Is there a memory care license in Tennessee?
No. Memory care in Tennessee happens in secured units inside licensed ACLFs or nursing homes, and the Health Facilities Commission's quarterly bed report lists secured beds (and, for nursing homes, Alzheimer's beds) for each license.
“Memory care” on a brochure has no legal meaning by itself; secured beds on the state report do.
How many staff must be on a Tennessee memory care unit at night?
At least one attendant who is awake, on duty and physically on the secured unit at all times, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (0720-26-.08(9)(e)). Tennessee sets no numeric ratio beyond that minimum.
Ask for the unit's daily staffing record, which the rule requires.
Who decides whether my parent can move into a secured unit?
An interdisciplinary team of at least a physician, a registered nurse and a family member or patient care advocate must evaluate each resident before admission to a Tennessee secured unit, and review the placement every quarter.
Ask to take part in those quarterly reviews.
What dementia training do memory care staff get in Tennessee?
Every staff member on a secured unit must receive annual in-service training on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, dysfunctional behavior and catastrophic reactions, safety risks, help with daily activities, and communicating with families.
The rule does not set a number of hours; ask each facility how many it provides.
Can a person with dementia live in regular assisted living in Memphis?
Yes, if they can still evacuate on their own in an emergency and do not show aggressive behavior posing an imminent threat; many people with early dementia live in unsecured ACLFs.
Exit-seeking or wandering is usually the point at which a secured unit is needed.
How much does memory care cost in Memphis?
No published figure exists: CareScout does not survey memory care, and Tennessee publishes no memory care median. The 2025 Tennessee assisted living median is about $5,595 a month, and secured units are priced above that.
Get written quotes at your parent's assessed care level.
Will TennCare pay for memory care?
TennCare CHOICES can pay for Assisted Care Living Facility services, including in a secured unit of a participating facility, for eligible Group 2 or 3 members, but the member pays room and board; CHOICES Group 1 pays for nursing home care, including homes with secured or Alzheimer's beds.
Ask each facility whether it accepts CHOICES members before move-in.
Can a Tennessee nursing home have a memory care unit?
Yes. Tennessee's nursing home bed report includes columns for secured beds and Alzheimer's beds, and several Memphis-area nursing homes report them; those units serve residents whose nursing needs exceed what an ACLF can provide.
Our memory care directory lists both ACLF and nursing home units.
