Memory care in Florida

What is memory care?

Memory care is assisted living designed for people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias: secured or monitored spaces, staff trained in dementia care, structured activities and at least one awake staff member at all hours.

In Sarasota and Manatee counties, 63 of the 128 licensed ALFs list a memory care program on their AHCA profiles, with 5,771 licensed beds between them (the beds are not all memory care beds).

How is memory care regulated in Florida in 2026?

ALFs that advertise special Alzheimer's care must meet s. 429.178 now, and under s. 429.076 they will need a memory care services license once AHCA adopts its rules, due by June 1, 2027.

See the memory care license explained.

What does memory care cost?

No published Florida median exists; facilities usually charge an assisted living base rate plus a dementia care fee, so compare total monthly quotes.

Ask what triggers a rate change as dementia progresses.

What should I check first at a Sarasota memory care community?

Confirm the AHCA profile lists memory care, ask whether the facility will apply for the new s. 429.076 license, ask how many staff are awake on the unit overnight, and look in the inspection history for dementia-training citations (tag CZ875 and similar).

Ask for the total monthly price in writing, including any dementia care charge.

What dementia training must Florida memory care staff have?

Staff in ALFs that advertise special Alzheimer's care must complete the training required by s. 430.5025, Florida Statutes, and the new memory care license rules must require training that meets or exceeds it.

AHCA cites facilities for missing dementia training; look for it in the inspection history on each facility page.

How is memory care different from a secured nursing home unit?

Memory care in an ALF serves people with dementia who do not need 24-hour nursing supervision, while a nursing home serves people whose medical needs require round-the-clock nursing; some Sarasota and Manatee nursing homes care for many residents with advanced dementia.

When dementia comes with complex medical needs, falls with injury or an inability to help with transfers, a nursing home or hospice is often the safer setting. The facility's assessment and the physician decide.

Where is memory care licensed in Sarasota and Manatee?

Here is how AHCA's records distribute memory care licenses between the two counties; agencies have no bed count.