Questions to Ask a Memory Care Community

If someone close to you is one of the 5 million Americans suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, you know the pain of watching the mind of someone you love disappear.

For many with dementia or Alzheimer’s, the best option is a memory care community that can provide the high levels and specialized types of care your loved one needs. Memory care is a specific long-term care designed to meet the individual needs of those suffering from memory loss.

When seeking a memory care community for someone you love, there are many considerations. These are the five most important.

1. How Personal is Care?

Ask the community if they help residents with mobility, communication, and activities of daily living like eating and dressing. You want to make sure the memory care community you’re considering is well-suited to deliver the appropriate level of care your loved one needs now and the future needs that may arise.

2. What is the Cost of Services?

Affordability is a key factor when deciding if a memory care community is right for you and your family. Inquire about the price of admission as well as services like meals and social activities. Determine what the bottom line is for your loved one’s stay. Once you do, you’ll be able to properly investigate what insurance will cover and what it won’t, and what the overall financial obligation will be.

3. What is the Staff to Patient Ratio?

Making sure your loved one enjoys their time in a memory care community is of paramount importance for everyone’s peace of mind, including the patient. A community must be adequately staffed to ensure they are capable of providing care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A good benchmark when reviewing this is a ratio of one caregiver for every six patients.

4. How Well is Staff Trained?

Is staff trained specifically to treat people with memory issues? Does ongoing training exist on the latest developments in the field? What about holistic treatment for the residents? While asking questions, observe. Is the atmosphere warm and caring? Are patients engaged? Look particularly for activities that serve as brain exercises.

5. What Security Measures are in Place?  

Patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s are highly vulnerable to wandering away. To ensure the safety of residents, a memory care community needs to have doors that are locked at all times and a monitored surveillance system, at the very least. memory care communities without these controls should not be considered.

Nye Health Services offers seven communities in Eastern Nebraska and Wyoming, structured to meet the needs of their residents from independent living to skilled nursing, memory care, and now home care services. A family-owned company with a rich history of connecting with the people they serve, Nye Health Services is open for visits anytime. Call 402.753.1400 to schedule an appointment at locations in Fremont, Lincoln, South Sioux City, Norfolk, or Jackson Hole, or visit https://nyehealthservices.com/ for more information.