Your checklist for selecting a memory care unit
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Q: My mom has Alzheimer’s disease and can’t live at home any longer. I need to find a good memory care residential unit for her. Any suggestions?
A: Choosing a good memory care residential unit for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease requires careful evaluation and some homework. Here are some steps that can help you find a good facility and avoid a bad one.
Make a list: To identify some good memory care residential units in your area ask your mom’s doctor for a referral, and use the Alzheimer’s Association online tool at CommunityResourceFinder.org. Make sure the facilities on your list are close to family members and friends who can visit often, because residents with frequent visitors usually get better care.
Research your options: Once you’ve made a list, contact your local long-term care ombudsman (see LTCombudsman.org). This is a government official who investigates assisted living and nursing home complaints and can tell you which facilities have had problems in the past. If you’re looking at a memory care unit within a nursing home facility, use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool (Medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare), which provides a 5-star rating system.
Call the facilities: Once you’ve identified a few facilities, call them to find out if they have vacancies, if they provide the types of services your mother needs, what they charge and if they accept Medicaid.
Tour your top choices: During your tour, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind to its residents? Also be sure to taste the food, and talk to the current resident’s family members, if available. Also, find out about staff screening and training procedures, their turnover rate and the staff-to-resident ratio. They should have at least one staff member for every five residents. Ask how they respond to residents who may wander or become aggressive. If the answer is locked doors and antipsychotic drugs, that’s a red flag. It’s also a good idea to make multiple visits to the facility including an unscheduled visit at night or on weekends when the staff is more likely to be stretched thin. The Alzheimer’s Association offers a checklist that you can access at ALZ.org/residentialfacilities.
Paying for care: The national average costs for memory care within an assisted living facility is more than $5,000 per month, and more than $7,500/month for nursing home care, but costs can vary widely. To help you research your financial options, go to the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information website at LongTermCare.gov.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
