Stamford Senior AdvisorBy Stamford Senior Advisor Care Team · October 12, 2026
Connecticut does not publish which assisted living agencies run dementia special care units. A real program will have a licensed ALSA behind it, a staffing plan filed with DPH, annual dementia training for licensed direct care staff, and a written dementia unit section in the residency agreement. Ask to see each.
Why there is no list
In many states a family can download a roster of licensed memory care beds. In Connecticut memory care in assisted living runs through the assisted living services agency, the licensed care provider in the state's split model, as a dementia special care unit or program. DPH oversees it but does not publish a list, and Connecticut does not license the buildings themselves. The state auditors noted in 2023 that memory care has no minimum staffing requirement.
So the marketing words on a community's website carry no legal weight on their own. The documents do.
The four documents that should exist
| Document | What it proves | Where the rule comes from |
|---|---|---|
| An active ALSA license at the address | A licensed agency provides the care | Regs. Conn. State Agencies 19-13-D105 |
| A staffing plan submitted to DPH | The agency has planned dementia unit staffing | CGS 19a-564 |
| Annual dementia training records | Licensed direct care staff are trained each year | CGS 19a-562a |
| The residency agreement's dementia unit section | What the unit provides and when a resident must leave | MRC residency agreement requirements |
Check the license in our directory by town. Ask the community, politely and in writing, for the other three.
Staffing: the number to ask for
Because no ratio is set, ask for the number of staff physically on the unit by shift, especially overnight, and whether they float to other floors. Ask how many residents the unit holds and how many live there now. Ask who the registered nurse supervisor is and how long they have been in the role. Connecticut requires a backup RN and an RN on call 24 hours a day for every ALSA; ask how that works on the unit at 2 a.m.
Training: the questions behind the requirement
Every ALSA employee completes a 10-hour orientation, aides must pass a competency exam and take annual continuing education, and all licensed direct care staff in memory care units must take dementia-specific training every year. Ask how many hours the community's dementia curriculum runs, who teaches it, and whether dining and housekeeping staff on the unit take it too. Ask, as well, about the new annual training on residents' fear of retaliation that begins October 1, 2026.
Watching a unit in person
Paperwork shows what a community has promised. A visit shows whether it delivers. Go in the late afternoon, when confusion and restlessness often rise. Watch whether staff kneel or sit to speak with residents, whether they redirect calmly, and whether residents are doing something meaningful or simply sitting. Notice smells, noise and how quickly someone responds to a resident in distress. Eat a meal there if you can.
When the answer is a nursing home
Some people with dementia need more than a dementia special care unit can give: skilled nursing, two-person transfers, complex medical care or behavior that puts others at risk. Then a nursing home is the safer setting. Every Fairfield County nursing home has a page on this site with CMS ratings, staffing and DPH registry figures; ask each how it organizes care for residents with dementia.
Questions for the ombudsman
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program serves residents of assisted living as well as nursing homes and residential care homes, and it can explain residents' rights in a dementia unit, including what the residency agreement can and cannot require. If a family is unsure whether a community's dementia program is what it claims to be, or a resident faces a discharge from a unit, the ombudsman at 1-866-388-1888 is a free and independent place to start.
Cost and payment
No memory care median is published for Connecticut. The state's 2025 assisted living median of about $8,676 a month is the floor most families should expect to exceed. Ask for a quote that separates rent, the unit fee and care charges. The Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders can pay assisted living services for eligible residents in approved communities, but not rent; HUSKY C pays nursing home care for those who qualify.
Frequently asked questions
Do nursing homes have memory care units?
Some do; CMS does not publish dementia unit data, so ask each home how it serves residents with dementia.
Can a memory care unit lock its doors?
Secured units are common in dementia care; ask how egress is controlled and how residents get outdoors safely.
Who can I call with a concern about a dementia unit?
The Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-866-388-1888, and DPH's complaint line at 860-509-7400.
Is a 'memory care neighborhood' different from a unit?
Names vary; what matters is whether the community runs a dementia special care unit or program and can show the documents behind it.
Should we ask for the staffing plan itself?
Yes. Ask to see the plan the agency filed with DPH, or at least a summary by shift; a community that runs a real unit should be able to explain it.
What if a parent with dementia is already in regular assisted living?
Ask the ALSA nurse what changes would require a move, how much notice you would get, and whether a dementia unit is available on site.
