Memory care is long-term care specifically for older adults who have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other kinds of cognitive impairment. As you look at the memory care community options for your older loved one, be prepared with the right questions that address your concerns for your loved one’s care. Here are a few to get you started.
Memory care services
Memory care communities can offer a range of activities and services, some of which are more important to your loved ones than others. Services commonly include 24-hour supervision, assistance with daily living tasks, medication support, and meals. Staff training in dementia care varies from home to home, so it is worth asking every community exactly what training its caregivers receive.
In Illinois, a home that offers special care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias must give families a written disclosure covering its approach to care, staffing, admission and discharge procedures, activities, the family’s role, and costs. Ask for it at every home you tour. Our guide to memory care in Dixon for Lee County families explains what that disclosure must include.
Questions for choosing a memory care community
While you’re searching for a memory care community, you’ll eventually come up with a list of your top choices that you will want to tour. When you go on a tour, prepare a list of questions for the staff to determine whether your loved one will fit right into that community. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- May we have a copy of your written Alzheimer’s and dementia care disclosure?
- What kind of specialized memory care training does the care staff receive?
- Are the rooms semi-private or private? How much do they cost?
- What is the monthly rate for housing? What services and amenities are included?
- What assistance with daily living does this community provide with the monthly fee? What costs extra?
- What are the policies related to medical emergencies? How will a loved one be notified?
- What security measures are in place for the memory care community?
- What meals are provided? Is there variety in the menu? Is the community able to accommodate special dietary requirements, and cultural requests such as kosher meals?
- How often are laundry and housekeeping services provided?
- Does the community provide special care needs such as mobility issues, diabetic care, or wandering?
- How does the staff respond when a resident becomes upset, suspicious, or refuses care?
- Does the community provide social, exercise, and other programs?
- What is the staff-to-resident ratio during the day and night?
- How are families able to communicate with their loved ones? How often does care staff communicate with a resident’s loved ones?
If you are not sure yet whether your loved one needs memory care, our guides to the stages of dementia and adult day services versus memory care can help you think it through.
If you’re still unsure about making this big decision or need guidance for the next step, think about talking to friends and family who have already gone through the process, they can provide you with much-needed support during a potentially trying time for your loved one and your family. To learn more about Shepherd Premier Senior Living’s memory care in Dixon and Sterling, call or text (847) 961-2551 or contact us. Curious about the affordability of senior living?
Visit our Funding Guide.
