Seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia often struggle to take care of themselves at home. The best option for most of them is to move to specialized memory care facilities where they can get the help and support required to continue living a fulfilling life. Read on to find out what to look for in a memory care unit.
Qualified Staff
The most important factor in choosing a memory care facility is the staff, so don’t be afraid to ask about their qualifications, training, and experience. Staff members should have dedicated experience with memory care and dementia support, and the facility should make specialists available to their residents as needed.
Make sure there is a licensed nurse onsite to help with residents’ medical needs and ask about consulting physicians and geriatricians. Some facilities also make physical, occupational, and recreational therapy available to residents onsite, which can be helpful as seniors’ needs change.
Cleanliness and Safety
One of the top motivators for looking into memory care is that seniors with dementia may become unsafe or have difficulty with personal hygiene while living at home alone, so cleanliness and safety are essential features in memory care facilities. Ask about safety procedures, standards for contacting family members, and contagious disease measures and protocols.
Even more important than discovering how facilities manage problems with safety or hygiene is discovering how they avoid them, to begin with. When touring a facility, pay attention to details such as whether the rooms and hallways are clearly labeled to make it easier for residents to find their way back to their rooms, if there are obvious safety hazards, and how the community prevents wandering.
Level of Care and Available Amenities
Seniors living in memory care facilities typically need more help with daily activities than their peers. Find out what amenities are available and what level of assistance the community can provide to its residents. Things like housekeeping, laundry services, meal preparation, nursing services, and ADL assistance should be readily available.
Because Alzheimer’s disease and most other forms of dementia are degenerative conditions, it’s important to consider a senior’s future needs, as well. Find out when it would be necessary to move a resident to a skilled nursing facility if family members can bring in outside care aides to provide additional support, and whether the facility is equipped for end-of-life care.
Schedule a Tour
Ready to start looking into memory care options for an aging loved one? The next step is to find a local facility that looks like it will be a good fit and schedule a tour. During the tour, pay attention to the details, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Remember that while moving to a new home can be challenging, particularly for seniors with dementia, the amenities, activities, and care provided in the right memory care facility can dramatically improve a loved one’s quality of life. The facility should be clean, residents should receive the help they need and be provided with activities to keep them occupied, and the staff should be friendly and professional.
