Each family will have different priorities when it comes to selecting a memory care community, whether they’re looking for a certain staff-to-resident ratio or a specific music therapy program. Regardless, all families should focus on finding a community that is reliable, trustworthy, and skilled in caring for seniors with memory impairment. Below, we explain the key areas for families to focus on when considering a memory care community.

• Care Capabilities: Meet with facility staff to discuss whether the facility can manage your loved one’s condition both now and in the future. If your loved one has other chronic conditions or medical problems in addition to their memory impairment, make sure that the community’s medical team can adequately manage that as well. Personal care plans should be established prior to or upon move-in and regularly updated, so ask management how often care plans are re-assessed.
• Staff Attentiveness and Expertise: Make certain staff has specialized dementia training on top of being good care providers. This means caregivers have a deep understanding of memory impairment and how to communicate with individuals who are not always able to express themselves. They should know how to manage combativeness, recognize signs of pain, and be able to create solutions for the challenges often associated with eating, bathing, or toileting in dementia patients. If you want your loved one to have ample personal attention, be sure to ask about the staff-to-resident ratio to ensure it’s one you feel comfortable with.
• Safety: Rooms and bathrooms should have emergency call systems, and for extra safety, many communities provide residents with personal medical alert systems. Staff should perform in-room checks on a regular basis. To prevent wandering, all entry and exit points should be secure and outdoor areas should be monitored and/or enclosed.
• Activities and Social Engagement: Check not only the number of available activities but also how appropriate they are for your loved one’s cognitive abilities. Usually, dementia programming mimics everyday activities, such as having a dementia-safe kitchen for cooking activities, has time set aside for art projects or reminiscence, and incorporates some basic exercising. Some facilities even have special gardening areas or greenhouses which can be a very rewarding activity.

Ultimately, only you will know if a community is the right fit for your loved one. But if you’d like some assistance from an outside expert, contact a Caring.com Family Advisor. Family Advisors are trained to provide free, personalized, one-on-one guidance to help caregivers and families find the best care solutions for their elderly loved ones. You can contact a Family Advisor by calling (800) 973-1540.

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