Memory Care in Des Moines, IA
Des Moines has 8 state-licensed memory care communities. These are the communities Iowa’s licensing records flag for dementia or memory care. Many other assisted living communities also run secured memory care, so ask.
Free guide · 17 pages
Choosing Memory Care
For families of a parent living with dementia, in the order you'll need it.
- How memory care is set up and what it costs
- Signs it may be time
- Questions, a tour checklist and a worksheet to print
- A section for you, the person doing the caring
All 8 licensed memory care communities in Des Moines
Every memory care community Iowa licenses in Des Moines, from state records. Being listed is not a rating: Lilisity scores only communities with verified interviews (the Top Communities). Communities with verified testimonials are listed first, then by size.
8 shown
| Community | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Calvin Community AL Services4210 Hickman Rd | Large183 residents | $4,600 to $7,100/moLilisity estimate |
| StoryPoint Beaverdale3410 Beaverdale Avenue | Large160 residents | No price or estimate |
| Addington Place of Des Moines5815 SE 27th Street | Large128 residents | $4,600 to $7,100/moLilisity estimate |
| 3801 Grand3801 Grand Ave | Large120 residents | from $7,100/mo |
| Gardens at Luther Park2910 E. 16th Street | Large100 residents | $4,600 to $7,100/moLilisity estimate |
| StoryPoint Riverwoods2210 East Park Avenue | Large80 residents | $4,600 to $7,100/moLilisity estimate |
| Wesley Acres John's Harbor3520 Grand Ave. | Mid-size19 residents | $4,750 to $7,400/moLilisity estimate |
| Claremont's Ramsey Village1611 27th St | Small home10 residents | $4,750 to $7,400/moLilisity estimate |
How much does memory care cost in Des Moines?
The median cost of assisted living in Iowa is $5,381 a month ($64,572 a year), below the national median of $6,200. That’s CareScout’s 2025 survey, collected July to November 2025. If more care is needed: nursing home costs in Iowa, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates nursing homes publish. Memory care usually costs more than assisted living, because of extra staffing and a secured setting, so treat the assisted living median as a floor.
Medicare does not pay for memory care. People pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or VA Aid and Attendance (up to $29,093 a year for a veteran in 2026), and some qualify for Medicaid help with care costs at communities that accept it. Who actually pays for long-term care.
Free tools: how long will the money last? · home care or assisted living? · VA Aid and Attendance estimator
Tour Des Moines memory care at 11 a.m., ask about 3 a.m.
- How many staff are awake overnight, and for how many residents?
- How often is she checked at night, and is it written down?
- If she falls at 3 a.m., who responds, and when do you call me?
- What do you do when she’s up and wandering at night?
There’s no federal staffing ratio for memory care; each state sets its own rules. The night questions to ask, with a free printable (PDF).
Check a Des Moines community’s license
Iowa publishes licensing records, and in most cases inspection or complaint reports, for every community on this page. Look up any community on the state’s site: data.iowa.gov. Ask the community for its most recent inspection report too; they have to keep it.
Des Moines memory care questions
Iowa licenses 8 memory care communities in Des Moines as of November 2026.
The median cost of assisted living in Iowa is $5,381 a month (CareScout 2025), compared with $6,200 nationally. Memory care usually costs more than assisted living. Prices vary with the room, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet. The table on this page shows each community's published price or a Lilisity estimate where we have one, and our free guide lists the questions to ask about cost.
Medicaid doesn't pay rent or meals in memory care. Most states offer a Medicaid waiver or program that can pay for care services at participating communities for people who qualify; not every community takes it, so ask each one. Iowa's Medicaid agency or your local Area Agency on Aging can tell you what's available.
Iowa publishes its licensing records at data.iowa.gov. You can also ask any community for its most recent state inspection report.
This page lists communities Iowa's licensing records flag for dementia or memory care. Many assisted living communities also offer secured memory care without a separate license flag, so the assisted living list is worth checking too.