10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Omaha, NE
Your loved one will feel welcome in Omaha’s big-city sprawl thanks to its small-town charm. They’ll also feel at home while living at a memory care community where everyone knows each other. A Place for Mom partners with 13 memory care communities in a 10-mile radius of the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center, which also houses Omaha City Council and Omaha City Hall. This radius includes surrounding suburbs, as well as parts of Iowa, like Council Bluffs.
Memory care communities in Omaha provide assistance and care services to seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. While the area does not have many stand-alone memory care facilities, seniors can age in place in a multi-tier care type community. Plus, these memory care neighborhoods are typically specially designed for your loved one’s care needs.
A Place for Mom compiled information from Omaha memory care partners to create a comprehensive guide to memory care in Omaha. Here, seniors and their families can learn more about how to pay for memory care, potential benefits, facility regulations and laws, and the types of facilities that are common in Omaha. Besides memory care, family members will have a better sense of where their loved one will reside.
Omaha Memory Care Facilities | 87 Reviews
I like they took an active interest in our situation. We had many questions and they took the time to address them all. The facilities are clean and well kept. All the staff are friendly and caring. Mom...
My wife and I have found Westgate to be a fabulous experience. The staff is hard working & friendly. We knew that this is where she wanted to be as soon as we visited. Would recommend Westgate to anyone...
Staff are friendly and clean, the place always seems clean. Communication seems solid. You'd have to ask my dad about the move in, but when I was helping move furniture in, it was quite smooth. The meals...
Plan out a move as best as you can, have your parent be on board with the move or they will not thrive. Let them know change is hard but explore all the benefits a place has to offer. And get involved in the...
I was in a huge problem with my brother. Bickford on Hickory has helped with all my brother’s needs medically, physically, and emotionally. They helped me also. I had no idea what to do for his care and...
Staff are all down to earth, fun and "get it" when it comes to the nuances of aging. They've taken steps above and beyond. She is well cared for and as close to happy as she can be being away from our...
Love Via Christie!! The Via Christie staff all go way beyond what is expected to make their residents feel at home and safe at all times. Very comforting to know my dad is being well cared for. Thank you to...
What we like a lot about the St Joseph Tower community is all the different activities they have going on for the residents, like cards and bingo nights. Based on the experience we have had so far, we would...
I think the staff is great. They love my mom and are super attentive and kind. I know it's hard to mass feed healthy food- she doesn't think the food is bad- I just feel like more fresh food is important. I...
Our free advisors can help
- Compare local facilities
- Determine care type
- Schedule tours
- Evaluate pricing
My loved one was a resident at Richmont Senior Living. This is a very nice facility, everything was great and we were very happy with it. The care, the cleanliness, the friendliness were all great. I would...
Overall experience is/was a great experience. They took time, answered my questions and seemed genuinely wanting to help. Cleanliness is excellent. From, front door, offices, dining and other rooms. And...
The food was always important to [name removed] when he stayed in respite care and he liked it there. The head staff people are so amazing! We have experienced the staff at [community name removed] and now...
The staff is friendly, location is convenient, it's very clean, the food is excellent, and the staff is quite flexible with eating times. There is ample opportunity for people to take part in numerous...
My mom absolutely loved it here. The staff were exceptional and the food was excellent. It is a very nice facility, everything is clean, they did her laundry, cleaned her apartment, etc. Staff were always...
The employees at The Brant at Gretna are friendly and kind, but there seems to be a lot of turnover. As for the food, when I've eaten there, it's great. My dad sometimes complains, though about the food...
My mom is a resident at Ridgewood Senior Living. The cook, [name removed], is amazing and goes above and beyond for the residents. The food could be of better quality. The staff that cares for my mom is...
This center is the place that all families dream about for their loved one who needs the care they can no longer give. I visited my great aunt and was so pleased to see her so happy and well cared for by an...
If you have an individual that is starting to have problems with dementia, it's a very good place to go. We feel very comfortable with them. It's a small community, and they really try to get the residents...
My mom was a resident for almost five years at House of Hope. I was very pleased with the care she received. She felt safe in her own 'apartment' and the core staff were long-term and consistent. ...
Our methodology
How we rank order the Omaha community options above
We developed a proprietary recommendation system that orders Omaha community options based on factors we know are important to seniors and their families:
- Proximity to your search location
- Availability of recent, high-quality reviews
- The amount of detailed community information available
Where we source our information
14,000+ communities
We collect proprietary data from our network of 14,000+ senior living communities in the U.S., with regular refreshes of data and information
350,000+ reviews
We have 387,000+ reviews from senior living residents and family members that provide first-hand accounts about senior living communities
Costs of memory care in the Omaha area
On average, a memory care facility costs $5,058 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. This price is what real seniors referred by A Place for Mom paid during 2022-2023.{citation:1}} The cost includes room and board, as well as add-ons and amenities. However, these costs can vary depending on the community’s location, as well as the amenities and services included.
Breakdown of costs for memory care in the Omaha area
You can rest easy knowing your loved one will have numerous services and amenities built into the memory care costs. In the Omaha area, memory care communities typically include the following:
- 24-hour awake staff
- Specially trained memory care staff
- Transportation services
- Urinary incontinence care
- Meals
- Medication management
- Housekeeping
- Laundry services
Additionally, memory care communities in Omaha value the safety of your loved one and may have the following safe amenities:
- Enclosed courtyard
- Indoor walking paths
- Outdoor walking paths
- Secured entrances and exits
- TV lounge
Depending on the community, add-on fees may vary depending on the level of care your loved one needs and the community’s fees.[01] Additionally, costs can vary according to the size of the apartment floor plan and the room’s amenities. Below are some common room options:
- Wheelchair-accessible showers
- Full kitchens/kitchenettes
- Ground floor units
- Pet-friendly apartments
- Garden views
The following charts are average baseline costs, and do not include add-on fees. They should give you a sense of the costs of memory care in the broader area.
Average monthly cost of Memory Care in Omaha, NE vs. the state and national average
Average monthly cost of Memory Care in Omaha vs. other types of senior living
Median monthly costs of Memory Care in Omaha, NE by room type
Average cost of Memory Care in Omaha over time
How people pay for memory care in Omaha
Between private and public pay methods, seniors and their families have many ways to pay for a memory care community. If you or your loved one are looking for additional options to pay for senior living, some facilities may accept public methods like veterans benefits, Medicaid, and/or Medicare.
Understand Nebraska and Iowa laws and regulations for memory care facilities
Nebraska and Iowa categorize memory care facilities as assisted living facilities with dementia care. Therefore, memory care facilities may follow similar requirements made for assisted living facilities. Memory care facilities and units also have some additional specifications they must follow.
Assisted living facilities that provide dementia care in Nebraska and Iowa must be licensed and undergo inspections. The dementia care regulations and license requirements in both states are explained below.
Nebraska laws and regulations for memory care facilities
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) licenses and inspects memory care facilities. To have an Alzheimer’s special care unit, a facility must provide applicable information about that care type. Every type of facility and/or care service must have a separate license. To obtain a license, assisted living facilities and memory care units must meet specific requirements and regulations.[08] You can find inspection reports and areas to find licensed facilities through the Nebraska Department of Health.
Facility requirements
If a memory care facility or unit is licensed as an assisted living facility, they are required to offer a safe and clean environment, as well as the following features:
- Good lighting
- Adequate environmental temperatures
- Sound levels that are acceptable for care provided
- Furnished common areas[08]
In addition to providing care and services necessary for dementia care, memory care units and facilities have their additional facility requirements. To help ensure the safety of the residents, memory care units are required to provide the following:
- Personalized resident bedrooms
- Private activity areas
- Group activity areas
- Separate dining rooms
- Features to help residents orient themselves with their surroundings
- Secured storage for equipment and supplies
- Call and security systems
- Medication storage and distribution area[08]
Staff requirements
Facilities that specialize in memory care must have a sufficient number of direct care staff members, but Nebraska law does not specify how much is considered “sufficient.” Regardless, your loved one will receive qualified care thanks to Nebraska’s training requirements. Administrators and direct care staff members must receive training to meet dementia-specific needs with services like the following:
- Assistance with activities of daily living
- Personal care
- Health maintenance activities
- Supervision
- Supportive services
Plus, your loved one will have knowledgeable care with more specialized training for administrators and direct staff members. Their training must include information on the following:
- The Alzheimer’s disease process
- The facility’s approach to supervising and providing care to memory loss residents
- The skills necessary for proper care[08]
Iowa laws and regulations for memory care facilities
Similar to Nebraska, Iowa qualifies memory care facilities as assisted living programs with dementia care. Therefore, memory care facilities follow the same regulations as assisted living programs in Iowa. In addition to following these regulations, memory care facilities have additional requirements since they add dementia care services.
Assisted living programs with dementia care in Iowa are licensed through the Department of Inspections and Appeals. To receive this license, the program must get a certification and undergo an inspection. After approval, the facility’s license lasts two years. They must also undergo inspections every other year to keep the license. To offer memory care services, assisted living programs must also be certified as a dementia care unit.[09] The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals has inspection reports and areas to find licensed facilities.
Staff requirements
Every dementia care unit must have at least one staff member available around the clock. Additionally, the facility must provide the dementia care staff with 8 hours of memory care training and education upon hiring, and at least another 2 hours annually. However, staff members who are direct care staff must undergo 8 hours of memory care training and education annually. In this training, staff members may learn about these topics:
- Dementia diagnosis explanation
- Communication skills
- Family issues
- Activities of daily living (ADL) assistance
- Working with challenging residents[09]
Facility requirements
If your loved one wanders and becomes easily confused, you can feel at ease knowing dementia care units are required to have an alarm system connected to all exit doors in the facility. Additionally, staff members must be able to disable locks on doors. Iowa also requires memory care apartments with kitchens to disable or remove appliances.[09]
How to learn more about memory care laws and regulations
While memory care facilities fall under assisted living, both states have additional laws and regulations for assisted living facilities that offer dementia care. For additional information about typical assisted living regulations and laws, visit our guide to assisted living in Omaha.
Nebraska Department of Health contact information
Search for licensed assisted living/memory care facilities.
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: 402-471-3121
Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals contact information
Learn more about Iowa’s assisted living/memory care regulations.
Look up Iowa’s licensed assisted living/memory care communities.
Lucas State Office Building
321 E. 12th St., 3rd Floor
Des Moines, IA 50319-0083
Phone: 515-281-7102
COVID-19 regulations for Omaha memory care facilities
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) relaxed their COVID-19 guidelines, so have states like Nebraska and Iowa. However, both states have recommendations for those who test positive for COVID-19 infection.
After someone tests positive for COVID-19 infection, Iowa residents should isolate for up to 10 days after the test result.[10] Nebraska is slightly different with an isolation recommendation of five days. Following the five day isolation, the Nebraska Department of Health recommends the following protocol:
- Those who did not have symptoms can end isolation.
- Those who showed symptoms and have been fever-free for 24-hours can end isolation but should continue wearing a mask.
A person can stop wearing a mask once they have either:
- Tested negative twice on a COVID-19 antigen test (must be taken 48 hours apart)
- After day 11 if they are symptom free[11]
Additionally, Nebraska has an official vaccination campaign, Finish Strong Nebraska, which encourages those eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Individual senior living facilities may have additional requirements. Nebraska assisted living communities — and therefore memory care facilities — do not require masks for fully vaccinated residents. However, if your loved one is not vaccinated, they recommend wearing a mask and continuing to practice social distancing.[12]
What to expect from memory care living in Omaha
Memory care communities feature specially designed buildings that help seniors with dementia become quickly acclimated to their new surroundings. Your loved one will receive quality care provided by specially trained staff members who know how to handle specific dementia behaviors. While these aspects are customary in memory care communities, it does not diminish the importance of these commonalities. In addition to these features, memory care communities in Omaha are typically multi-tier care facilities. Here, you’ll learn more about how your loved one can easily age in place in Omaha.
How stand-alone and multi-tier care facilities differ
A Place for Mom partners with three stand-alone memory care partners in the 10-mile radius of Omaha City Hall, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. These are located in Omaha itself. A majority of our memory care partners in Omaha offer multiple care types on the same campus, meaning assisted living, independent living, or both are also available.[01] This helps seniors age in place in case their care needs change. This can be beneficial if your loved one is not yet affected by or diagnosed with dementia. If they only require assistance with activities of daily living but expect to need memory care in the future, they can live in assisted living until the change for memory care is needed.
A community with additional care types on the same campus typically has more amenities, activities, and staff members available. A community with multiple care types may not be a necessity because a senior with dementia typically stays in memory care indefinitely. This type of community may help find hospice care faster though. Approximately 10 of our memory care partners offer on-site hospice care.[01] By having access to hospice care on-site, your loved one will not have to find a third party agency or move to a different community. Aging in place like this helps prevent confusion for seniors with dementia.
How memory care facilities are specially designed
Approximately 84% of our memory care partners in Omaha are specially designed to accommodate memory loss.[01] This type of design varies according to the community. This may mean the community has at least one of the following:
- Secured entrances and exits
- Wander guard or similar systems
- Easy navigation features like colored walls
- Natural lighting
A community that is designed for memory loss can help your loved one navigate through the halls easily by themselves, which provides them with a sense of independence. These types of communities also help prevent confused seniors from wandering outside of the community without a family member or care attendant.
Our partners’ specialized memory care programs
A common feature for memory care facilities in Omaha are specialized memory care programs. While the program changes depending on the community, the overarching theme is to offer individualized, person-centered care to help ease symptoms and common behaviors as well as provide dementia-friendly activities. This typically includes having staff members who are specially trained in Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia care.
About 92% of our Omaha memory care partners have specially trained memory care staff members.[01] So, you can feel at ease knowing a majority of these memory care communities have staff members who are qualified in common dementia-related behaviors, such as the following:
- Restlessness
- Wandering
- Exit-seeking
- Disorientation
- Agitation
- Anxiety
Memory care in the surrounding Omaha suburbs
Whether your loved one prefers a city lifestyle or suburban living, Omaha has memory care options available in both areas. Almost half of our memory care partners near Omaha City Hall are located outside of the city itself. However, about 65% of seniors prefer living in the city, according to A Place for Mom proprietary data.[01] When comparing our memory care partners in the city versus in surrounding suburbs, they are all virtually similar. Even when looking further away from Omaha City Hall, the average cost is almost exactly the same.
Explore senior care with confidence
Know where to start.
Identify the right care for your loved one with our free assessment.
See what you can afford.
Understand cost and payment for long-term care based on your loved one's needs.
Find top facilities for you.
Free, personalized guidance from our Senior Living Advisors can help you narrow your search.
Tour your favorite facilities.
Our free touring checklist can help you choose the right community.
Unfamiliar with Omaha? Highlights for seniors
Health care for seniors in Omaha
Your loved one will have access to top-notch care in the Omaha area with many local hospital systems offering a variety of geriatric care services and personalized care for seniors with dementia. Here are some of the most prominent hospitals with the highest ratings in the region.
Transportation for seniors in Omaha
Approximately 92% of our memory care partners in Omaha offer on-site transportation services. [01] This could be complimentary or for an additional fee. This is the best travel option for seniors with dementia since they will need to have a caregiver available at all times. It is important for your loved one to feel safe with a caregiver in case confusion occurs in an area outside of the community.
Since a majority of Omaha residents own a car, the city does not have a lot of public transportation options. However, the public transportation options Omaha does have are accessible to those with disabilities. All buses offered through Omaha Metro can lower so your loved one will not have to take a large step up. Additionally, every bus has two wheelchair spaces and a ramp. These buses offer metro fare discounts for seniors aged 62 and older, as well as adults with disabilities.
If your loved one cannot access the bus stations or needs additional assistance due to a disability, the area has a complimentary ADA paratransit service called MOBY. Your loved one must qualify under ADA eligibility criteria to use this service. When using MOBY, a senior must make a reservation for next-day travel, but a reservation can be made up to 14 days prior to the service.
For help determining eligibility and scheduling a service, contact Omaha Metro at 402-341-0800.
Frequently Asked Questions
CountryHouse at Elkhorn, Crown Pointe Retirement Community and Westgate Assisted Living are the top-rated Memory Care facilities near Omaha, NE. These Memory Care facilities received the highest rankings based on verified family reviews. See full list of communities.
The average cost of Memory Care in Omaha is $4,299 per month. This cost may vary based on location, amenities, floorplan, level of care and other factors.
The 51 memory care facilities near you in Omaha, Nebraska typically provide housing, therapies, and care tailored to those who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. To find memory care in Omaha, Nebraska, browse our detailed listings showing photos, floor plans, amenities, activities, and reviews from real families.
Browse A Place for Mom’s listings for memory care in Omaha, Nebraska, to take a virtual tour. Our local senior living experts can arrange for a live tour of these communities as well.
The cost of memory care facilities in Omaha, Nebraska ranges from $590 to $8695. The average Memory Care cost in Omaha, Nebraska is $4,299. Prices often vary based on care provided, amenities, unit size, and more.
The cost of memory care in Omaha, Nebraska typically starts at $590. A Place for Mom’s local, expert senior living advisors can help you find affordable memory care facilities near you and offer advice on how to lower costs and pay for care with VA benefits or public payment options.
References
A Place for Mom. (2022-2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Veteran status (S2101) [Data set]. American Community Survey.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, June 26). Nursing facility regulations.
State of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Services on the Aged and Disabled Waiver.
Iowa Department of Human Services. (2022, June 24). Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) provider manual.
Medicare. What Medicare health plans cover.
Nebraska Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure. (2007, April 3). Health Care Facilities and Services Licensure, Chapter 4 Assisted Living Facilities.
Office of the Assistance Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.(2015) Compendium of Residential Care and Assisted Living Regulations and Policy: 2015 Edition.
State of Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Emerging health issues – novel Coronavirus.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Steps to take after testing positive or exposure to COVID-19.
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, July 14). Assisted-living facility masking guidance.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Age and sex (S0101) [Data set]. American Community Survey.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). Population 65 years and over in the United States (S0103) [Data set]. American Community Survey.
U.S. News and World Report. (2023, January 13). Hospital Search.
Bird, S. (2023, Feb. 13). Personal communication [Zoom interview].
More questions?
Ask an A Place for Mom local advisor at no cost.
- Papillion, Nebraska
- Papillion, Nebraska
- Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Council Bluffs, Iowa
- Gretna, Nebraska
- Blair, Nebraska
- Blair, Nebraska
- Gretna, Nebraska
- Missouri Valley, Iowa
- Boys Town, Nebraska
- Cedar Creek, Nebraska
- Cedar Creek, Nebraska
- Bennington, Nebraska
- Bennington, Nebraska
- Bellevue, Nebraska
- Waterloo, Nebraska
- Waterloo, Nebraska
- Crescent, Iowa
- Valley, Nebraska
- Valley, Nebraska