Memory care around Knoxville

What is memory care in Tennessee?

Memory care is a secured unit, a distinct part of a licensed assisted-care living facility (or a nursing home) where residents with dementia are deliberately kept from leaving except as fire safety requires, with an awake attendant on the unit at all hours and quarterly placement reviews.

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.

Who needs memory care rather than assisted living?

People with dementia who wander, try to leave, get lost on familiar routes, or are unsafe in an open building usually need a secured unit; memory loss alone does not.

Behaviors decide placement more than diagnosis. Ask both the current community and the doctor to describe what they are seeing.

How much does memory care cost near Knoxville?

No official memory care median is published for Tennessee; secured units typically cost more than assisted living in the same community because of staffing and the locked setting.

Get written all-inclusive quotes, and ask how the rate changes as needs rise. TennCare CHOICES treats secured-unit care as ACLF services for eligible members; room and board are still the resident's cost.

What should families ask on a Knoxville memory care tour?

Ask how many staff are on the unit day and night, how exit-seeking is handled, how often residents go outdoors, what dementia training staff received this year, and when the next quarterly review is.

Ask to see the unit's daily staffing record. Tennessee requires one, so a community should be able to show it.

How can families help a parent settle into memory care?

Share a written life story with staff (work, family, routines, favorite music and foods), keep early visits short and frequent, and follow the unit's advice about timing so the first weeks build trust.

Ask staff how they will reach you if your parent is unsettled, and agree on how often you will hear updates during the first month.

Where are licensed memory care providers around Knoxville?

The state's records show 44 licensed memory care providers across the seven counties, 23 in Knox County, 5 in Blount County, 6 in Anderson County, 5 in Loudon County, 3 in Sevier County, 2 in Roane County.