What is the difference between assisted living and memory care in Utah?
In Utah, memory care is a secure (locked) unit inside a Type II assisted living license; ordinary assisted living serves residents who can come and go, while a secure unit serves people with Alzheimer's or another dementia who need a locked environment but can still exit with one person's limited help.
The license is the same; the setting, paperwork and staffing rules differ. A secure-unit resident signs a separate admission agreement that records the secure placement, a wander-risk management agreement and the discharge criteria. At least one direct-care staff member must be inside the unit at all times, and staff who work there receive part of their required one-on-one training on the unit.
How do I know if a parent needs memory care rather than assisted living?
The usual signal is safety, not diagnosis: a parent who wanders, gets lost, leaves the stove on, cannot remember to take medications even with reminders, or becomes distressed in an open building usually needs a secure unit.
Many people with early dementia do well in ordinary assisted living, especially Type II, where staff can administer medications under nurse delegation. A Type I facility can keep a cognitively impaired resident only if that person can still get out of the building on their own in an emergency. Ask the facility's licensed health care professional, who must assess every resident before admission, which setting they recommend and why.
How many memory care beds are there compared with assisted living around Salt Lake City?
Of 69 assisted living licenses in Salt Lake and Tooele counties, 40 include secure memory care beds, 1,194 secure beds in all against 4,439 total licensed assisted living beds, according to DLBC's records.
Both lists come from DLBC's records: all assisted living and secure units only.
Does memory care cost more than assisted living in Utah?
Usually, but no public figure shows how much: CareScout publishes Utah's assisted living median ($62,790 a year in 2025) but does not survey memory care as a category anywhere.
Facilities set secure-unit rates themselves. Compare written quotes that list what is included: medication administration, incontinence care, escorts to meals and activities, and how often care levels are reassessed. The New Choices Waiver can pay for services in a secure unit for eligible residents, but not for room and board.
At a glance
| Assisted living (open) | Memory care (secure unit) | |
|---|---|---|
| License | Type I or Type II assisted living | Type II with approved secure beds |
| Doors | Residents come and go | Locked unit with its own evacuation plan |
| Admission | Standard admission agreement | Secure-unit agreement, wander-risk agreement, discharge criteria |
| Staffing | Direct-care staff on premises 24 hours | At least one direct-care staff inside the unit at all times |
Sources include Utah Admin. Code R432-270, Utah DHHS and DLBC pages, Salt Lake County and DAAS pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
