Difference between licensed and not licensed AL?

I don't think there is any facility that doesn't require a license. Especially if Medicaid maybe involved. The State has to inspect them.

I agree, by the time MC is needed, the person is pretty well into their Dementia. I doubt if the person would ever be able to do for themselves. Temporary may mean to get her over a hump but she probably still need 24/7 care. Are you prepared for that?

Judy; What are you really asking? About licensed and unlicensed facilities or about whether it is realistic to hope that your mother will "graduate" from Memory Care and be able to live on her own?

Have you done much reading about dementia, which your profile says that your mother has been diagnosed with?

Dementia does not "get better". It gets worse. It is a progressive, fatal disease.

Go to Alz.org and do some reading and you will get a better idea of what to expect.

Normally, by the time an 88 year old elder is placed in Memory Care, or even Assisted Living for that matter, there isn't much she can 'do for herself' anymore. Fending for oneself at that age is a bit unrealistic, in my opinion, especially if dementia is involved, even mild dementia. Since you seem to be asking a couple of different questions here, this is a link to an answer about the difference between licensed and unlicensed Assisted Living Facilities:

https://thebristal.com/blog/licensed-assisted-living-vs-unlicensed/