Why do the memory care areas within a facility look like a hospital and not decorated and pretty as the assisted living areas within the facility?

Have you visited a number of facilities? Maybe some are better than others. You could also consider a nursing home with memory unit. My mother is in a lovely facility and all the various areas of the facility are tastefully decorated and home-like. Often a nursing home is a good choice as there is always an R.N. present as well as nurse practitioner for on the spot care. The nursing home my mother is in is actually nicer than assisted living facilities I had toured. She lives in a resort area with a large elderly population, so there are numerous facilities as they cater to the elderly.

Odette, there is no reason the memory unit should not look just as nice as the assisted living areas. I've been doing interior architecture & design for senior's communities, in particular Assisted and Alzheimer's care, for over 20 years. We've made great strides in making facilities less institutional! The good ones invest in making things as residential and home like as possible. I have some wonderful stories how improvements in the environment has improved behaviors. I don't know where you are located but I would visit other communities, nowadays homelike should be the norm not the exception!