Michigan doesn't license 'assisted living' or 'memory care' as their own categories — it uses Homes for the Aged and Adult Foster Care licenses instead. Here's what Detroit families need to know before choosing a secured memory care community.
By Linda Alvarez, CDP · March 24, 2026
Unlike some states, Michigan does not issue a separate 'assisted living' or 'memory care' license. Instead, communities offering that level of care operate under one of two license types from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS): a Home for the Aged (HFA), licensed under the Public Health Code (1978 PA 368, Part 213) for 21 or more unrelated residents, or an Adult Foster Care (AFC) home, licensed under the Adult Foster Care Facility Licensing Act (1979 PA 218). AFC homes are further classified by size — family home (1–6 residents), small group (1–12), large group (13–20), or congregate (21+).
As a Certified Dementia Practitioner, I tell Detroit families that this structure means the 'memory care' label on a brochure isn't itself a license — it's a description of a program built on top of either an HFA or an AFC license. Two communities can both call themselves memory care and hold meaningfully different licenses, staffing levels, and disclosures underneath.
Michigan does not use an evacuation-based classification the way some states do. Instead, families should focus on whether the specific HFA or AFC community has dementia-trained staff, an appropriately secured unit, and a written description of its dementia-care program, services, and staffing. A locked or monitored unit alone is not the same as a genuinely trained, adequately staffed memory care program.
For dementia-specific care, families should ask what dementia training staff have completed, how the secured unit prevents elopement, what the overnight staffing ratio is in that specific unit, and how the community documents and discloses its dementia-care approach. Some larger HFA communities market dedicated memory care wings, while smaller AFC homes may offer a more intimate, home-like dementia-care setting — both can be appropriate depending on a resident's needs and personality.
Before touring, ask whether the community is licensed as a Home for the Aged or an Adult Foster Care home, and request to see its written dementia-care disclosure for the specific secured unit — not just the parent community. Ask what dementia training staff have completed and how recently. Ask about the overnight staff-to-resident ratio in the memory care unit specifically, since that number often differs from the community's overall staffing.
Verify the facility's LARA/BCHS license status and any inspection findings on the Michigan licensing search (michigan.gov/LARA) before you commit. Memory care in Metro Detroit runs $4,800 to $6,800 a month in 2026 — above the $3,800 to $5,600 range for standard assisted living — and the price should reflect the additional staffing and dementia-care programming, not just a locked door. A free advisor familiar with Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County memory care options can help match a family's needs to the right setting and verify the record before a tour is scheduled.
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