Memory Care in Georgia: Costs, Options, and What Families Need to Know

What Memory Care Costs Across Georgia

Memory care in Georgia runs approximately $5,000 to $6,300 per month at the statewide median, though the range is wide depending on geography. Metro Atlanta communities — particularly in Buckhead, Roswell, and the northern suburbs — charge $5,700 to $6,500 per month. Smaller markets like Albany, Macon, and Augusta typically fall between $3,200 and $3,900.

These figures cover the base rate for a private or semi-private room in a certified memory care unit. What they frequently do not include are surcharges for medication management, incontinence care, higher levels of personal assistance as the disease progresses, or behavioral support. Ask each community how these services are priced before comparing monthly totals.

For comparison, standard assisted living in Georgia averages $4,120 to $4,395 per month, and skilled nursing runs approximately $8,821 per month for a semi-private room. Memory care sits in between — more than standard assisted living because of the secure environment and specialized staffing, less than skilled nursing because it provides custodial care rather than continuous licensed nursing.

How Georgia Regulates Memory Care Facilities

Georgia does not issue a standalone "memory care license." Instead, the state requires a Personal Care Home with 25 or more beds or an Assisted Living Community that markets itself as providing dementia-specific care — or charges a premium for cognitive services — to obtain a Memory Care Center certificate from the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division (HFRD) under the Department of Community Health.

This certificate can be held by either a Personal Care Home (PCH) with 25 or more beds or an Assisted Living Community (ALC). The distinction matters because a PCH is limited to custodial care and supervised self-administration of medications, while an ALC can employ Certified Medication Aides and provide limited nursing services. If your parent needs medication administration rather than just supervision, they need an ALC-based memory care center.

Certified memory care centers must meet minimum staffing ratios mandated by House Bill 987: at least 1 direct care staff per 12 residents during waking hours and 1 per 15 overnight. All staff — including kitchen and maintenance workers — must complete 4 hours of dementia-specific training within their first 30 days, and direct care staff need 16 hours of specialized training in that same window plus 8 hours annually thereafter.

How Families Pay for Memory Care

Private pay is the default. Most families start by paying out of pocket from savings, retirement distributions, long-term care insurance, or the sale of a home. At $5,000–$6,500 per month, a couple with $300,000 in liquid savings burns through it in roughly four years.

Medicaid waivers can cover the care services component — but not room and board — in qualifying facilities. Georgia's CCSP and SOURCE waivers fund services for people who meet nursing-facility level of care and fall under the income and asset limits ($2,982/month gross income, $2,000 countable assets for CCSP; a Qualified Income Trust can shelter excess income). The catch: waiver slots are capped statewide at roughly 49,400, and waitlists exist.

Veterans benefits, specifically the Aid and Attendance pension, can help eligible veterans or surviving spouses with care costs. The 2026 baseline is up to $2,424 per month for a single veteran, with rates varying by beneficiary category; confirm current eligibility and rates with the VA.

Long-term care insurance can help if the parent has an existing policy. Review its elimination period, benefit triggers, and covered settings before relying on it.

What to Verify Before Choosing a Facility

Before signing any contract, verify the facility's Memory Care Center certification through the HFRD portal. Ask for the most recent inspection report and look for cited deficiencies related to staffing, medication handling, or resident safety. Review the community's written discharge criteria — Georgia facilities can discharge a resident whose behavioral needs exceed their licensed scope, and understanding these thresholds before move-in prevents a crisis later.

The Georgia Dementia & Memory Care Guide includes a facility audit checklist mapped to HB 987 requirements, a Medicaid eligibility worksheet, and a cost comparison framework for evaluating facilities across different Georgia regions.

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