Alabama licenses memory care as its own facility type, the Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility (SCALF), distinct from a standard assisted living facility, which runs about $4,425 a month.,

That one licensing difference is the heart of the assisted living vs. memory care decision in Alabama. A standard assisted living facility (ALF) supports daily living, while a SCALF is licensed under Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-5-20 specifically for residents whose Alzheimer's or other dementia needs a secured, specialized setting. This guide walks through both so you can match the setting to the care your parent actually needs.

In This Guide

How Assisted Living and Memory Care Differ in Alabama

In most states, memory care is a dementia-care label a regular assisted living community adds on, not a separate license. Alabama is one of the exceptions, and that changes how you shop for it.

A standard Assisted Living Facility in Alabama is licensed by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) under Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-5-4. An ALF provides residence, supervision, and personal care, help with bathing, dressing, medication, and other activities of daily living, for residents who do not need continuous skilled nursing.

Memory care is delivered in a Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility (SCALF), a distinct ADPH license under Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-5-20. A SCALF serves residents with a degree of cognitive impairment that would ordinarily make them ineligible to enter, or stay in, a standard ALF. It may arrange its exterior doors to prevent free and unhindered exit, every staff member must complete Alabama's DETA dementia training before giving any resident care, and the building must meet special physical-plant requirements for housing residents with dementia. A facility can only call itself a SCALF if it holds that specific ADPH license.

One more Alabama wrinkle matters when you tour: opening a new SCALF, or adding beds to an existing one, requires a Certificate of Need (CON) from the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) before building plans are submitted, a separate approval that limits how many beds exist in a given area. The practical effect is that secured dementia-care beds can be scarce, so it is worth starting your search early.

Side by Side: Assisted Living vs. Memory Care

Here is how the two settings compare on license, cost, and who pays.,,

Assisted living (ALF) Memory care (SCALF)
Level of care Help with daily living; resident can still largely direct their own day Secured, dementia-specialized care for residents who need more supervision than an ALF gives
Typical resident An older adult needing daily support without dementia-specific safety risks Someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia who needs a secured, ADPH-licensed dementia-care setting
Alabama license Assisted Living Facility, ADPH, Ala. Admin. Code chapter 420-5-4 Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility, ADPH, Ala. Admin. Code chapter 420-5-20
Cost (2026) About $4,425/month ($53,100/year) in CareScout's data tables; CareScout's own Alabama release says $50,400/year More than a standard ALF, due to dementia-trained staff and secured design
Who pays Largely private-pay; Medicaid waiver may cover care services, not room and board Largely private-pay; Medicaid waiver may cover care services, not room and board

When Is Memory Care the Right Setting?

If your parent needs help with daily tasks but can still largely manage their own day, communicate their needs, and move safely through familiar spaces, a standard ALF is usually the right fit. Alabama's ALFs are designed for daily-living support, not dementia-specific supervision.

Memory care (a SCALF) becomes the right setting when cognition and safety are the primary concern. The warning signs families watch for are wandering or exit-seeking, getting lost in familiar places, unsafe behaviors, escalating agitation, or an inability to recognize danger. When those appear, a SCALF is the setting Alabama specifically licenses and regulates for that level of need, with the secured environment and dementia-trained staff a standard ALF is not built to provide.

Many Alabama families start a parent in a standard ALF and move to a SCALF as the dementia advances. Some operators hold both licenses on one campus, which can make that transition a move down the hall rather than a move across town.

What Assisted Living and Memory Care Cost in Alabama

Alabama assisted living runs about $4,425 a month ($53,100 a year) statewide in the data tables of the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released March 2026), well below the national median of $74,400 a year. CareScout's own Alabama release from the same survey puts it at $50,400 a year, so treat the state median as roughly $50,400 to $53,100 a year rather than one exact number. For a family already stretched by the cost of care, that relative affordability is real, but it is the assisted living figure, not the memory-care figure.

A SCALF costs more than a standard ALF. The survey that anchors the assisted living number does not publish a separate Alabama memory-care median, so treat memory care as a premium on top of that assisted living base rather than a fixed second number., The premium pays for what the SCALF license requires: DETA dementia training for every staff member, secured exterior doors, and a building that meets special physical-plant requirements for dementia care. When you compare communities, ask each SCALF for its current monthly rate and what it includes, because the figure varies by community and by level of care.

Both settings are largely private-pay. Alabama Medicaid does not pay a resident's room and board in an ALF or a SCALF. The state's Medicaid waiver programs can help cover care services for qualifying residents, but not the housing cost itself.

How to Choose Between Assisted Living and Memory Care

1
Step 1

Does your parent's care need require a SCALF?

If dementia has produced wandering, exit-seeking, or unsafe behaviors a standard ALF cannot safely manage, a licensed SCALF is the appropriate setting.

2
Step 2

How will the cost be covered?

Both settings are primarily private-pay; if Medicaid waiver help is likely, explore it early, and remember it covers care, not room and board.

3
Step 3

Verify the license before you commit

Confirm any community marketing memory care actually holds a current SCALF license.

To verify a license, start at ADPH's Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities page and contact the ADPH Bureau of Health Provider Standards, the office that licenses these facilities, to confirm a specific community holds a current SCALF license. That license is the state's assurance the facility meets documented dementia-care standards, not just a marketing label.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between assisted living and memory care in Alabama?

Assisted living in Alabama is provided in a standard ADPH-licensed Assisted Living Facility (Ala. Admin. Code chapter 420-5-4) and supports daily tasks for someone who can still largely direct their own day. Memory care is provided in a Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility (SCALF), a distinct ADPH license under Ala. Admin. Code chapter 420-5-20, with secured access and specialized dementia staffing and programming.,

Does Alabama have a separate memory-care license?

Yes. The Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility (SCALF) is a distinct license issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health under Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-5-20, specifically for facilities serving residents whose cognitive impairment would ordinarily make them ineligible for a standard assisted living facility. Opening a new SCALF, or adding beds to an existing one, also requires a Certificate of Need from the Alabama State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA).

How much does memory care cost in Alabama compared to assisted living?

Alabama assisted living runs about $4,425 a month statewide in the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey's data tables, though CareScout's own Alabama release puts it at $50,400 a year, so treat it as a range. A SCALF costs more because of the dementia-trained staff and secured design the license requires; there is no separate published Alabama memory-care median, so treat it as a premium over the assisted living base and ask each community for its current rate.,

Does Alabama Medicaid pay for memory care in a SCALF?

Alabama Medicaid does not pay room and board in a SCALF or a standard ALF. The state's Medicaid waiver programs can cover care services for qualifying residents, but the housing cost remains the resident's responsibility.

How can I verify a memory-care facility holds the SCALF license in Alabama?

Start at the Alabama Department of Public Health's Specialty Care Assisted Living Facilities page and contact the ADPH Bureau of Health Provider Standards to confirm a community holds a current SCALF license under Ala. Admin. Code chapter 420-5-20. A facility without a SCALF license is not licensed for residents whose cognitive impairment would ordinarily make them ineligible for a standard assisted living facility.

Learn More

Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Memory Care by StateMemory care is assisted living built for dementia, and it can cost more. Compare the two on care, cost, and coverage, then open a full guide for your state. Care TypesAssisted Living in AlabamaAssisted living in Alabama runs about $50,400-$53,100 a year, among the lowest in the U.S. Alabama's two license types (ALF vs SCALF), costs, and who pays. Care TypesMemory Care in AlabamaMemory care in Alabama means a Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility (SCALF). See what the license requires, what it costs, and how to vet a place. Care TypesNursing Homes in AlabamaNursing homes in Alabama in 2026: a semi-private room runs about $100,010 a year, well below the national median. How to check quality and how Medicaid pays. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in AlabamaWhat senior care costs in Alabama in 2026: assisted living runs about $50,400 to $53,100 a year, a nursing home about $100,010. See each setting and how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home in AlabamaAssisted living vs. nursing home in Alabama: level of care and who pays. About $4,425/mo private-pay vs. about $100,010/yr nursing home (Medicaid-covered). Care TypesHome Care vs. Home Health in AlabamaHome care vs. home health in Alabama: what Medicare covers, how ADPH oversees home health agencies, and who pays for non-medical help at home. FinancialHow to Pay for Memory CareHow to pay for memory care in 2026: what it costs versus assisted living and how private pay, Medicaid waivers, VA benefits, and insurance each help cover it.

Find personalized help comparing assisted living and memory care in Alabama at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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