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Page Reviewed / Updated – June 20, 2023
St. Louis is Missouri’s second most-populated city, with adults aged 65 and over accounting for 13.9% of the city’s 300,000-plus residents. Though this number is below the national average of 16.8%, St. Louis seniors have access to countless resources, a fact illustrated by St. Louis County’s membership within the AARP Age-Friendly Network. There’s help for seniors and families looking for dementia care services, such as St. Louis County Aging & Disability Services and Saint Louis University’s Aging and Memory Clinic. The city also boasts one of the country’s finest medical facilities in Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Memory care facilities in St. Louis typically cost 20% to 30% more than assisted living. The 2021 Genworth Cost of Care Survey doesn’t include a median fee for St. Louis, but by adding 25% to the assisted living average we get $5,125. This is above Missouri’s average of $3,750 but below the country’s $5,625.
A memory care facility can be a good option for families with loved ones whose dementia makes 24/7 care necessary. Facilities typically have easily navigable corridors, calming pastel colors throughout and specially trained staff. Staff are also available to assist with activities of daily living necessary for dementia patients, such as bathing, dressing and transportation to medical appointments. Read on to learn about the features of St. Louis’ 10 best memory care facilities.
Friendship Village Sunset Hills
Friendship Village Sunset Hills is a 52-acre campus on an elevated position looking across South County. It's near several medical facilities and I-270, but not so close as to hear the traffic. It's included on the list because its memory care unit has earned a gold credential from the Center for Applied Research in Dementia. All memory care staff are certified as Montessori Dementia Care Professionals experienced in administering the Montessori Inspired Lifestyle approach to care. Residents are encouraged to create a community, with staff supporting their endeavors. This develops cognitive skills while also inspiring seniors to feel a sense of self-worth and personal dignity. A chaplain visits regularly to provide residents with spiritual care.
Features
- Private studios with ADA-compliant bathrooms
- Biweekly housekeeping services
Autumn View Gardens Senior Living
Autumn View Gardens Senior Living's enclosed courtyard of landscaped grounds includes mature trees, walking paths and a gazebo. Consequently, it offers a positive sensory experience for the facility's memory care residents and somewhere safe to walk without the risk of wandering. A pet-friendly environment fosters companionship with small animals and encourages seniors with dementia to engage more with their environment. Families may also like the private dining room, which lets them share intimate meals with loved ones at risk of forgetting those most dear to them. Staff is on-site 24/7 to help residents with physical challenges, such as difficulties with bathing, dressing and eating.
Features
- Beauty salon/barbershop bolsters residents' sense of self-esteem
- Family-style dining with other residents encourages a sense of belonging
St Louis Altenheim
St. Louis Altenheim sits on an embankment overlooking the Mississippi River and fields on the opposite bank. Bavaria Memory Care is the unit serving seniors with dementia and their families. Its person-centered approach means every resident has a personalized care plan. This typically includes helping seniors retain memories by talking about the old days and discussing personal objects, such as family photographs. Daily organized outings allow residents to retain meaningful connections with the local community. St. Louis Altenheim encourages family members to visit and participate in the care plan as these long relationships can help residents hold on to their pasts. The spacious dining room hosts family-style meals every day to encourage a sense of community.
Features
- Live entertainment
- An aviary, as birdsong has therapeutic effects for people with dementia
Avalon Memory Care
Avalon Memory Care's award-winning treatment program for seniors with dementia isn't the only reason it makes the list. A wall encloses the entire landscaped grounds, giving seniors plenty of safe walking spaces, and Mercy Hospital South is 6 minutes away. There are private and semiprivate apartments with bathrooms painted in calming colors and an easily navigable design. The facility offers many sensory experiences to help residents retain a sense of environment and purpose, including sing-a-longs, baking sessions and gardening. There are also spiritual services that have the combined benefits of satisfying the needs of faith and fostering stronger bonds between residents.
Features
- Staff help with activities of daily living 24/7
- Personalized care plans
Mother of Perpetual Help Residence
Mother of Perpetual Help Residence is a faith-based community within beautiful grounds flush with tall trees and a small lake. Each resident has an individual care plan that addresses their mental, physical and spiritual needs. Staff is on-site night and day to implement each plan and help with daily living tasks, such as toileting. They also manage medications and supervise programs designed to slow dementia's advance. These include painting with watercolors to help with hand-to-eye coordination and word games to improve cognition. Residents receive wander guards that track movements and keypad-entry doors remain closed at all times. Courtyards are also secured so residents can get exercise and fresh air without the risk of wandering from safe spaces.
Features
- Barbershop/beauty salon with a spa
- Physical, speech and occupational therapies
The Gatesworth
The Gatesworth is on our list for its numerous awards, including recognition as a St. Louis Headliner and Ladue News' Platinum List. The building's beautiful design and the surrounding landscape create an engaging environment for residents with dementia. This continues inside, with the decor reminiscent of bygone days when furniture and wall coverings were more ornate. There are three restaurants where residents can enjoy chef-prepared meals catering to physician-approved diets while also forming bonds with their neighbors. Live shows in the Starbird Theater play a part in reminiscence therapy as residents hear the songs of their youth. The TV in the plush fireplace lounge also plays old shows that can jog memories and help residents make connections between now and then.
Features
- One and two-bedroom apartments
- 24/7 staffing
Bethesda Southgate
Bethesda Southgate is a multi-award-winning community near I-270, which may make it easier for families to visit their loved ones. The memory care unit's staff use a computer-based program called “It’s Never 2 Late” to keep track of the care provided. It records the meaningful experiences staff encourage residents to make and maps each person's path of care. Staff is on-site night and day to manage each plan and also help seniors with activities of daily living. There's a full activity calendar that provides physically, mentally and spiritually stimulating experiences. These include exercise classes to build strength and improve balance, card games to focus the mind and gardening, which is known to improve attention span.
Features
- Secure courtyards with walking paths
- Beauty salon/barbershop provides sensory cues, such as perfumes
Laclede Groves - Lutheran Senior Services
The numerous awards Laclede Groves has accumulated are the reason it joins this list. The landscaped grounds and mature trees stimulate most senses, including touch, sight, sound and smell. There's also a historic chapel to satisfy spiritual needs. The high standards flow through to memory care services, which are for seniors with early to mid-stage dementia. They receive 24-hour care from trained staff, as well as medical care from licensed nurses when required. The memory care approach is to develop residents' mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Consequently, there are plenty of fitness classes, word games, music events and religious studies. Controlled access systems keep seniors safe within the unit and there's a 24-hour urgent call system.
Features
- Housekeeping and laundry services
- Three meals freshly prepared daily
Dougherty Ferry Assisted Living & Memory Care
Dougherty Ferry Assisted Living & Memory Care is usefully near two busy roads that should make journeys easier for visiting families. However, the local environment is peaceful, so residents are less likely to become anxious due to noise. Also, St. Luke's Des Peres Hospital is only 5 minutes away, should they need medical care. The Montessori-based philosophy is at the heart of the facility's memory care services. With 24/7 help from trained staff, seniors can rediscover memories they were at risk of losing via activities that have a personal meaning and purpose. For example, staff will encourage them to remember the stories behind personal photographs, as well as objects from their past, such as wedding rings.
Features
- Apartments painted in calming inducing colors
- Library providing the therapeutic benefits of fiction and poetry
Mattis Pointe Senior Living
Acres of grounds surround Mattis Pointe Senior Living in its peaceful residential location and it's only 5 minutes from Mercy Hospital South. The accommodation options include private and semiprivate studios with ADA-compliant bathrooms and 24-hour emergency call systems. Best Friends is the name of the facility's memory care program. It reflects a relationship-based method that values empathy, humor, respect and trust between the senior and staff. Sensory experiences are also a major part of the facility's program. The Snoezelen Room helps seniors experience the calming effects of pastel colors, soft lighting, sweet scents and soothing music. Spontaneity is valued too, with residents encouraged to join dance classes and bake together in the kitchen.
Features
- Private dining area for visiting loved ones
- Pet friendly, so residents can have a constant companion