Knoxville Senior AdvisorIs memory care licensed separately in Tennessee?
No. Memory care is a secured unit inside a licensed assisted-care living facility or nursing home, reported to the Health Facilities Commission as secured or Alzheimer's beds.
How many memory care units are near Knoxville?
In the Health Facilities Commission's October 2026 bed report, 37 of the 57 licensed ACLFs in Knox, Blount, Anderson, Loudon, Sevier, Roane and Union counties report secured units, 1,133 secured beds in total, and 7 nursing homes report 195 secured or Alzheimer's beds.
When should a parent with dementia move to memory care?
Usually when wandering or exit-seeking starts, when the person cannot be kept safe at home or in open assisted living, or when the family caregiver can no longer manage nights.
Who decides whether someone is admitted to a Tennessee secured unit?
A team of at least a physician, a registered nurse and a family member or patient care advocate evaluates the resident before admission, and the placement is reviewed every quarter.
How many staff are on a memory care unit at night?
Tennessee requires at least one awake attendant physically on the unit at all times; ask each community how many it actually schedules.
Does TennCare pay for memory care?
TennCare CHOICES can pay the care services in a participating ACLF's secured unit for eligible members, but not room and board; long-term nursing home dementia care is covered under Group 1.
What does memory care cost near Knoxville?
No official Tennessee memory care median is published; expect higher rates than the same community's assisted living, and get written all-inclusive quotes.
Can a person with dementia live in regular assisted living?
Yes, often in the early stages, if they remain safe, do not try to leave, and can evacuate in an emergency with the help available.
What should we bring to a memory care admission evaluation?
Bring a full medication list, recent physician and hospital notes, a description of a typical day and night including any wandering or agitation, and the names of the doctors involved, because the physician-RN-family team uses all of it to decide whether the unit fits.
Is there memory care in the smaller counties around Knoxville?
Yes, in some: Blount, Anderson, Loudon and Sevier counties all have ACLFs reporting secured beds, while in Roane County only the two nursing homes report secured beds and Union County has none, so families there often look in Oak Ridge, Powell, Halls or Clinton.
Side by side
| These answers are | These answers are not | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Tennessee rules and published data, cited on our guide pages | Legal, tax or medical advice |
| Scope | General answers for the seven-county Knoxville area | A decision about your parent's case |
| Freshness | Checked October 2026 | Guaranteed after rules or rates change |
