10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Tucson, AZ

Planning ahead is key to keeping memory care affordable. Because parts of memory care may be covered by public means, many families try to pay for as much of it as possible with Medicare, Medicaid, or veterans benefits before using retirement savings.

Memory care is expensive, so families may need to use some private funds in addition to public assistance. Below you’ll find information about how to use private methods and public means to pay for memory care.

In Arizona, memory care communities are considered a type of assisted living community and are regulated by the same regulatory agency. The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS)­ – Division of Licensing Services regulates assisted living communities in Arizona that offer memory care services.

After passing an initial inspection, communities are given a license to operate for one year, and the division conducts one unannounced inspection each year for licensure renewal. Inspection results for all memory care communities are available on the AZDHS provider search form and can be searched for using name, address, or ZIP code.

Memory care communities in Tucson tend to have their own wing within a larger assisted living facility with 20+ residents. However, about a third of Tucson’s memory care communities are within smaller board and care homes with fewer than 10 residents. While they differ in size and how many amenities they offer, these two types of facilities are also regulated and licensed by the Division of Licensing Services.

What are the regulations for memory care communities in Tucson?

State regulations for memory care communities in Tucson, Arizona, include the following:

• Memory care facilities must have egress controls, monitored entrances and exits, and secure outdoor areas for residents to wander.
• Facilities must be kept clean and hygienic and provide necessary utilities.
• Residents must have a written care plan outlining their up-to-date health concerns and the care services they are receiving.
• Facilities must provide residents with daily meals that accommodate specific dietary needs.
• Facilities should be well maintained and up to state building codes.

What are the resident’s rights in Tucson’s memory care communities?

Article 8 from the Arizona Department of Health Services outlines rights for residents of memory care communities. These rights all apply to the resident, but some also apply to family members who may act as their loved one’s medical power of attorney.

• Residents must be treated with respect and dignity.
• Residents must have access to a caregiver who’s available within the community at all times, including nighttime hours.
• Residents must not receive abuse of any kind.
• Residents must be given a reasonable amount of privacy.
• Residents must be able to submit a complaint about their care without retaliation.
• Residents must be fully informed of any changes in the cost of their rent, meals, or care.
• Residents should be able to choose their own health care providers.
• Residents should be fully informed of all care services they will receive.

Do staff members in Tucson’s memory care communities go through special training?

In Arizona, assisted living managers must have eight hours total of training on managing residents in need of memory care. Memory care training is different than general caregiver training, as people with dementia have more specialized needs. While other caregivers don’t need to go through any additional training, it’s likely they will receive memory care-specific training because of Arizona’s Alzheimer’s State Plan.

This plan outlines Arizona’s goal to have a strong caregiving workforce that understands the particular needs of seniors with memory loss and has access to up-to-date strategies and resources. All of our partnering memory care providers in Tucson have a specific memory care program that involves some form of staff training, even though it’s not required by the state.

Arizona Department of Health contact information

Arizona Department of Health Services
150 N. 18th Ave.
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: 602-542-1025

COVID-19 regulations for Tucson memory care facilities

Tucson’s memory care communities and other long-term care facilities are required to follow the guidelines developed by the Arizona Together program to control the spread of COVID-19. Arizona doesn’t have any statewide-specific requirements, but it recommends residents mask when sick or, if exposed to COVID-19, test.

The Pima County Long-Term Care Resource Center supplies senior living communities with at-home tests, vaccinations, and personal protective equipment. On Pima County’s COVID-19 Data Reports page, it states that about 50% of seniors in the county’s long-term care programs are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination rates for the general public, deaths, and infections are available on Pima County’s Data Reports page.

Tucson, Arizona, has excellent memory care options for seniors living with memory loss. Since the 1990s, Arizona has focused on creating robust public resources for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. The Arizona Alzheimer’s State Plan: Framework for Action outlines the state’s goals to increase public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease — to educate a new generation of caregivers who can provide compassionate, cutting-edge memory care.

Arizona has been a popular retirement destination for a long time, which has resulted in a higher number of people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia than in many other states. According to the Arizona Alzheimer’s State Plan, approximately 150,000 Arizona residents live with Alzheimer’s disease, and over 257,000 family members care for them.^[02] The need for memory care in Tucson, Arizona, is nothing new. And it’s resulted in a variety of caring and knowledgeable memory care communities in and around Tucson.

Memory care is often paired with assisted living in Tucson

In Arizona, memory care is considered a type of assisted living. Because one in nine people over 65 have Alzheimer’s disease, and the number jumps up to one in three for people over 85, it’s sensible to have a memory care wing within an assisted living community.^[02]

As needs develop, residents can stay within the same community they’ve grown accustomed to. And families can continue to work with familiar staff members. Most memory care programs in Tucson, therefore, are part of larger assisted living communities.

Dementia-friendly design features in Tucson’s memory care communities

These memory care programs typically have their own separate wing inside an assisted living facility, designed with people with dementia in mind. Circular hallways are decorated to look like streets, and strategically placed signs and lights help residents more easily navigate.

Like their assisted living counterparts, residents typically dine in restaurant-style dining rooms or have the option to eat in their rooms. All communities have areas where residents can walk. Most have secured outdoor areas where residents and visitors can enjoy the beautiful Tucson weather.

Staff training in Tucson’s memory care

Every memory care community in our partner Tucson communities has staff members available and on-site 24 hours a day.^[01] Caregivers of Tucson’s memory care communities are not required by the state to go through memory care-specific training, with the exception of managers.

However, every one of A Place for Mom’s partner memory care facilities in Tucson requires its staff to go through memory care-specific training. Memory care training often goes through the local Desert Southwest chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Communities may also have their own memory care programs, which include recurring staff trainings, design requirements, and special activities for the residents. Programs in Tucson’s memory care communities commonly take the Montessori approach and apply the validation method. One local program specifically, the Dementia Capable Care Program, also involves sing-alongs, art projects, and reminiscence opportunities like reliving previous occupations. These are some of the most common activities in Tucson’s memory care communities.

In Tucson, stand-alone memory care-only communities exist, though they’re rarer and usually take the form of residential care homes.

Memory care in residential care homes

Residential care homes (also known as board and care homes) are a distinctive feature of Tucson’s senior living options. About a third of Tucson’s assisted living communities have under 10 residents and are set within residential homes that have been converted into assisted living communities.

In Tucson, many of these assisted living communities offer memory care services. These are good options for seniors who prefer a smaller, homelike setting. And while they generally offer the same level of care as larger memory care communities, they tend to be much cheaper.

However, they often don’t have the same number of daily activities to keep residents stimulated as larger memory care communities. Most residents of board and care homes share a room with another senior, eat meals in a traditional dining room, and have access to the general common living areas and yards typical of a residential home. These homes give their residents immediate access to a live-in caregiver 24 hours a day.

Memory care in the surrounding Tucson suburbs

Green Valley, Arizona, is a growing senior community about 30 minutes south of Tucson. Of its 22,000 residents, about 80% are over 65, making Green Valley a uniquely well-prepared place for people in need of memory care.^[03]

Unlike Tucson, Green Valley has a higher number of memory care-only communities and very few board and care homes, although it also has a large number of memory care wings within assisted living communities.

The memory care communities in Green Valley offer cutting-edge care and tend to be more expensive than memory care in Tucson. A high demand for quality health care has resulted in a higher concentration of geriatric specialists and neurologists in Green Valley than in Tucson. Due to its aging population, crime is essentially nonexistent, and the town is beautiful and quiet. It does have shopping centers, but for more variety, Tucson is only 30 minutes away.

Health care for seniors in Tucson

Tucson, Arizona, has multiple quality hospitals and health care providers specializing in geriatrics, Alzheimer’s disease, and other kinds of dementia.

Transportation for seniors in Tucson

Most seniors living in memory care in Tucson will have access to transportation directly from their communities, as almost 87% of Tucson’s memory care communities offer either complimentary or at-cost transportation.^[01]

However, there are local options for seniors who need alternative ways to get to appointments or social events or for visiting loved ones. Tucson’s primary public transportation is the Sun Tran, and it’s very accessible to seniors, although it’s not designed to accommodate seniors with memory loss. Seniors with memory loss should always have a caregiver chaperone when riding public transportation.

Arizona Senior Transport is a better option for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. They can provide aftercare transportation from procedures or medical appointments, and seniors do not need a caregiver to ride. Rides should be arranged at least 48 hours in advance and can be scheduled by calling 520-573-6221 or emailing azseniortransport@gmail.com.