Albuquerque Senior AdvisorData as of November 1, 2026 (HCA)
Which Albuquerque assisted living facilities have memory care units?
New Mexico licenses memory care as a part of an assisted living license, under the memory care unit section of the rule (8.370.14.70 NMAC), and HCA's public directory does not say which facilities operate one, so the only honest list from the public record is facilities whose licensed name says memory care: 3 in the part of the directory we could read.
| Facility | Area | Licensed beds | Size band | Overnight staff minimum (8.370.14.19) | NM license # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning Star Assisted Living & Memory Care Rio Rancho 2301 Golf Course Rd SE, Rio Rancho 87124 | Rio Rancho | 94 | 61 or more | 3 awake + 2 more | 4094 |
| Good Life Memory Care 800 Juan Andres Rd, Los Lunas 87031 | Los Lunas | 16 | 16 to 30 | 1 awake + 1 on premises | 2233 |
| Good Life Senior Living and Memory Care 1650 Los Lentes Rd NE, Los Lunas 87031 | Los Lunas | 16 | 16 to 30 | 1 awake + 1 on premises | 2116 |
Source: New Mexico Health Care Authority, Division of Health Improvement, Assisted Living Facilities directory (facility name, NM license number, licensed beds, county, administrator, address, phone), data as of November 1, 2026. HCA does not publish survey results or a memory care flag in this directory.
Many other facilities, including most large communities, run a secured memory care wing under the same license. Ask each one directly whether it operates a secured environment under 8.370.14.70 NMAC; the rule requires it to tell you in writing before admission.
What must a New Mexico memory care unit provide?
A memory care unit must have controlled-access doors, a safe and secure outdoor area residents can use year-round, and at least one trained staff member awake and in attendance in the secured area at all times; staff also need New Mexico's long-term care dementia training on top of the general assisted living training.
Admission requires a registered nurse or physician extender assessment within 15 days before move-in, a primary care diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or another dementia with the need for the unit, and a written look at less restrictive options. The resident is re-evaluated every six months.
The memory care rule, section by section →
How do you confirm a facility really runs a secured memory care unit?
Ask for the written secured-environment disclosure the rule requires before admission, which must describe the diagnoses and behaviors staff are trained for and the type of secured environment, and ask to see the posted survey report and the dementia training records for the staff on the unit.
A facility that only says it is “dementia friendly” but has no secured unit is not a memory care unit under the rule, which matters for anyone at risk of wandering.
Memory care unit vs. general assisted living in New Mexico
| Memory care unit (8.370.14.70) | General assisted living | |
|---|---|---|
| Doors | controlled access, alarmed or keypad | residents come and go |
| Night staff in the unit | at least one trained staff awake in the unit at all times | facility-wide minimum by size |
| Admission paperwork | RN/physician-extender assessment, PCP dementia diagnosis, less-restrictive review | general assessment within 15 days |
| Re-evaluation | every six months and on a significant change | assessment every six months |
