Alzheimer’s Care and Dementia Assisted Living Facilities are for individuals with significant cognitive impairments that impact their safety. The facilities are secured and have 24-hour staff who are trained in memory care and know how to assist people with impaired cognition. They provide residents with round-the-clock oversite and are ready to assist each resident with daily living activities.These specialized facilities create individualized care plans for each resident designed to keep residents safe and comfortable while encouraging them to function at their highest possible level. Some Assisted Living Facilities have special memory care units. Other entire facilities are dedicated to providing these services.
Once you have decided this is the type of facility you need for your loved one, whether a special unit in an Assisted Living Facility or in a facility dedicated to memory care, there are factors you need to consider when you are searching for just the right place for your particular loved one.
An Alzheimer’s education and advocacy group has published a list of questions they suggest loved ones ask of the administration and staff of every Memory Care Facility they are considering for long term care. If possible, talk to family members of residents who are being cared for.
- Determine the level of care provided. You want to be sure the facility can meet the specific needs of your loved one.
- Inquire about the training and certifications of the staff. Do they know how to deal with a resident’s refusal to eat, bathe, drink fluids or comply with daily routines? What is the staff to resident ratio for day and night?
- Find out what services are included in a flat rate and what services will result in an extra monthly fee.
- What is the level of personal assistance provided to each resident?
- Discuss medical emergencies and determine how they are handled.
- Ask detailed questions about security. Those in need of memory care often wander and become disoriented. Ask specifically how the facility prevents this from happening.
- How are meals provided and are special dietary requirements honored? How do they handle food allergies or accommodate those with special dietary requests?
- Inquire about housekeeping and laundry services. Are they included in the flat rate or is there an extra charge? How often are these services provided?
- What is the protocol for handling special care needs, such as wandering, physical aggression, diabetic issues and other problems unique to an individual resident?
- How do they communicate with family members?
- Do they have residents who they determine must be discharged? If so, what is the procedure and policy?
There are more than 80 secured Memory Care Assisted Living Facilities in the Denver metro area. Most are smaller in size with only 8 to 16 residents. Those that are larger, accommodating between 20 and 60 residents, generally divide the residents into smaller settings within the community.
You will want to visit a facility before deciding it is the right one for your loved one, but realistically it is impossible for you to visit all the facilities. We have visited each facility and know the services they offer and what they charge. If you chose to use our service, we would meet with you and your loved one to determine the type of facility you are looking for and what services your loved one requires. We can tour with you, help you ask the right questions and weigh the pros and cons of each option.
