of the variables that contribute to a General Quality of Life score of 69.
In the Finances category, Missouri scores well at 67 for its comparatively low property tax rates, senior care costs and low cost of living. Its assisted living costs, in particular, are well below the national rate, which translates into affordable memory care. Missouri receives a score of 64 in the Recreation and Leisure category for its numerous amenities for aging residents. It’s home to a high number of municipal parks, 325 golf courses and 2,387 churches.
Missouri scores lowest in the Health and Safety category at 62, primarily due to its high property and violent crime rates. Even so, the state has numerous Medicare-registered health care providers and a high number of senior care facilities.
Alexian Brothers Sherbrooke Village is an 89 room senior care community. It is situated near the Boulevard Heights neighborhood of St Louis, Missouri. The encompassing area is heavily populated, with around 33,000 individuals living in the 63125 zip ...
Brooking Park is a 37 unit senior housing community. It is located at 307 South Woods Mill Rd in Chesterfield, Missouri. The neighboring area is densely populated, with around 42,000 poeple living in the zip code of 63017. ...
Delmar Gardens of O'fallon is located at 7068 South Outer 364 in O Fallon, Missouri. It is a 142 bed senior community. The encompassing area is densely populated, with approximately 44,000 poeple living in the 63368 zip code. ...
Delmar Gardens On The Green is located at 15197 Clayton Rd in Chesterfield, Missouri. It is a 163 room senior housing facility. The community is in a mostly wealthier area, with an average household income of $96,380. ...
Delmar Gardens West is a 321 room senior housing facility. It is located at 13550 South Outer 40 Rd in Town And Country, Missouri. With roughly 42,000 individuals residing in the 63017 zip code, the surrounding area has ...
Bentleys Extended Care is a 72 room senior community. It is located at 3060 Ashby Rd in Overland, Missouri. The community is in a predominantly middle class area, with an average household income of $41,273. It is ...
ManorCare Health Services-Springfield is a 194 unit nursing care facility located in Springfield, Missouri. The neighboring area is densely populated, with roughly 38,000 individuals residing in the zip code of 65804. It is a mostly middle class area, ...
Frene Valley Of Owensville is a 131 room senior housing facility situated in Owensville, Missouri. The neighboring area is sparsely populated, with about 8,000 residents in the zip code of 65066. It is a primarily middle income area, ...
Mcknight Place is a 125 room senior housing community. It is located at Two Mcknight Pl in St Louis, Missouri. The neighboring area has an average population density, with approximately 11,000 residents in the 63124 zip code. ...
Carmel Hills Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is a 194 bed nursing care facility. It is located at 810 East Walnut in Independence, Missouri. With an average per-family income of $35,244, the community is in a generally middle class ...
Friendship Village Chesterfield is located at 15201 Olive Blvd in Chesterfield, Missouri. It is a 99 unit senior care facility. The encompassing area is densely populated, with about 42,000 residents in the zip code of 63017. With ...
Situated within the Mission Lake area of Kansas City, Missouri, Timberlake Care Center is a 122 bed senior housing community. The surrounding area is sparsely populated, with roughly 6,000 people residing in the zip code of 64145. With ...
Cuba Manor is located at 210 Eldon Dr in Cuba, Missouri. It is a 90 room senior care community. The surrounding area has a medium-density population, with around 10,000 poeple living in the zip code of 65453. ...
Magnolia Square Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 120 room nursing facility situated in Springfield, Missouri. The surrounding area has a dense population, with about 56,000 poeple living in the zip code of 65807. It is a mostly ...
Located at 2 Nazareth Ln in St Louis, Missouri, Nazareth Living Center is a 52 room senior community. The facility is in a primarily middle class area, with a median per-family income of $73,782. With roughly 54,000 poeple ...
The Village of Jackson Creek is a 120 unit senior community situated close to the Country Valley - Hawthorn Square neighborhood of Independence, Missouri. With roughly 15,000 individuals residing in the 64057 zip code, the surrounding area has an ...
Delmar Gardens of Chesterfield is a 191 unit senior care facility. It is located at 14855 North Outer 40 Rd in Chesterfield, Missouri. The surrounding area is heavily populated, with about 42,000 people residing in the zip code ...
Delmar Gardens of Creve Coeur is a 112 room senior housing community. It is located at 850 Country Manor Ln in Creve Coeur, Missouri. The encompassing area is densely populated, with roughly 22,000 individuals living in the 63141 ...
Delmar Gardens South is a 116 bed senior housing facility located in St Louis, Missouri. With around 30,000 people residing in the 63128 zip code, the neighboring area is heavily populated. It is a largely middle class area, ...
Blue River Rehabilitation Center is a 160 room nursing care facility. It is located within the St. Catherine's Gardens area of Kansas City, Missouri. The neighboring area has an average population density, with approximately 12,000 individuals living in ...
In Missouri, memory support services are typically provided in assisted living facilities that meet additional guidelines for staffing, training, service planning, security features and building requirements. For this reason, memory services typically cost 20% to 30% more than standard assisted living services. There are no authoritative data sources that outline memory care costs by region, so the following information is based on assisted living cost data in Genworth Financial’s 2019 Cost of Care Survey, with a 25% increase to account for the difference in cost.
Missouri is among the cheapest states in the nation for memory care, which may make it an attractive option for families with restrictive senior care budgets. On average, seniors pay $3,601 per month for memory services, which is considerably lower than the national average of $5,064. The state is also a comparatively affordable option compared to its bordering states. This type of care in Arkansas, which shares Missouri’s southern border, is similarly priced at $3,969 per month. In Iowa, which lies to the north of Missouri, the cost of memory support is on par with the national average at $5,098 per month. Illinois and Kansas are the costliest nearby states, with average monthly costs coming in at $5,213 and $5,591, respectively.
The Cost of Memory Care in Missouri’s Top Cities
While Missouri is a generally affordable option for memory care, monthly fees range widely throughout the state. In the capital city, Jefferson City, seniors pay considerably more than the state average at $4,693 monthly. In St. Louis, monthly fees are even higher at $4,810, although this is still considerably less than the national average. Cape Girardeau, located in the southeastern region of the state, has average memory care costs of $4,030. In Kansas City, Missouri’s largest city, seniors pay $3,623 per month for memory care, which is comparable to the statewide average. Joplin is the most affordable city in the state for memory care, with monthly fees averaging 7% below the state average and 38% below the national average at $3,438.
Senior Care Cost Comparison in Missouri
Seniors in Missouri have several different care options, depending on their needs, living preferences and budget. Memory care is among the more affordable options in the state. Assisted living, which is offered in a similar residential setting without memory-focused care, is about 25% less at $2,881 per month. Adult day care features social and recreational programs, health and wellness monitoring and meals in a community setting, making it the most affordable option at $1,777 per month.
Seniors in the early stages of Alzheimer’s may prefer to stay in their homes. In-home care, which consists of nonmedical personal care services, companionship and home health care, which also features some medical services, costs $4,195 per month. The most expensive type of senior care is nursing home care, which costs $5,061 per month for semiprivate accommodations.
Supplemental Nursing Care Waiver
Address: 615 Howerton Ct., Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone Number: (573) 751-3425
Website: https://mydss.mo.gov/nursing-home-coverage
Memory care services are covered by MO HealthNet, the state’s Medicaid program, under the Supplemental Nursing Care Waiver. This financial assistance program is specifically for those who live in a residential community setting, including memory care. It pays out a cash benefit that recipients can use towards the cost of their care. The benefit amount varies, depending on the type of facility the beneficiary lives in. As of 2020, those residing in a residential care facility receive $156 per month, and those in an assisted living facility receive $292 per month. Beneficiaries also receive a $50 personal needs allowance each month.
To be eligible for this program, an applicant must be screened and certified by the Department of Health and Senior Services for nursing home care, and they must meet MO HealthNet’s eligibility requirements for seniors.
Missouri Care Options
Address: 3418 Knipp Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone Number: (866) 835-3505
Website: https://health.mo.gov/seniors/nursinghomes/careoptions.php
The Missouri Care Options program offers home and community long-term services to adults who need assistance, including those who are eligible for Medicaid. Some services covered under this program include assistance with daily living activities, housekeeping and laundry, meal services and supervised adult day care programs.
To be eligible for this program, seniors must live either at home or in a community setting that provides daily personal services and assistance, such as a memory care community.
In Missouri, memory support services are typically provided in assisted living facilities that meet additional staffing, programming and facility requirements. These facilities are licensed and monitored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which enforces numerous regulations pertaining to the scope of care, service planning, staffing and medication management.
Scope of Care | Memory care facilities provide residential around-the-clock care to three or more residents who aren’t related to each other, including those who may need assistance evacuating a building in the event of an emergency. In addition to housing, these facilities provide three meals daily, medication storage and short-term nursing care, following illness or hospitalization. They must also assist with daily living activities, such as eating, dressing, bathing and toileting and meeting residents’ needs through treatment and services. |
Care Plans | Memory care facilities must develop individualized service plans for each resident that outlines their needs and preferences, such as medications and how they’re administered, eating and dining preferences, services to be provided and the goals that the resident or their legal representative wants to see met. The service plan must also include an individualized evacuation plan that describes the specific staff position that will help the resident leave the building in an emergency. The service plan must be updated any time the resident experiences a significant change in their health status. |
Medication Management | Memory care residents are permitted to store and administer their own medications with a licensed health care provider's written approval. Every other month, a physician, pharmacist or registered nurse must review the resident’s medication regimen. If the resident cannot self-administer their medication, the medications must be administered by a staff member who is a level I-certified medication aide or technician unless they’re a licensed physician, pharmacist or nurse. Licensed physicians or nurses may only administer injections. Insulin injections may also be administered by a certified medication technician or aide who has completed a department-approved course for insulin administration. |
Staffing | Memory care facilities must maintain a staff-to-resident ratio of 1:15 during day and evening shifts and 1:20 during night shifts. If more staffing is required to carry out residents’ care plans, the facility is required to maintain a lower staff ratio. Memory care staff must undergo comprehensive training with topics relevant to caring for those with dementia. Staff members who provide direct care to memory care residents must complete at least three hours of training covering topics, such as promoting independence with daily living activities, communicating with those who have Alzheimer's and understanding and dealing with family issues. Staff members who don’t provide direct care but may interact with residents must complete an hour of training on dementia-related topics. All staff members must complete one hour of fire safety training. |
Medicaid Coverage | MO HealthNet may cover memory care services under the Supplemental Nursing Care waiver. |
Reporting Abuse | Staff members, residents and family members may report cases of abuse, neglect and exploitation to the Missouri ombudsman program. |
MUSIC & MEMORY, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that promotes stress relief and social engagement through personalized music playlists for individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It has a nationwide network of MUSIC & MEMORY organizations certified to provide this service, including many senior centers and memory care facilities in Missouri. To locate the nearest certified organization to discuss eligibility requirements, individuals can refer to their organization provider page.
The Alzheimer’s Association has two chapters in Missouri, including the Greater Missouri Chapter, which serves 86 Missouri counties and has offices in Columbia, St. Louis and Springfield, and the Heart of America Chapter, which serves 29 counties and operates out of Prairie Village, St. Joseph and Topeka. Through the Alzheimer’s Association, area residents have access to a broad range of services and supports, including a 24/7 helpline, support groups and social engagement programs. Eligibility requirements for the organization’s various programs vary and can be determined by contacting the helpline.
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America provides education, services and support for those with Alzheimer’s disease. This nationwide nonprofit organization offers grants for ongoing research for better treatment options and a cure for this disease, professional training and education for caregivers and social and recreational events. At its Missouri location, Livingston County Health Center in Chillicothe, residents can receive free memory screening services. These services are available every Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For eligibility information, seniors should contact the organization directly.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Address: 930 Wildwood Dr., Jefferson City, MO 65109
Phone Number: (573) 751-6400
Website: https://health.mo.gov/
The Department of Health and Senior Services is responsible for developing and implementing programs for seniors and those with disabilities. Through this department, seniors have access to several services, such as the Aging Adult Nutrition program, Medicare and Medicaid counseling, the ombudsman program, senior and disability services and the Missouri Senior Legal Helpline, which can be reached at (800) 235-5503. This department also licenses and regulates memory care facilities in Missouri.
Missouri has 10 Area Agencies on Aging that develop and implement programs and services for seniors at the local level. While services vary by location, all AAAs are required to provide specific categories of service, including legal services, nutrition, in-home services and disease prevention or health promotion. They are also required to provide access services for transportation, information and assistance, advocacy, outreach and case management. AAAs typically provide ombudsman and tax counseling, although these aren’t required by law, and many locations offer assistance with letter writing, recreation and friendly visits.
The Veterans Commission division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety serves the state’s veterans and their spouses through a wide array of services and supports, including help with access to state and federal benefits. Some benefits may assist with affording memory care expenses, including the VA pension and the Aid and Attendance benefit. There are 41 accredited Veterans Services Officers and five vet centers located throughout the state, providing local veterans with convenient access to services.
The Social Security Administration has 28 field offices in Missouri. At these offices, visitors can apply for retirement, disability, prescription drug, Supplemental Security Income and Medicare benefits, request a replacement Social Security card and get instant proof of income letters. To locate their nearest field office, individuals can provide their zip code in the search field using the Social Security Office Locator.
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