How do I know whether my loved one needs assisted living or memory care?

The clearest signal is what kind of help is missing. If the difficulty is physical, or a matter of routine and safety, assisted living usually fits. If familiar places have started to feel unfamiliar, if reorienting them causes distress, or if nighttime care has become the hardest part for a family caregiver, memory care is worth exploring. At The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place, a clinical team assesses each Member individually and recommends the household that fits.

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Buckhead, Atlanta

The difference between assisted living and memory care

Most families arrive at this question the same way: something has changed, and no one is quite sure what to call it. The distinction matters less than you might fear, and the answer is usually clearer than it looks from the outside. Here is how the two differ, how to tell which one fits, and what happens when the answer changes.

229 Peachtree Hills Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA 30305

See the Comparison Which One Fits?

A Care Partner with a Member at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place in Buckhead, Atlanta

The Short Answer

What is the difference between assisted living and memory care?

Both provide a private residence, chef-prepared meals, and personal care around the clock. The difference is what the care is organized around. Assisted living supports the body and the daily routine. Memory care supports the mind, and shapes the entire environment around how a person with dementia experiences the day.

Assisted Living

Help with the day, not the memory

For someone who is still very much themselves but could use a hand. Bathing, dressing, medication, meals, and getting where they want to go. Members guide their own wellness journey with the support of Care Partners, a Nurse, a Homemaker, and a Dietitian. Independence is the point, and the household is built to protect it.

Club House · River House

Memory Care

The whole environment does the work

For someone living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, where the challenge is not only what they can do but how they experience the day. Secure households, evidence-based programming that supports brain health, and Care Partners trained to meet each Member in their own reality rather than correct it.

Garden · Mountain · Lake

Put simply: assisted living asks what does this person need help doing? Memory care asks what does this person's world feel like right now, and how do we meet them there?

Side by Side

Assisted living and memory care, compared

The two share more than most families expect. Where they part ways is in training, environment, and the shape of the day.

Consider	Assisted Living	Memory Care
Who it is for	Someone whose mind is sharp but whose body needs a hand, or whose routine has quietly become unmanageable alone.	Someone living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, where memory, judgment, or orientation have changed.
What care is built around	The task. Bathing, dressing, medication, mobility, and getting to where the day is happening.	The experience. What the day feels like from the inside, and how to make it feel safe and familiar.
The environment	An open household. Members come and go, host family, and keep their own rhythm.	A secure household, designed to reduce anxiety and promote familiarity. Freedom to move, without the worry.
Care Partner training	Personal care and daily support, with CMAs and LPNs in the household and a Nurse, Homemaker, and Dietitian on the team.	Specialized dementia training, including how to meet a Member in their own reality rather than correct it.
Programming	Social, cultural, and fitness programming, chosen by the Member. Art Studio, Salon and Spa, outings, the Bistro.	Evidence-based practices that support brain health, tailored to each household's level of need. Art therapy, music therapy, sensory engagement.
How households are grouped	By level of independence. Club House is nearly independent. River House is for those who need a little more.	By stage and need. Garden for engagement, Mountain for calm and comfort, Lake for later-stage support.
What stays the same	A private residence, three chef-prepared meals daily, housekeeping and laundry, care around the clock, the Wellness Clinic, and the Household Model.	A private residence, three chef-prepared meals daily, housekeeping and laundry, care around the clock, the Wellness Clinic, and the Household Model.
Monthly cost in Atlanta	Generally $12,000 to $17,000, depending on care level and residence size.	The same range, $12,000 to $17,000, depending on care level and residence size.

Scroll the table sideways to compare.

Notice the last two rows. Cost is not the deciding factor between these two, and neither is the quality of the residence or the dining. The decision is about which environment lets your loved one have the best day.

Which One Fits

What families notice first

Very few people arrive here with a tidy answer. They arrive with a list of small things that stopped adding up. See which column sounds more like the last six months.

Assisted Living

This may be the fit if

You feel your loved one is unsafe in their home alone
Tasks that were once routine are now difficult to complete
Medication is not being taken properly
Daily structure and social engagement would be helpful
There is an escalation of care needs
Scheduled transportation to doctor appointments and shopping would be helpful
Conversations are still very much themselves, even when the body is not cooperating

Memory Care

This may be the fit if

There is a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or another dementia
Familiar places have started to feel unfamiliar, or leaving alone has become a worry
Speech or motion has become repetitive
Judgment around safety has changed, with the stove, the door, or the car
Correcting or reorienting them causes distress rather than clarity
Larger groups and busier rooms leave them overwhelmed
The person caring for them at home is exhausted, and the nights are the hardest part

A Care Partner reading with a Member at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place

If both columns sound familiar, that is not confusion on your part. It is common, and it is exactly what our clinical assessment is for.

A Member visiting with family at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place

You Do Not Have to Choose Forever

The answer is allowed to change

Most families agonize over this decision as though it locks something in. At The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place, it does not. We are the Health Services neighborhood of a Life Plan Community, which means Assisted Living, Memory Care, Short-Term Rehabilitation, and Skilled Nursing all sit on one campus in Buckhead.

If a Member begins in Club House and later needs the calm of Mountain House, that is a short walk and a familiar set of faces, not a search, a waitlist, and a move across town. The right care arrives at the right time, and your loved one stays home.

Part of living a good life is your loved one being as independent as possible. The staff at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place understands that. It's a real partnership.

Leslie M., daughter of an Assisted Living Member

Our Households

Where the difference actually lives

The distinction between assisted living and memory care is easiest to understand by looking at the rooms themselves. Each household here is shaped around the people in it.

Club House, an Assisted Living household at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place — Assisted Living Club House An independent lifestyle with supervision as needed, and its own Bistro, Art Studio, and Salon and Spa.

River House, an Assisted Living household at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place — Assisted Living River House For those who need a little extra help, with art therapy, music therapy, and Care Partners available around the clock.

Garden House, a Memory Care household at The Terraces at Peachtree Hills Place — Memory Care Garden, Mountain & Lake Three households separated by level of need, from stimulating programming to later-stage comfort and sensory connection.

Questions, Answered

What families ask us about the difference

What is the difference between assisted living and memory care?

Assisted living supports someone who needs help with daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, medication, and transportation, while remaining largely themselves. Memory care supports someone living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, where the challenge involves memory, judgment, or orientation.

Both include a private residence, chef-prepared meals, housekeeping, and personal care around the clock. Memory care adds a secure household, Care Partners with specialized dementia training, and evidence-based programming that supports brain health.

How do I know which one my loved one needs?

The clearest signal is what kind of help is missing. If the difficulty is physical, or a matter of routine and safety, assisted living usually fits. If familiar places have started to feel unfamiliar, if reorienting them causes distress, or if the nights have become the hardest part for whoever is caring for them, memory care is worth exploring.

You do not need to settle this alone. Our clinical team assesses each Member individually and recommends the household that actually fits.

Does someone need a dementia diagnosis to move into memory care?

A diagnosis helps us build the right care plan, but you do not need one in hand to start the conversation. Many families reach out while they are still gathering answers, and that is a perfectly good time to call.

Can a Member move from assisted living to memory care later?

Yes, and it is one of the reasons families choose us. As the Health Services neighborhood of a Life Plan Community, we offer a complete continuum on a single Buckhead campus: Assisted Living, Memory Care, Short-Term Rehabilitation, and Skilled Nursing.

If needs change, care adjusts without a search, a waitlist, or a move across town. The faces stay familiar, and so does the address.

Does memory care cost more than assisted living?

Not necessarily. Luxury assisted living and memory care in Atlanta both generally range from $12,000 to $17,000 per month, depending on care level and residence size. Where a Member falls in that range depends on the residence, the household, and the level of care actually delivered rather than on which of the two they choose.

What makes memory care at The Terraces different?

We separate Memory Care into three households by level of need. Garden House offers stimulating programming tailored to each Member's interests and abilities. Mountain House cultivates less stimulation and smaller groups, with a focus on comfort and emotional support. Lake House supports later-stage dementia through sensory stimulation and emotional connection.

We are a recognized leader in care for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and geriatrics, and our Care Partners are trained to meet Members in their own reality.

Is memory care the same as a nursing home?

No. Memory care is a residential household built around cognitive support, where Members live in private suites and have full days of programming, dining, and company. Skilled Nursing is a separate level of care for those who need ongoing licensed medical attention.

We offer both here, along with Short-Term Rehabilitation, so a Member's care can follow their needs without leaving the community.

Talk With Our Team

You do not have to figure this out on your own

Tell us what you have been noticing. Our team will help you make sense of it, and show you the household where your loved one would feel most at home.

Start the Conversation See the Comparison

The difference between assisted living and memory care

What is the difference between assisted living and memory care?

Help with the day, not the memory

The whole environment does the work

Let's talk it through together

Assisted living and memory care, compared

What families notice first

This may be the fit if

This may be the fit if

The answer is allowed to change

Where the difference actually lives

What families ask us about the difference

You do not have to figure this out on your own