West Virginia regulates memory care through a disclosure law: any facility offering an Alzheimer's special care unit or program must put its approach in writing. That law, the Alzheimer's Special Care Standards Act, now sits at W. Va. Code Chapter 16B, Article 11, and it requires the facility to hand its disclosure to anyone seeking placement. Read that document before you tour. It's where a family's real leverage lives.

In This Guide

How West Virginia Regulates Memory Care

When you start calling around, "memory care" gets used as if it were one standard product you could line up side by side. It isn't, and in West Virginia the sharpest tool a family has for telling units apart is a document: a written disclosure the law requires from any facility offering dementia special care. Knowing that before you tour a single place changes what you look for.

Here's the structure. Dementia care in West Virginia is governed by the Alzheimer's Special Care Standards Act, now codified at West Virginia Code Chapter 16B (the Inspector General chapter), Article 11. Under W. Va. Code 16B-11-4, any facility that offers or provides care for a person with Alzheimer's disease through an Alzheimer's special care unit or special care program has to disclose, in writing, the form of care or treatment that makes the unit or program especially suited to those residents.

That disclosure is the heart of the law. The point is to stop "memory care" from being a marketing label and turn it into a set of claims a family can actually read and hold the facility to. The facility must give the disclosure to OHFLAC, to any person seeking placement in the unit, and to a legal guardian or relative acting on that person's behalf. OHFLAC examines every disclosure it receives as part of the facility's license renewal and verifies its accuracy, so the document isn't a one-time brochure; it's a standing description the facility has to keep accurate.

The disclosure sits on top of a facility license, and it pays to know which one. The West Virginia Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification (OHFLAC) lists "Alzheimer's/Dementia Special Care Unit" among the facility types it oversees, so ask any facility which type its dementia unit operates under. The federal Administration for Community Living describes memory care as a specialized form of assisted living, and the National Institute on Aging notes that some assisted living facilities have special Alzheimer's units. In West Virginia, an Assisted Living Residence is licensed by OHFLAC, which sits within the Office of the Inspector General, under W. Va. Code Chapter 16B, Article 5, and no one may operate, offer, or advertise one without a valid license. Some nursing homes have special Alzheimer's care units too. If your loved one's dementia comes with heavy medical needs, the setting matters: assisted living is meant for people who don't need around-the-clock care, while a nursing home adds full-time nursing care, 24 hours a day.

What the Disclosure Tells You

The written disclosure is where the word "memory care" stops being a sales pitch and becomes something you can pin down. Because West Virginia requires any facility offering a special care unit or program to put its approach in writing and give it to people seeking placement, you don't have to take a tour guide's reassurance on faith. You get a document, and you can read it before a visit and again after, checking it against what you actually saw.

The Alzheimer's Special Care Standards Act sets out what the disclosure has to address. It must describe the unit's overall treatment philosophy and mission; its screening, admission, and discharge procedures, assessment, and care planning and implementation; its staffing patterns and training ratios; the physical environment and design features of the unit; the activities available to residents; the involvement of families and the availability of family support programs; and the costs of care, including any additional fees unique to the unit or program. Each of those is something a family genuinely needs to understand, and each one hands you a fair, specific question to bring on a visit.

What the disclosure must describe What to ask, and what to check on a visit
Treatment philosophy and mission Ask how that philosophy shows up day to day, then watch how staff actually speak to and handle residents
Screening, admission, and discharge criteria Ask exactly what would trigger a discharge or transfer, so a later move doesn't blindside your family
Assessment and care planning Ask how often care plans are reviewed and how the plan shifts as dementia progresses
Staffing patterns and training ratios Ask how many staff are on each shift, what the dementia training covers, and whether new staff complete it before working alone
Physical environment and design Walk the space, see how exits are managed, and check whether the design truly supports a resident who may wander
Activities Ask to see a real day's schedule, and whether activities are adapted as cognition declines
Family involvement and family support programs Ask how the unit communicates changes, how families take part in care planning, and what support it offers families
Costs of care and any extra fees unique to the unit Compare the stated costs with the written quote you're given, and ask what would trigger a new fee

The screening and discharge criteria deserve the closest read. A family can be caught off guard months in if a facility decides it can no longer meet a resident's needs, and the whole search starts over at the worst possible moment. Reading those criteria up front, while you still have choices, spares you that. The same goes for the design and the activities: a strong dementia unit is built so a resident can move and stay safe at once, and a real day there has structure rather than a television and a hallway. Look for whether what's described on paper is what's actually in use when you walk through.

What It Costs and Who Pays

Cost is usually what families brace for. In West Virginia, the most useful price document is one the law already requires: a special care unit's written disclosure has to state its costs of care and any additional fees unique to the unit. Ask for it before you compare prices.

For a statewide anchor, use the assisted-living base. Per CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey, its latest edition, assisted living in West Virginia has a median of $6,340 a month for a private one-bedroom unit, or $76,080 over a full year, a little above the national median of $6,200 a month ($74,400 a year). Memory care can cost more than that base: a memory care resident pays for the room or apartment and may need to pay extra for any special care. How much more depends on the facility and on how much care your loved one needs. The National Institute on Aging suggests asking whether a special Alzheimer's unit's costs differ from those for the rest of the facility, and what the fee includes versus what costs extra.

For context on the upper end, the same survey puts a semi-private nursing-home room in West Virginia at $422 a day and a private room at $436 a day, or $154,030 and $159,140 over a full year, well above the national medians of $315 and $355 a day. These are industry-survey medians from one commercial publisher, not government figures, and costs vary within the state and rise as care needs grow. Use them to set expectations, then get a specific written quote from any place you're serious about. The advertised figure may not be the whole bill. Ask what it includes, how the facility charges as care needs grow, how it reassesses care as dementia progresses, and how often rates rise.

Paying for it is where families often get caught off guard. Most assisted living residents pay with their own money, and whether Medicaid covers any part of it depends on the state and on the person's eligibility. Federal Medicaid law does not pay room and board in assisted living, so even where a Medicaid waiver pays for care services, the resident stays responsible for housing and meals. In West Virginia, Medicaid pays for nursing-facility care for those who qualify, and the state's Aged and Disabled Waiver is its in-home option, built to let a person remain at or return home instead of entering a nursing home. The bill adds up month after month, so it's worth checking eligibility and planning early rather than assuming the whole cost is yours alone to carry.

How to Vet a Memory-Care Setting

You don't have to become an expert in dementia care to make a sound decision. You have to get the disclosure in hand, hold it up against what you see, and ask the questions it hands you.

1
Step 1

Ask for the written disclosure

Any West Virginia facility offering an Alzheimer's special care unit or program has to disclose its approach in writing and give that disclosure to anyone seeking placement, so request it early and read it before you tour. A facility that hesitates to hand over a document it's required to provide is telling you something.

2
Step 2

Confirm the license and the facility type

The disclosure describes the dementia care, but the facility still needs a valid license from OHFLAC; an Assisted Living Residence, for example, can't operate or advertise without one. OHFLAC also lists Alzheimer's/Dementia Special Care Unit as a facility type, so ask which type the unit operates under and confirm it with OHFLAC, not just with the facility. If heavier medical needs are likely, remember that assisted living isn't meant for people who need around-the-clock care.

3
Step 3

Pin down staffing, training, and assessment

The disclosure has to describe the unit's staffing patterns, training ratios, and how it assesses and plans care, so ask what the training covers, who gets it, whether new staff complete it before working alone, and how often each resident's care plan is reviewed. Specific answers are a good sign; vague reassurance isn't.

4
Step 4

Read the screening and discharge criteria closely

The disclosure has to spell out screening, admission, and discharge practices, so know exactly what would force a move before you sign anything.

5
Step 5

Get the costs in writing

The disclosure has to state the unit's costs of care and any extra fees unique to it. Ask too for a written breakdown of the base rate, what memory care adds, how care levels get reassessed as dementia progresses, and what triggers an increase. Bring the contract home and read the refund and discharge terms without a salesperson in the room.

Tour at least a couple of places. The goal isn't a flawless one. It's a facility whose disclosure you've read, whose license you've verified with the state, and whose promises you've checked against what's actually happening inside the building.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a memory care license in West Virginia?

West Virginia's licensing office, OHFLAC, lists "Alzheimer's/Dementia Special Care Unit" among the facility types it oversees, so ask any facility which type its dementia unit operates under. The Alzheimer's Special Care Standards Act (W. Va. Code Chapter 16B, Article 11) adds a disclosure rule on top: any facility offering an Alzheimer's special care unit or program must describe its approach in writing. OHFLAC licenses Assisted Living Residences under W. Va. Code Chapter 16B, Article 5.

What is the Alzheimer's special care disclosure in West Virginia?

It's a written statement that any facility offering an Alzheimer's special care unit or program must provide, describing the form of care that makes the unit especially suited to people with Alzheimer's. The facility gives it to OHFLAC, to anyone seeking placement, and to a guardian or relative acting for them. It has to cover the unit's philosophy and mission; its screening, admission, discharge, assessment, and care-planning practices; its staffing patterns and training ratios; its physical environment and design; its activities; family involvement and support programs; and its costs and any extra fees. OHFLAC examines it at license renewal and verifies its accuracy, so it's meant to stay accurate, not sit in a drawer.

How do I confirm a facility really offers memory care in West Virginia?

Ask for the written special-care disclosure before you tour, read it closely, and check it against what you see on a visit. Then confirm the facility's license, and which facility type its dementia unit operates under, with OHFLAC rather than relying on how the place markets itself.,

How much does memory care cost in West Virginia?

Use the assisted-living base as your anchor: $6,340 a month in West Virginia per CareScout's 2025 survey. Memory care can cost more, because a resident pays for the room or apartment and may need to pay extra for special care. A West Virginia special care unit's written disclosure has to state its costs and any extra fees unique to the unit, so ask for it and for a written quote from any place you're considering.

Does West Virginia Medicaid pay for memory care?

Not for room and board in assisted living: federal Medicaid law doesn't pay for housing and meals there, even where a waiver covers care services. Most assisted living residents pay with their own money. West Virginia Medicaid does pay for nursing-facility care for those who qualify, and its Aged and Disabled Waiver provides in-home care and community help so a person can remain at or return home instead of entering a nursing home. Because assisted living isn't meant for around-the-clock care, a resident with heavier medical needs may eventually move to a nursing home, where that coverage can apply. It's worth checking eligibility early rather than assuming the entire bill is private-pay.

Learn More

Care TypesMemory Care by StateMemory care is specialized assisted living for dementia. What it costs, who pays (Medicare doesn't), and how the rules change by state, with a guide to yours. Care TypesAssisted Living in West VirginiaAssisted living in West Virginia runs about $6,340 a month. How OHFLAC licenses Assisted Living Residences, what it costs, and why Medicaid won't pay the rent. Care TypesNursing Homes in West VirginiaNursing homes in West Virginia in 2026: a semi-private room runs about $154,030/year, well above the national median. Costs, who pays, and how to vet one. Care TypesHome Care vs. Home Health in West VirginiaHome care vs. home health in West Virginia: home health is skilled care Medicare covers at $0; home care is non-medical help it won't. That decides who pays. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in West VirginiaWhat senior care costs in West Virginia in 2026: assisted living about $6,340 a month, a nursing home over $154,000 a year. See every setting and how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home in West VirginiaAssisted living vs. a nursing home in West Virginia turns on care level and who pays: about $6,340/month private-pay vs. about $154,030/year for nursing care. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Memory Care in West VirginiaAssisted living vs. memory care in West Virginia: cognition and safety drive the choice. West Virginia AL runs about $6,340 a month; memory care can cost more. CaregiverCaregiver Burnout: Signs and SupportHow to recognize caregiver burnout, why it happens, and what actually helps, from respite care to evidence-based programs like REACH II and Powerful Tools. MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house.

Find personalized help requesting and reading a West Virginia special care unit's disclosure 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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