If your loved one has Alzheimer’s or any other form of dementia, you should consider moving them to a memory care center where they will be safe and receive the necessary care from specialized staff.
Besides providing medical attention to your loved one, memory care centers also help the residents with grooming, bathing, and other daily tasks.
While it’s not a doubt that these facilities have plenty of value they bring to the table, you shouldn’t approach them blindly—you should take your time to research the different centers in your area before moving your loved one.
Part of your research should be asking questions to the facilities so that you understand them better to make an informed decision as to whether or not to take your loved one there.
Which are these questions you should ask? Here they are:
How much do you charge?
You don’t want to keep moving your elderly parent from one facility to another after the money has run out, do you? To ensure this doesn’t happen, you should ask the facility how much money they charge for their services.
Generally, memory care is more expensive than assisted living due to the higher staff to resident ratio and the extra services they provide. So, if you are bringing your loved one from an assisted living facility, expect to pay more for memory care.
Different facilities charge differently and have different modes of payment.
Some have an all-inclusive fee, while others have monthly costs that vary depending on the amount of care your loved one requires.
You should weigh your options and settle on the facility with a payment mode that you are comfortable with. As you talk about facility payments, ask about built-in yearly increases and any other hidden charges.
Who is in charge?
It’s vital you know who is in charge of the residents. This is the person taking care of your loved one daily and the person you will be communicating with frequently to know how your loved one is doing.
Besides knowing this person, you also should see the person at the top—the one in charge of the staff and running the facility.
While you won’t be in frequent communication with them, it’s important you know them as they are the ones you will go to should your grievances fail to be resolved by the staff member responsible for your elderly parent.
Are there RNs or LPNs on staff?
Top-quality memory care centers have RNs and/or LPNs on staff, and they oversee any physical and medical needs that the residents might need.
The skilled nurses report directly to the lead physician and address any medical conditions as soon as they come about.
Besides the confusion, agitation, and wandering that your loved one might be having, chances are they also have other medical conditions that need monitoring.
For peace of mind, take your loved one to a facility with qualified staff that will professionally handle any medical condition that might arise.
Are there limits to the nursing services you provide?
Most memory care facilities provide dressing, hygiene, and bathing as standard services.
These are good as they keep your elderly parent comfortable and well-groomed, but what if your loved one needs additional services such as catheter care?
You should know whether there are limits to the nursing services that a facility provides and whether you have to pay extra for them.
What medical services do you provide?
As mentioned above, elderly parents are prone to many medical conditions, so it’s only wise for the memory care facility to provide several medical services.
A good quality memory care center should have: hospice, pharmacy, x-rays, labs, podiatry, PT/SP/OT therapy, and any other vital medical service.
The presence of these services not only makes it easy for the staff to provide care, but it also gives you peace of mind as you know that your loved one will receive the necessary medical attention when they need it.
What are the staff ratios for each shift?
People with dementia and other memory conditions need more personalized attention, so it’s wise you take your loved one to a facility with a higher staff to resident ratio.
Each state has its staffing requirements, so you should look into it and ensure that the facility you visit matches the requirements.
As you discuss the staff ratio, pay attention to both the day and night shifts.
Although the night shifts are less intensive, it’s still necessary to have enough staff to address the resident’s needs.
What are the activities that the residents engage in?
Even if the residents have memory problems, it doesn’t mean they should sit around the entire day—they need to engage in activities that will enrich their lives.
Go through the facility’s calendar and social events and see whether they might be of interest to your loved one.
An ideal activity calendar should have a variety of activities to enrich the residents’ physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Some of the must-have activities include: art, music, and exercising.
While going through the social events, pay close attention to any special events or holiday celebrations.
Of course, you should take your loved one to a facility that provides the activities they are interested in.
What is your discharge policy?
It comes a time when your loved one can’t continue living in the memory care facility.
This might be due to money running out, resident getting too aggressive, developing more complex conditions that the facility can’t handle, or any other reason.
To avoid confusion, you should know what factors could lead to your loved one being discharged from the facility.
You also should know whether you will be required to pay an extra amount on penalties for taking your resident out of the facility.
Carefully, go through the discharge policy before deciding to bring your loved one to the facility. Of course, only bring your loved one to the facility if you agree to the facility’s terms.
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