Memory Clinics & Alzheimer's Research Centers in Memphis

This directory lists Memphis hospitals, the local Alzheimer's Association office, and national locators for NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, and it explains what a first memory evaluation visit typically involves. It is not a diagnosis tool, and no clinic, hospital, or agency named here is presented as endorsing any home care provider.

Older adults and memory concerns in Memphis

Memphis has 88,932 residents age 65 and older, 8,451 residents age 85 and older, and 32,761 seniors living alone, and the city's median household income is $51,211. Those city-level figures come from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates.

The CDC describes dementia as involving difficulties with memory, thinking, and daily function. Read that definition on the CDC dementia overview. Families who notice those changes often ask a clinician for a memory evaluation. For a wider local overview of aging and in-home support, see the Memphis city care guide.

NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers

NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers are specialized centers that study Alzheimer's disease, and families can locate them through national directories rather than assuming one is based in Memphis.

This page does not list a Memphis street address for an NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Use the NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center finder or the Alzheimers.gov national research centers page to see participating centers. Then use the contact path listed on that center's site to ask about referrals from Memphis, whether the visit is a research evaluation or a clinical diagnostic visit, and whether travel or telehealth is offered.

Memphis hospitals to call about memory and geriatric services

Memphis families should call local hospitals to ask whether neurology, geriatric medicine, or cognitive evaluation is available, because public hospital listings do not state which campuses operate a dedicated memory unit.

Ask each hospital directly whether it has a dedicated memory or geriatric program, how to get a referral, and what discharge planning looks like for a patient with memory loss. The facilities below serve Memphis. CMS Care Compare publishes name, address, facility type, ownership, and overall rating. It does not publish memory-clinic hours or dementia-unit staffing, so confirm those details with the hospital.

• Baptist Memorial Hospital is an acute care hospital with voluntary non-profit private ownership at 6019 WALNUT GROVE ROAD, MEMPHIS, TN 38120. Phone (901) 226-5000. CMS overall rating 3 out of 5. Emergency services are listed.

• Memphis VA Medical Center is an acute care Veterans Administration hospital at 116 N PAULINE ST, MEMPHIS, TN 38105. Phone (901) 523-8990. CMS overall rating 3 out of 5. Emergency services are listed. Veterans should ask this medical center directly about memory or geriatric evaluation.

• Methodist Hospitals of Memphis is an acute care hospital with voluntary non-profit church ownership at 1265 UNION AVE SUITE 700, MEMPHIS, TN 38104. Phone (901) 516-8274. CMS overall rating 3 out of 5. Emergency services are listed.

• Regional One Health is an acute care hospital with government hospital district or authority ownership at 877 JEFFERSON AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TN 38103. Phone (901) 545-7928. CMS overall rating 1 out of 5. Emergency services are listed.

• St Francis Hospital is an acute care hospital with proprietary ownership at 5959 PARK AVE, MEMPHIS, TN 38119. Phone (901) 765-1000. CMS overall rating 1 out of 5. Emergency services are listed.

• Delta Specialty Hospital is an acute care hospital with proprietary ownership at 3000 GETWELL RD, MEMPHIS, TN 38118. Phone (901) 369-8100. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Emergency services are listed.

• Crestwyn Behavioral Health is a psychiatric hospital with proprietary ownership at 9485 CRESTWYN HILLS COVE, MEMPHIS, TN 38125. Phone (901) 457-5667. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Emergency services are listed. Ask this hospital directly which programs it offers.

• Lakeside Behavioral Health System is a psychiatric hospital with voluntary non-profit church ownership at 2911 BRUNSWICK RD, MEMPHIS, TN 38133. Phone (901) 377-4700. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Ask this hospital directly which programs it offers.

If a hospital stay is already underway, ask the discharge planner how memory loss will be handled at home and review hospital discharge care before the return home.

Alzheimer's Association support in Memphis

The Alzheimer's Association Tennessee Chapter Memphis Office provides free 24/7 helpline support, support groups, care planning, and family care conferences for people living with dementia and their caregivers in the Memphis/West Tennessee region.

The office is at 1661 International Drive, Suite 400, Memphis, TN 38120. The helpline number is 800-272-3900. Details are listed by the Alzheimer's Association Tennessee Chapter. This office is a support and education resource, not a hospital memory clinic and not an NIA research center.

What a first memory evaluation visit typically involves

A first memory evaluation visit typically includes a medical history, questions about changes in memory and daily tasks, a review of medications, and cognitive screening, often with a family member in the room.

Clinics differ, so this is general information, not a protocol for any named Memphis hospital or research center. Families often bring:

• A current list of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements
• Prior imaging or lab results if they already have them
• Notes on when symptoms started and how they affect cooking, driving, bills, or bathing
• Insurance cards and photo identification
• A relative or friend who has observed day-to-day changes

When you schedule the appointment, ask whether the visit may include blood work, brain imaging, or a later neuropsychological testing session, and how long to plan to be on site. Do not start, stop, or change medicines based on this page. Sudden confusion, stroke warning signs, or a head injury belong in emergency care, not a routine memory-clinic slot.

Home care and planning after a Memphis evaluation

After a memory evaluation in Memphis, many families add in-home help, review how long-term care works, and complete legal documents while the person can still participate.

The National Institute on Aging describes long-term care as help with everyday personal and health-related tasks that can be delivered at home or in other settings. See the NIA overview of long-term care for that definition.

Some Memphis households start with companion care for supervision and familiar routines, then add personal care for bathing and dressing. When nighttime safety is the issue, families look at 24-hour live-in care or structured memory care at home. Caregivers who need a break can ask about respite care.

For Alzheimer's disease specifically, the NIA outlines legal and financial planning such as considering decision-making documents early. To find an elder law attorney, search the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys directory rather than relying on an unvetted list of firms. Families who want a professional care manager can search the Aging Life Care Association directory.

Veterans can ask Memphis VA Medical Center about clinical services and separately review VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits. That pension-related benefit is not the same thing as a memory clinic appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Memphis?

This directory does not list an NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Center with a Memphis address. Use the NIA research center finder or the Alzheimers.gov national research centers page, then contact the center listed on its site to ask whether it accepts referrals from Memphis.

Which Memphis hospital has a dedicated memory unit?

CMS Care Compare does not publish whether Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis VA Medical Center, Methodist Hospitals of Memphis, Regional One Health, St Francis Hospital, Delta Specialty Hospital, Crestwyn Behavioral Health, or Lakeside Behavioral Health System operates a dedicated memory or geriatric unit. Call the hospital and ask about neurology, geriatric medicine, or cognitive evaluation, and confirm the referral process.

What should we bring to a first memory clinic visit in Memphis?

Bring a current medication list, insurance cards, notes on when memory or daily-function changes began, and a person who has seen day-to-day changes. If you already have prior lab or imaging reports, bring those too. Ask the clinic listed on its site what else it wants, including whether a longer testing visit will be scheduled separately.

Where can Memphis caregivers get free Alzheimer's and dementia support?

The Alzheimer's Association Tennessee Chapter Memphis Office at 1661 International Drive, Suite 400, Memphis, TN 38120 offers a free 24/7 helpline, support groups, care planning, and family care conferences for people living with dementia and their caregivers in the Memphis/West Tennessee region. The helpline number is 800-272-3900.

Can a veteran in Memphis get a memory evaluation at the VA?

Memphis VA Medical Center is at 116 N PAULINE ST, MEMPHIS, TN 38105, and the listed phone number is (901) 523-8990. Ask the medical center directly whether it offers memory or geriatric evaluation. Aid and Attendance is a separate VA pension-related benefit and should not be confused with a clinic appointment.

What in-home help can we add after a Memphis memory evaluation?

Many families keep the person at home and add support in stages, such as companion visits, personal care, respite for the primary caregiver, or around-the-clock help if safety requires it. Memory care at home is one way to keep routines familiar after an evaluation. Match the schedule to what the clinic and your household actually need, and ask the hospital discharge team to coordinate if the evaluation followed an inpatient stay.