Hospitals & Memory Care Units Serving Houston

Houston families seeking hospital care for a relative living with dementia usually start with the city's major acute-care hospitals, then ask each facility whether it has a dedicated memory or geriatric unit. Public CMS listings give each hospital's name, address, ownership, emergency services, and overall star rating. They do not say whether the hospital runs a memory unit. Use the hospitals below as a starting list, then confirm dementia-related services and discharge planning directly with the facility. For a wider view of local aging and in-home options, see the Houston city guide.

What dementia means during a Houston hospital stay

Dementia is a general term for a decline in memory, thinking, and the ability to carry out everyday activities, as described by the CDC.

A Houston hospital visit is often for an infection, fall, surgery, or another acute problem rather than for dementia itself. New surroundings can increase confusion, so families should tell the care team about the diagnosis, usual routine, and how the person communicates. This page does not diagnose conditions or recommend treatments.

Houston hospitals listed by CMS

The Houston hospitals below appear in CMS Hospital General Information as acute-care facilities that offer emergency services. CMS overall ratings are included where published. Those ratings are overall hospital scores, not dementia-specific grades. CMS does not publish whether any of these hospitals has a dedicated memory or geriatric unit, so confirm that directly with the hospital.

Houston Methodist Hospital
6565 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 790-2221
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.

Houston Methodist West Hospital
18500 KATY FREEWAY, HOUSTON, TX 77094
Phone: (832) 522-1000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.

Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital
18220 STATE HIGHWAY 249, HOUSTON, TX 77070
Phone: (281) 477-1000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.

Houston VA Medical Center
2002 HOLCOMBE BLVD., HOUSTON, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 794-7100
Acute care - Veterans Administration, veterans health administration ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 5 out of 5.

Baylor St Lukes Medical Center
6720 BERTNER AVE, STE MC1-266, HOUSTON, TX 77030
Phone: (832) 355-1000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - church ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.

HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center
1313 HERMANN DR, HOUSTON, TX 77004
Phone: (713) 527-5019
Acute care hospital, proprietary ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.

Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center
6411 FANNIN, HOUSTON, TX 77030
Phone: (713) 704-3700
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.

Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital
921 GESSNER, HOUSTON, TX 77024
Phone: (713) 242-3000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating 4 out of 5.

Listing a hospital here is not an endorsement by that hospital, and it is not a claim that the hospital has a memory unit or partners with any in-home care service.

How to ask whether a Houston hospital has a memory unit

CMS does not publish whether a Houston hospital has a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit, so families need to ask each hospital directly.

When you call the numbers above, useful questions include:

• Do you have a dedicated memory, geriatric, or dementia unit, or is care provided on a general medical floor?
• How do nurses and sitters support a patient who is confused, wanders, or is at risk of falling?
• Can a family member stay at the bedside, and how should we share the person's daily routine?
• Who handles discharge planning for a patient with dementia, and when does that planning start?
• Will the discharge team help arrange home health, equipment, or follow-up with a memory-care clinician?

Ask for the answer in writing when you can, and keep the name of the person who explained the unit or the discharge plan.

Finding an NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

The National Institute on Aging designates Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers that focus on Alzheimer's disease research, evaluation, and related studies, not on every form of dementia.

This page does not list a named NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Houston. Families looking for that kind of center can search the NIA directory of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers and then ask whether a listed center has a hospital affiliation they can use.

National overviews of these centers are also published on Alzheimers.gov and on the NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers page. Use those tools to confirm locations and hospital ties rather than assuming a Houston hospital on this page is a research center.

Planning the trip home from a Houston hospital

After a Houston hospital stay, families often add short-term help at home so a relative with dementia is not left without support during the first days back.

Medicare claims research has examined 30-day readmission risk among people with dementia. One Medicare claims study addresses dementia and 30-day readmission risk. A narrative review examines determinants of hospital readmissions in dementia.

Those studies describe research findings. They do not tell a family which Houston hospital to choose or which home schedule to use. A practical next step is to ask the hospital case manager for a written discharge plan, then match that plan to help at home. Hospital discharge care can cover the handoff from bedside to home. Memory care at home focuses on familiar routines in the house. If the person cannot be left alone overnight, families sometimes look at 24-hour live-in care. Short breaks for family caregivers may come from respite care.

Medicare describes coverage for home health services when its rules are met. That coverage is not the same as round-the-clock custodial care. The National Institute on Aging explains what long-term care includes for people who need ongoing personal or health support.

Houston support groups and care-planning help

The Alzheimer's Association - Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter offers support groups and education programs serving the Greater Houston Metro Area. Families can call 800-272-3900 and ask about groups that fit their situation.

Veterans who use Houston VA Medical Center can ask that hospital about dementia-related services and discharge support. Some veterans and surviving spouses also review VA Aid and Attendance benefits and the Housebound allowance as a possible source of extra help at home. Confirm eligibility with the VA, not with the hospital listing alone.

Families who need an elder law attorney can search the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) national directory rather than relying on an unvetted firm name. Families who want a professional geriatric or aging life care manager can search the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) national directory. This page does not name individual firms or managers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Houston hospitals should we consider for a relative with dementia?

Start with the acute-care hospitals listed on this page, including Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist West Hospital, Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, Houston VA Medical Center, Baylor St Lukes Medical Center, HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center, Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, and Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital. They are the Houston hospitals identified in the local CMS data used here. Ask each one directly how it supports a patient with dementia, because CMS does not publish whether a dedicated memory unit exists.

Does any named Houston hospital have a memory care unit?

CMS Hospital General Information does not say whether any of the Houston hospitals on this page has a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit. Call the hospital using the number listed above and ask about the unit, the floor where the patient would stay, and how wandering or confusion is handled. Do not assume a 4-star or 5-star overall rating means a memory unit is available.

How do I find an NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center that serves Houston families?

Use the National Institute on Aging directory of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers and ask a listed center whether it has a Houston-area hospital affiliation. This page does not name a Houston NIA center. Keep the search scoped to Alzheimer's disease research centers, which is what those NIA listings cover.

What should we ask a Houston hospital before discharge if our parent has dementia?

Ask who the discharge planner is, when the person is expected to leave, what medicines and follow-up appointments are required, and whether home health has already been ordered. Ask how the person will get home, who will stay with them the first night, and what to do if confusion or a fall happens after they leave. Then compare that plan with in-home options such as hospital discharge care and memory care at home.

Can a veteran with dementia use Houston VA Medical Center?

Houston VA Medical Center is an acute-care Veterans Administration hospital at 2002 HOLCOMBE BLVD., HOUSTON, TX 77030, with emergency services and a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5. Call (713) 794-7100 to ask about eligibility, dementia-related support, and discharge planning. Veterans and some surviving spouses may also ask the VA about Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits.

Where can Houston families find Alzheimer's support groups?

The Alzheimer's Association - Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter provides support groups and education programs serving the Greater Houston Metro Area. Call 800-272-3900 and ask which groups serve your part of the metro area and whether they are for people living with Alzheimer's, for care partners, or for both.

Does Medicare pay for care at home after a Houston hospital stay?

Medicare publishes coverage rules for home health services, which can include part-time skilled care when eligibility conditions are met. That is not the same as all-day companion or live-in help. Ask the hospital discharge planner whether the patient meets Medicare home health criteria, and plan separately for unpaid family time or private-duty help if around-the-clock support is needed.