Memory Care Facilities: Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care
Find the best memory care community near you!
What is memory care?
Memory care, sometimes called Alzheimer’s care, provides housing and 24-hour care for seniors with dementia or other types of memory loss. Memory care facilities offer a safe, uniquely designed environment for residents to improve quality of life, reduce confusion, and prevent wandering.
Staff at memory care facilities receive special training to help prevent and minimize difficult dementia behaviors. These communities also offer memory-enhancing activities — such as music and art therapy — in addition to many of the services available at assisted living, such as prepared meals, housekeeping, laundry, and assistance with daily activities, such as dressing, bathing, and grooming.
Top Benefits of Memory Care
Memory care, often called Alzheimer’s care, provides housing, meals, supportive services, and various levels of health care for people with dementia or other forms of memory loss. Memory care facilities provide a secure area, often via alarmed exit doors, and employ specially trained staff. This type of care focuses on enhancing quality of life for people with dementia, while minimizing wandering, frustration, and depression.
Dementia —a term for brain disorders that cause memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning skills — is progressive. This means symptoms worsen over time. Someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s eventually requires 24-hour supervised care in a secure environment.
Where to find memory care?
Standalone memory care communities focus specifically on this unique care type and welcome mostly residents with dementia. Memory care units also are often found within assisted living communities in a separate wing or building. Sometimes, dementia care is offered in nursing homes.
Communities also present opportunities to socialize, providing activities and communal gatherings. Therapies may even involve your loved one’s special interests and hobbies. In memory care, trained staff lead fun, memory-enhancing group therapies and programs, such as:
- Art therapy
- Pet therapy
- Light therapy
- Music therapy
- Aromatherapy
- Sensory stimulation
- Storytelling
- Field trips
To find out more about memory care and whether it might be a good fit for your loved one, talk by phone or chat online with one of Forever Home Placement Services Senior Living Advisors.
The demand for memory care continues to surge. Senior Housing Business magazine noted a 55 percent increase in memory units from 2014 to 2019, with communities acting fast to meet this rising need. In fact, memory care now represents the fastest-growing sector of senior living, resulting in more options for seniors.
How memory care supports seniors
Memory care facilities cater to seniors’ increased need of support with daily activities, building upon general assisted living services in several ways:
- Safety
Memory care facilities offer protective, 24-hour supervision to prevent wandering. - Convenience
Memory care communities offer the comfort and convenience of in-house health care services. - Specialized staff
Staff at memory care facilities receive specific, thorough training related to dementia. These facilities also have a smaller staff-to-resident ratio to make sure residents receive the attention and care they need. - Unique design features
Memory care facilities are designed to alleviate confusion, disorientation, and other dementia symptoms.
Families can also expect personalized support based on a resident’s stage of dementia. Individuals with early-stage dementia have the capacity to relearn skills and improve their memory through focused treatment. For residents with advanced forms of memory loss, these programs can help slow the progression of the disease.
Key features and benefits of memory care
Above all, families typically turn to memory care for expertise and peace of mind. These communities prioritize safety, featuring alarmed doors and keypad entrances.
Memory care facilities also aim to comfort your loved one with accessible layouts and social inclusion. From a design perspective, for example, communities make navigation simple with non-repetitive hallways and clearly marked exits.
Facilities empower residents to recognize their surroundings through sensory cues, like music in communal areas and familiar scents in the kitchen. They may facilitate relaxation with gardens and secure, enclosed outdoor spaces.
When is it time for memory care?
Many families struggle with the decision to transition a loved one to senior living. As your relative’s dementia progresses, it’s important to consider their health and safety and your own physical and mental health.
It may be time for memory care if your parent’s daily care needs are increasingly more than you can provide or manage. If dementia behaviors — such as aggression, wandering, and depression — pose a physical or mental health risk to your loved one, yourself, or others, memory care may be a solution.
Memory care provides memory-enhancing therapies, 24-hour care and supervision, and a secure environment with specialized staff who are trained in dementia and Alzheimer’s care.
What does memory care cost?
Memory care costs vary depending on location, community amenities, apartment size, and how much assistance your loved one needs. You can save money on memory care costs by carefully weighing the benefits of all-inclusive vs. a la carte services, and asking about move-in specials or other discounts.
Several financing options are available to help pay for memory care, including veterans benefits, long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, and more.
How do you choose a memory care community?
There are many factors to consider when searching for a memory care community for your loved one. Location, safety, cost, amenities, and memory therapies and programs will likely be on your list of considerations. Be sure to ask about staff-to-resident ratios, staff qualifications, and emergency procedures.
An in-person or virtual tour provides opportunities to ask questions and get a sense of the community. It allows you to see or experience activities, meals, amenities, staff interactions with residents, and more.
How do you move a loved one to memory care?
Moving a loved one to memory care can be especially stressful and emotional. You may be overwhelmed with the moving process and concerned about whether your loved one will adjust.
Visiting the community with your parent before moving, selecting your loved one’s best time of the day to move, and carefully choosing what to move are just a few of the steps that can help make the move smoother. Knowing what to expect can help you better prepare to ease your loved one’s transition to memory care.
