Hospitals & Memory Care Units Serving Milwaukee

Milwaukee has several CMS-listed hospitals families can contact when a loved one with memory loss needs emergency or inpatient care, but CMS does not report which hospitals operate a dedicated memory unit. Use the listings below for names, addresses, phone numbers, ownership, and CMS overall ratings, then call the hospital to ask about dementia-related services and discharge planning.

The CDC describes Alzheimer's disease as the most common type of dementia. CDC overview of Alzheimer's and dementia For local in-home options after a stay, start with the Milwaukee care guide.

Hospital names on this page are public facility listings, not endorsements of any clinic, doctor, or home-care provider.

Milwaukee Hospitals Families Can Call

CMS reports multiple hospitals in Milwaukee, including acute care hospitals with emergency services, a VA medical center, a children's hospital, and a psychiatric facility. Confirm hours, units, and whether a memory or geriatric service is available by calling the number listed for each hospital.

Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital
5000 W Chambers St, Milwaukee, WI 53210
Phone: (414) 447-2130
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - church ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 5 out of 5.

Aurora St Lukes Medical Center
2900 W Oklahoma Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215
Phone: (414) 649-6000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 4 out of 5.

Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee
2323 N Lake Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53211
Phone: (414) 585-1374
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - church ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 3 out of 5.

Ascension St Francis Hospital
3237 S 16th St, Milwaukee, WI 53215
Phone: (414) 647-5000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 3 out of 5.

Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital
9200 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53226
Phone: (414) 805-3000
Acute care hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 3 out of 5.

Milwaukee VA Medical Center
5000 W. National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53295
Phone: (414) 384-2000
Acute care - Veterans Administration, veterans health administration ownership, emergency services. CMS overall rating: 3 out of 5. Ask the VA about veteran eligibility and any geriatric or memory-related clinics it offers.

Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin
9000 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53226
Phone: (414) 266-3954
Children's hospital, voluntary non-profit - other ownership, emergency services. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. This listing is a children's hospital, so it is generally not the first call for adult dementia care.

Mental Health Emergency Center, Inc
1525 N 12th St, Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: (414) 966-3030
Psychiatric hospital, voluntary non-profit - private ownership. CMS has not assigned an overall star rating. Ask this facility directly what populations it serves and how it handles patients with dementia-related behavioral crises.

Ask Each Hospital About Memory and Geriatric Services

You should call each Milwaukee hospital to ask whether it offers a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric service, because CMS does not publish that information. A CMS overall star rating also does not tell you whether a hospital has a memory unit, a geriatric psychiatry bed, or staff trained in dementia discharge planning.

Useful questions to ask a nurse navigator, social worker, or admissions line include:

• Do you have a geriatric, memory, or cognitive clinic that can see this patient?
• How do you identify dementia during an inpatient stay, and who leads that evaluation?
• What does discharge planning look like when the patient cannot manage medications or be left alone?
• Can family stay at the bedside, and how do you reduce sundowning, falls, and missed meals?
• Who should we call after discharge if confusion or safety problems return?

Bring a current medication list, a brief history of memory changes, and the name of the primary clinician. This page does not diagnose dementia or recommend a medical treatment.

NIA-Designated Alzheimer's Research Centers

NIA-designated Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers are listed by the National Institute on Aging, and families should use those official directories to see which medical centers participate. Do not assume that a Milwaukee hospital on this page is an NIA research center unless NIA itself lists that affiliation.

Families can find Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers through NIA and review NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Those centers focus on Alzheimer's disease research, diagnosis-related studies, and clinical trials. Ask any center you contact how a Wisconsin family can be referred, whether travel is required, and whether hospital care still happens locally in Milwaukee.

After a Hospital Stay in Milwaukee

After a hospital stay, Milwaukee families often need structured discharge support and in-home help so a person with memory loss can return home as safely as possible. Ask the hospital case manager for written instructions on medications, follow-up visits, home safety, and who to call if confusion worsens.

Many families pair hospital follow-up with hospital discharge care so the first days at home are supervised. If memory loss already affects bathing, dressing, meals, or nighttime safety, memory care at home and companion care can cover daily routines while clinicians manage medical follow-up.

If a caregiver needs a break after a long admission, ask about short-term help at home rather than leaving the person alone. Confirm any plan with the discharging hospital and the person's own clinician.

Community Support for Milwaukee Families

The Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin Chapter provides free support groups, care consultations, education programs, and a 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900 for families across Wisconsin. That chapter is a family-support organization, not a hospital, and it does not replace emergency care.

Call 911 or the hospital emergency number listed above when there is a medical emergency. Use the helpline for caregiver coaching, education, and local support-group information after the immediate crisis has been addressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Milwaukee hospitals should I call if my loved one has dementia?

Start with the acute care hospitals CMS lists in Milwaukee, such as Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, Aurora St Lukes Medical Center, Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital Milwaukee, Ascension St Francis Hospital, and Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital. Veterans can also ask Milwaukee VA Medical Center about eligibility. Call and ask each site whether it has geriatric or memory-related services, because CMS does not publish that detail.

Does CMS say which Milwaukee hospitals have a memory care unit?

No. CMS publishes hospital name, address, type, ownership, emergency-service status, and an overall star rating when one is assigned. CMS does not publish whether a hospital has a dedicated memory, dementia, or geriatric unit. Confirm those services directly with the hospital.

Which hospital on this list has the highest CMS overall rating?

Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital has a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5. Aurora St Lukes Medical Center has a rating of 4 out of 5. Several other Milwaukee hospitals on this list have a rating of 3 out of 5. Childrens Hospital of Wisconsin and Mental Health Emergency Center, Inc. do not have an assigned overall star rating. A star rating is not a dementia-program rating.

How do I find an NIA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center from Milwaukee?

Use the National Institute on Aging directories for Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Search those listings for the center name, affiliated medical school or hospital, and how to contact the program. If NIA does not list a Milwaukee site, a family may still receive hospital care locally and ask about referral to a listed research center.

What should we ask before discharge if the patient has memory loss?

Ask who will reconcile medications, whether the person can be left alone, what follow-up appointments are already booked, and which symptoms should trigger a return visit or 911 call. Request that instructions be written in plain language for the caregiver who will actually be at home. Then ask whether in-home support is needed for the first days after discharge.

Is there a Wisconsin helpline for families that is not a hospital line?

Yes. The Alzheimer's Association Wisconsin Chapter offers a 24/7 helpline at 800-272-3900, plus free support groups, care consultations, and education programs for families across Wisconsin. It is a support resource, not an emergency department.

Can a Milwaukee veteran use the VA medical center for hospital care?

Milwaukee VA Medical Center is listed by CMS as an acute care Veterans Administration hospital with emergency services at 5000 W. National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53295, phone (414) 384-2000. Call the VA to confirm veteran eligibility, enrollment, and any memory-related clinics before assuming a specific service is available.