Little Rock Senior AdvisorBy Little Rock Senior Advisor Care Team · November 6, 2026
Memory care in Arkansas is an Alzheimer's special care unit inside a licensed assisted living building or nursing home. Before admission the building must give families a written disclosure statement. Unit staffing is figured on the unit's own census, and staff need five months of initial dementia training plus quarterly in-service.
What is memory care under Arkansas rules?
Arkansas has no separate memory care license. A building that wants to serve residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia in a separate, secured setting runs an Alzheimer's special care unit, a separate and distinct unit inside an assisted living facility or other long-term care facility. Both Level I and Level II assisted living buildings may run one, and nursing homes care for many residents with dementia under their own license.
That means 'memory care' on a sign or a website tells you little. What tells you a lot is whether the building runs a special care unit under the rules and what its written disclosure statement says.
Which central Arkansas buildings focus on memory care?
In the state's July 2026 Bed Need Book for the six counties, Chapters Living of Little Rock (74 Level II beds) and Ginny & Bob Shell Alzheimer's Center (60 Level II beds) carry dementia care in their name or history. Many other buildings run special care units without saying so in their licensed name, and the state's public bed tables do not identify them.
So the practical step is to ask every building you tour, Level II especially, whether it runs a special care unit and how many beds are in it.
What is the disclosure statement, and why does it matter?
Before admission, Arkansas requires the facility to give the resident or family a written statement describing the care and services the unit provides for people with dementia. Each resident also gets an individual assessment and an individual support plan.
The disclosure is the one document that lets you compare units on the same terms. Read it for what triggers a move out of the unit, how exits are secured, what activities happen in the afternoon and evening, how families are told about falls or behavior changes, and what the unit does when a resident becomes aggressive or stops eating. Ask for it on the first visit, not after a deposit.
How much training do the staff have?
Unit staff must complete dementia training within five months of hire, at no less than eight hours a month during that period, covering the stages of dementia, behavior management, wandering and egress control, restraints and medication management. After that, they need at least two hours of in-service every quarter plus two more dementia-specific hours a year.
| Arkansas special care unit requirement | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Written disclosure before admission | A copy to take home before any deposit |
| Individual assessment and support plan | Who writes it and how often it is updated |
| Staffing on the unit's own census | How many staff are on the unit each shift, overnight included |
| Initial dementia training within five months | How many current staff are still inside that window |
| Quarterly in-service plus yearly dementia hours | The training log for night and weekend aides |
What does memory care cost around Little Rock?
No memory care median is published for Arkansas. Expect a premium over the $4,562 a month assisted living median and compare written price sheets. Ask whether the price is all-inclusive or a base rate plus care levels, and what the bill would be in a year if needs grow.
Living Choices can pay for care services in a participating Level II building, including its special care unit, for residents who qualify. PACE, available in Pulaski, Saline, Faulkner and Lonoke counties, can support a person with dementia who can still live at home.
How do we judge a unit on a visit?
Visit twice: once mid-morning and once around 4 p.m., when confusion and agitation are most common. Watch whether staff call residents by name and know their histories, whether residents are engaged or simply seated in front of a television, whether doors and outdoor space are secure and inviting, and how staff respond when someone is upset.
Ask the director what happened the last time a resident wandered, fell at night or needed hospital care, and listen for specifics rather than reassurance.
When is a nursing home better than a memory care unit?
When a person with dementia also has significant medical needs, such as frequent injections, wounds, feeding difficulties or the need for two people to transfer, or when he or she is bedridden. Arkansas assisted living, including special care units, may not keep a resident who needs 24-hour nursing or is bedridden. Many central Arkansas nursing homes run secured dementia halls; check their CMS ratings and ask about activity staffing for residents with dementia.
Frequently asked questions
Does Arkansas license memory care separately?
No. Memory care is an Alzheimer's special care unit inside a licensed facility.
What must a unit give families before admission?
A written disclosure statement describing the unit's care and services.
How much dementia training do staff need?
Training within five months of hire at eight hours a month, then quarterly in-service plus two dementia hours a year.
Can Medicaid help pay?
Living Choices can pay for care services in a participating Level II building for eligible residents.
When should we tour memory care?
Before a crisis, and at least once in the late afternoon.
