5 Quotes That Defined Memory Care In 2024 And Signal What’s Ahead In 2025 

In 2025, memory care operators will continue to grapple with the many challenges of evolving dementia care to meet the needs of today’s senior living residents.

Many opportunities remain, including demographic-driven demand entering the market as Baby Boomers begin to turn 80 along with the growing need for dementia care as cognitive needs continue to rise.

But many challenges are just as prevalent for the memory care sector heading into 2025, issues being affordability of memory care being inaccessible to many Americans and a lack of new development to meet growing demographic-driven demand.

Below is a summary of quotes from some of the top stories on Memory Care Business in 2024. They show the industry’s trials and tribulations in 2024 and highlight what could be ahead for the sector as the industry moves into 2025 and beyond.

“We’ve got the biggest population of human beings that we’ve ever had, all in this age group. Not only are there more of us getting older, there are more of us getting older and having brain changes.” — Positive Approach to Care CEO Teepa Snow.

According to the Georgetown Center for Retirement Initiatives, 10,000 older adults in the Baby Boomer cohort turn 65 every day until 2030 as an estimated 6.9 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease today, a figure that could grow to 13.8 million by 2060, per the National Institutes of Health.

Senior living operators must pay attention to these seismic demographic shifts in 2025 and create memory care programming that includes intensive training for care staff.

“Middle-income memory support can be available, but it will require earlier diagnosis and better training and investment from our healthcare system. It will also require ongoing technological advancements to allow team members to focus on service delivery and not task completion.” — Lutheran Senior Services CEO Adam Marles.

Affordability in memory care will continue to be a factor that looms over the sector’s future prospects.

In the updated “Forgotten Middle” study by NORC at the University of Chicago, researchers outlined how 11.5 million Americans over the age of 75 won’t be able to afford assisted living services by 2033. The median price for memory care in the U.S. is $6,935 per month, according to the Genworth Cost of Care survey. This comes as the American Journal of Managed Care forecasts the cost associated with treating dementia could reach $1 trillion by 2050.

In 2025, affordability will remain a confounding issue for many operators as the high cost of memory care operations continues to prevent the growth of affordable memory care services.

“The future is bright for technology in memory care settings. It’s an area that should be embraced and seen as key to overall operator success.” – Maplewood Senior Living VIce President of Enterprise Intelligence.

Technology used in memory care continues to grow as operators look to create operational efficiencies and improve the overall resident experience through the use of new tech.

Technology integration in memory care will continue to shape high-acuity operations in 2025 as operators weigh the value of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality to improve care and operations.

Operators including Maplewood Senior Living, Vi and Cypress Living are rolling out various initiatives aimed at integrating new technology, including sensor technology and the use of wearable devices to improve care.

In 2025, look for memory care operators to continue to invest in technology initiatives in the spirit of improving operations, as the use of wearable devices to passively monitor resident health could improve and personalize memory care.

“It has very disruptive potential, and I would argue it’s going to change the landscape of care and services for individuals with dementia, regardless of what happens to this one particular program.” — ATI Advisory CEO Anne Tumlinson.

In 2024 the industry saw a slew of organizations announce their participation in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) GUIDE model to help older adults stay in their homes longer, offer caregiver training and support while unveiling a new payment source for participating providers in care coordination.

CMS data shows that 390 organizations are now GUIDE model participants and on July 1 of this year, new programs will start delivering GUIDE services.

In 2025, senior living operators active in memory care must watch early results from the new model to determine future participation. New organizations can join the GUIDE model after a one-year pre-implementation period prior to delivering GUIDE services.

“For memory care providers specifically, I hope it highlights the need for empathy-driven care, where staff are trained to understand not just the disease, but the person behind it.” Lauren Miller Rogen.

Rogen’s comments made in the days after a screening of the documentary Taking Care to a large audience of senior living executives at the Fall 2024 NIC Conference remain relevant heading into 2025. The film Taking Care tracks the journey of Miller Rogen’s family, including her husband, actor and comedian Seth Rogen, and her father — after her mother Adele was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Senior living operators must value the human element of the business, prioritizing empathy and compassion over sales goals.

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