Memory care: a distinct Minnesota license, not just a disclosure
In Minnesota, "memory care" is not a marketing label a community can adopt on its own -- it is a distinct, mandatory state license category issued by MDH. Any assisted living facility that operates a secured dementia care unit must be licensed as an "assisted living facility with dementia care" (Minn. Stat. 144G.10, subd. 2(b)). There is no separate, lower-tier "memory care certification" -- it is this license category, full stop.
That license category carries two additional legal requirements beyond the base assisted living license:
- Dementia-specific staff training (Minn. Stat. 144G.83) -- every staff member assigned to care for a resident with dementia must be specially trained in person-centered dementia care before being assigned unsupervised, with documented initial and ongoing training requirements.
- Mandatory written disclosure (Minn. Stat. 325F.72) -- before a family signs an admission agreement, the facility must provide a written disclosure covering who may live in the secured unit, the assessment and service-plan process, staffing credentials and duties, physical environment and security features, programming and family involvement, and the fee schedule for additional services.
Bottom line for families: if a community advertises "memory care" in the Twin Cities, ask to see its MDH license type directly -- it should say "assisted living facility with dementia care," not just "assisted living facility."
What to ask for on a tour, by name
Ask to see the community's MDH license and confirm it specifically reads "assisted living facility with dementia care," not just "assisted living facility." You can verify this independently, free, using the MDH Health Care Provider Directory before you ever set foot on a tour.
Also ask for the written pre-admission disclosure required under Minn. Stat. 325F.72 -- by law it must cover admission criteria for the secured unit, the assessment and service-plan process, staffing credentials and duties, physical security features, and the fee schedule for additional services. A community that cannot produce this document on request is not meeting a basic legal obligation.
