Memory care for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients provides more support and care than in an assisted living community but less than in a nursing home.
Patients have some degree of independence but are still safeguarded from harm.
Here is what to look for in a memory care facility:
- Trained and experienced staff
- Comfortable and spacious rooms
- Safe environment
- Quality dining
- Varied activity calendar
- Affordability (for you)
Selecting a memory care facility is a tough decision that requires forethought, research, site tours, and a few sit-down interviews.
When it’s time to consider memory care, this guide will provide information and pointers for finding the right facility for your senior parent or loved one.
What Are The Qualities Of A Good Memory Care Facility?
Let’s review the qualities a facility should have as you begin tours and explore your options.
Cleanliness
This is a must. A clean facility proves that the staff is dedicated to providing residents with an exemplary, care-filled experience.
You should expect the main halls to look spotless, but check the residents’ rooms, common areas, and dining halls. These spaces should be just as clean.
Well-Trained Staff
Alzheimer’s and dementia are difficult diseases. The staff at the memory care facility should understand these diseases inside and out.
They should also be warm, compassionate, understanding, and patient.
You don’t want short-tempered staff, as they won’t have much tolerance for the confusion and mood changes that are hallmarks of dementia.
Poor care could exacerbate dementia symptoms and affect the patient’s physical and mental health.
24/7 Security
A patient’s safety is paramount at a memory care facility, so the building should always have security guards on staff.
That includes nights, weekends, and holidays, as a dementia patient doesn’t always know what day it is.
Safe Design
The design of the building should also encourage safety.
For example, the facility should include delayed-egress doors that make it difficult to leave, anti-wandering devices, and memory boxes in resident rooms.
The rooms should also contain no items a patient can use to hurt themselves or facilitate escape.
Comfortable, Spacious Rooms
Besides the design of the rooms, pay attention to their layout and size. A room should be comfortable enough for a resident to stretch out.
They should have the space to unpack their belongings without feeling cramped.
Quality Dining
Dementia patients need nutritious, well-balanced meals as much as any other senior.
A healthy diet will prevent them from becoming overweight, which can affect them physically, and all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins will support better health.
The facility should provide daily meals and smaller meals or snacks as a senior wants.
Varied Activity Calendar
The activities offered at the memory care facility should change regularly, such as weekly, to keep patients engaged.
They can become tired of the same activities, so the facility should always introduce new experiences without them becoming overwhelming.
These activities can take place within and outside the facility and should always be supervised by memory care staff.
Activity Rooms
Further, the facility should have activity rooms and spaces for patients to do activities independent of the supervised outings.
For example, the memory care facility might have a residential garden, an activity room with instruments, a game room, and a common area with TVs.
Fitness Spaces
The memory care facility should encourage physical activity to keep a dementia patient healthy.
Group-led exercise classes might be part of the regular calendared activities, but the facility should also have a fitness center.
The fitness center might include a therapeutic whirlpool and should contain a variety of exercise equipment. Staff should be available to supervise equipment use to reduce injuries.
What Services Does Memory Care Provide?
As a cross between a nursing home and assisted living, memory care provides services found in both types of facilities as well as unique options. Here’s an overview.
Therapeutic Services
The recreational programming offered at memory care has a therapeutic sense that might reduce symptom onset or lessen the severity.
Residents can participate one-on-one or in small groups in supervised trips outside the facility, in-house worship, speech therapy, memory games, music therapy, or animal therapy.
Medical Pendants
Patients will receive medical pendants detailing whether they have allergies and what care to administer in an emergency when they’re unresponsive or too confused.
Activity Rooms And Spaces
Patients in a memory care facility will have access to supervised group activities as planned throughout the month.
They can also spend time in activity spaces anytime by themselves or with a group.
Meals
The memory care facility will provide patients with three meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will also receive snacks.
Exercise
The activity calendar will usually include exercises, and the memory care facility should also have exercise spaces and equipment for residents to use as they wish.
Transportation
Although memory care doesn’t provide medical care outright, patients can receive transportation to and from their doctor’s appointments, hospital, pharmacy, and other medical facilities.
Questions To Ask Memory Care Facilities
Have you found a few memory care facilities you’re interested in touring in your area?
Part of your tour should include a sit-down discussion with a member or several of the facility’s staff.
Here are some questions to ask during the interview to better understand the extent of care the patient would receive.
- How do you prevent patients from wandering off?
- Does the facility have a waiting list?
- Are activities outside the facility free, or does the family have to pay?
- How often are activities available?
- How often do you update the activity calendar?
- What parts of the facility are patients allowed to use?
- What is the security like? How often are they available?
- Can residents customize their apartments or rooms?
- What amenities are included in the apartments or rooms?
- Does the facility have additional costs, including medication fees, transportation, outings and activities, phone, cable, and internet?
- Do residents have their own private bathrooms?
- Who takes care of cleaning? How often do they clean the apartments or rooms?
- What is a sample meal plan?
- How many meals per day are provided?
- Are snacks provided?
- Can patients cook for themselves if they want?
- Does the apartment or room come furnished?
- What services don’t you provide?
- Are pets allowed?
- What are the visiting hours?
- How often can family or friends visit?
- How much do services cost?
- Do you have financial assistance?
- Who administers medication?
- Is there an in-house physician?
Memory Care Pricing
When it comes to paying for memory care, the facility should be affordable for you.
According to Brookdale Senior Living, starting costs for memory care are between $2,795 and $10,030, with an average of $5,800 per month.
However, some facilities charge less than that and others more than $10,000.
The cost of memory care depends on where you live, the extensiveness of services offered, and the level of care the patient requires.
To help you better plan for what you might spend on memory care services, here is the monthly pricing for this care for each state in the US in 2022, courtesy of A Place for Mom.
- Alabama – $4,812
- Alaska – $6,650
- Arizona – $5,400
- Arkansas – $5,300
- California – $5,900
- Colorado – $6,072
- Connecticut – $8,200
- Delaware – $6,279
- Florida – $4,900
- Georgia – $4,295
- Hawaii – $8,500
- Idaho – $4,875
- Illinois – $6,300
- Indiana – $5,820
- Iowa – $5,800
- Kansas – $6,270
- Kentucky – $4,945
- Louisiana – $5,250
- Maine – $8,632
- Maryland – $6,903
- Massachusetts – $8,160
- Michigan – $5,755
- Minnesota – $6,675
- Mississippi – $4,810
- Missouri – $6,208
- Montana – $6,485
- Nebraska – $5,800
- New Hampshire – $8,100
- New Jersey – $8,150
- New Mexico – $5,000
- New York – $7,153
- North Carolina – $5,945
- North Dakota – $6,150
- Ohio – $5,764
- Oregon – $6,955
- Pennsylvania – $5,895
- Rhode Island – $7,170
- South Carolina – $4,250
- South Dakota – $2,875
- Tennessee – $4,884
- Utah – $4,695
- Vermont – $9,150
- Virginia – $6,000
- Washington – $6,850
- West Virginia – $5,500
- Wisconsin – $6,473
Final Thoughts
Memory care facilities are designed to assist those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, providing around-the-clock monitoring, transportation to and from medical appointments, activities, exercise, and meals. Patients still have some degree of independence.
Take your time choosing a memory care facility and ask lots of questions to determine its veracity. Make sure to ask about pricing upfront and what your payment options are.
