Beyond the Diagnosis: How Medications Can Help with Dementia Care
Learn how medications can support dementia care when non-drug therapies aren’t enough. Explore options, benefits, risks, and coordinated care approaches.
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As you narrow down long-term care (LTC) options for you and your loved ones, you may have questions and concerns about the monthly costs. What type of assistance will be required immediately? What are future needs? How much will that add to a monthly payment?
Genworth’s annual Cost of Care Survey gathers the national median costs for long-term care options across the nation. Per their findings, the yearly national medians are:
DISCLAIMER: Genworth’s survey covers 440 regions and is based on data collected from more than 15,500 completed surveys. These numbers are the national average and vary per state and region. Genworth’s cost of care calculator allows you to check the averages in your area.
Here are the monthly national averages for each service:
For anyone who needs a little help around the house, homemaker services include cooking, cleaning, and running errands. These services are entirely “hands-off,” and the provider won’t be able to offer personal care. When an individual’s abilities decline, costs may increase. Average monthly cost: $4,004.
Home health aides offer personal care, such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation and household tasks the individual can no longer manage. They also provide transportation assistance and companionship for isolated seniors within their own home. Declining health issues will increase costs. Average monthly cost: $4,195.
Adult day health care centers are community-based programs that provide health services in a protective setting. For older adults struggling with isolation and loneliness, they offer socialization and structured activities. They may also supervise the individual’s care and health needs. Adult Day Health Care is not a live-in situation but allows the senior to visit for several hours each day. Average monthly cost: $1,560.
Residential communities like assisted living and memory care provide personal and health care services that include activities of daily living (bathing, dressing, laundry services, and prepared meals.) In addition, assisted living options manage residents’ medications and various health care needs. Costs depend on many factors including the location of the community as well as the level of care needed. As a resident’s health declines, costs tend to increase. Memory care requires a higher level of care as the resident can do less independently. Average monthly cost: $4,000.
Nursing homes provide a high level of supervision 24/7, with nursing care from registered nurses and licensed practical or vocational nurses. In addition to ADLs and housekeeping tasks, the staff can provide a higher level of medical care, including pain management, dialysis, intravenous drug therapy, and rehabilitation. Nursing homes offer two types of rooms: semi-private and private rooms. Average monthly cost (semi-private room): $7,441 (private room): $8,365.
As you weigh the costs of different LTC options, you may be curious as to what is covered by Medicare or Medicaid. If you meet certain requirements Medicare will help pay for a short stint in a nursing facility. These requirements include: a hospital admission and inpatient stay of at least three days; a move to a Medicare-certified nursing home within thirty days of your hospital stay; need for skilled care like nursing services, physical or other therapies. Medicare will only pay for a portion of the costs and will not pay for anything past 100 days.
Medicaid covers considerably more. Nursing home services are covered, as well as home and some community-based services, such as adult day health care centers, are also included. Personal care services in your home are eligible as well. Because it’s a joint federal and state government program, requirements vary from state to state. Medicaid does not pay for most assisted living and memory care facilities which are generally private-pay.
As you plan for future care or need to make an immediate decision, refer to Genworth’s calculator tool to find the average costs in your area. It shows you predictions for the cost of care over the next ten, twenty, and thirty years, and will help to give you a better idea of what the best option is for you and your family.
Aegis Living communities provide assisted living, memory care, and day stay services (WA only). If you’re interested in learning more about care options in our communities, contact a Marketing Director at a community near you.
Respite Stays & Day Stays give family caregivers a real break—hours, days, or a few weeks—while your loved one enjoys a safe, enriching short‑term home at Aegis Living. Guests settle into a beautifully furnished private apartment and have 24/7 care staff and onsite nurses, medication management, and discreet safety technology (motion sensors, medical‑alert pendants, visitor check‑in) for peace of mind. Each day feels purposeful with chef‑prepared, all‑day dining and 200+ monthly activities—from book clubs and fitness classes to movie nights—plus full use of the community. We coordinate with your loved one’s physicians to mirror their routines and care, so the stay feels familiar. It’s also a smart trial run for senior living: meet neighbors, test services, and see what supported independence looks like—without a long‑term commitment. Choose a Respite Stay when you’re traveling or need time to recharge, when your loved one would benefit from structure, social connection, and great meals, or when you both want peace of mind while keeping options open.
Hospice & End‑of‑Life Care at Aegis Living is comfort‑first support for the final stage of life, delivered in your loved one’s private apartment by our 24/7 care team in coordination with a trusted local hospice provider you choose (or we can recommend). Together, we create a coordinated care plan that manages pain and other symptoms, oversees medications, and provides calm, dignified help with daily needs, while offering compassionate emotional support for both resident and family. Discreet safety measures and a reliable medical‑alert system bring help quickly; chef‑prepared, in‑apartment meals adapt to changing appetites. Families are guided through decisions and moments of closure so they can focus on being present in a peaceful, home‑like setting. If your loved one already lives at Aegis, they can remain in the comfort of their home, avoiding disruptive moves. Choose this level of care when curative treatment is no longer the goal and you want expert symptom control, hands‑on daily support, and a setting that protects dignity and prioritizes comfort, meaning, and time together.
Memory Care is specialized, secure support for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias who benefit from a calm, structured environment and round‑the‑clock expertise. At Aegis Living, that care happens in Life’s Neighborhood—an intimate, thoughtfully designed setting where 24/7 dementia‑trained caregivers and a nursing team on site seven days a week deliver personalized help with daily living, medication management, and mobility (including Hoyer lifts and two‑person transfers), while gently redirecting agitation and confusion. Days are purpose‑filled with science‑based cognitive programming, certified music therapy, and social activities; chef‑prepared meals are easy to enjoy and dining spaces and cues are designed for memory support. Discreet safety features like secured entrances, emergency pendants with fall detection, and optional motion sensors, prevent wandering and bring peace of mind, and visiting physicians and wellness professionals reduce trips off‑site. Families receive education and ongoing support. If your loved one is unsafe alone, missing medications, wandering, needs frequent cueing or hands‑on help with bathing or dressing, or thrives with a predictable routine, Memory Care offers the right level of care. For milder needs, our transitional Assisted Living can be a first step; for advancing symptoms, secured Memory Care provides the specialized, heartfelt support to help them feel calm, connected, and at home.