Dementia Care Facilities Near Me: Finding Cognitive Care For A Loved One
When a family member with dementia reaches the point that their care needs can no longer be met at home, you may feel worried and uncertain about what to do next. You may not know what kind of memory care facility might be appropriate for them, let alone how to find one in your area. How can you make the best decision for your loved one’s health and quality of life?
There are many types of care facilities available for people with dementia, including assisted living, skilled nursing, and continuing care environments. Government and nonprofit resources can help you find qualified facilities near you, as can recommendations from doctors or other healthcare professionals. From there, you’ll typically need to visit the facilities and ask some probing questions to figure out where your loved one might be healthiest and happiest. We’ll cover each of these steps in more detail below.
When might a dementia patient need residential care?
If you have a loved one with dementia, you may have taken them into your home or attempted to support them in living independently. However, there might come a time when you’re no longer able to adequately manage the person’s care yourself.
The Alzheimer’s Association suggests a few criteria that can help you evaluate whether someone with dementia might benefit from a move to an assisted living or memory care facility. These criteria include:
- The person is unsafe in their current environment. For example, it could be time to make the move when you’re no longer able to protect them from risky falls or keep them from wandering while disoriented.
- You’re unable to meet their care needs yourself. As their dementia progresses, the affected individual might require round-the-clock assistance or skilled nursing care that you may not be able to provide.
- Their care is taking a heavy toll on your physical and mental health. The physical and emotional demands of dementia care may be making you impatient, irritable, or depressed, compromising your ability to provide effective care and negatively affecting your own well-being.
- You’re no longer keeping up with your personal or professional responsibilities. As dementia worsens, your loved one’s care requirements might significantly impact your ability to work or keep up with your personal life or health.
- They’d benefit from the increased social interaction of a dedicated care community. People with dementia may experience better health outcomes when they can participate in group social activities rather than interacting only with caregivers.
Weighing these factors can help you determine when it may be time for your loved one to transition to residential care.
Types of care facilities for people with dementia
Long-term care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other kinds of dementia can take many forms, including:
- Assisted living facilities. This type of facility provides a balance between independence and assistance. Residents typically have their own small apartments and a fair amount of day-to-day autonomy, but community meals and structured activities are available for those who want to participate, and staff members handle housekeeping and help with daily tasks. Assisted living may be most appropriate for those in the early stages of dementia.
- Group homes. A group home is similar to an assisted living facility but generally has a much smaller number of residents and some shared living spaces. This can create a more intimate, communal environment, though there may be fewer amenities and programs for residents.
- Nursing homes. Sometimes also called skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes provide residents with 24-hour care and supervision from licensed medical care professionals like registered nurses and doctors. This type of facility is often safer for late-stage dementia patients.
- Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). In a CCRC (sometimes called a life plan community), multiple levels of care are available within a single facility. Rather than moving repeatedly as their dementia grows more severe, residents can transition gradually from semi-independent assisted living to full-time nursing care in the same place.
What are memory care facilities?
While nursing homes and assisted living facilities may be able to provide many types of assistance and medical care, memory care facilities offer specialized programs to help relieve or reduce some dementia-related cognitive and emotional difficulties. They may also incorporate dementia-friendly design elements such as color coding, easy-to-navigate pathways, and spaces incorporating natural elements. Note that most states require some form of licensure for facilities to be able to offer memory care services.
Memory care is sometimes available as an option within larger residential communities, too. For example, many assisted living or nursing facilities include memory care units to accommodate residents with dementia. A 2022 study suggests that residents of an assisted living community with a memory care unit were less likely to need admission to nursing homes.
Finding local dementia care facilities
Here are a few ways to begin your search for dementia care facilities near you.
Speak with a medical professional
Healthcare providers who specialize in dementia care can be helpful resources when you’re searching for residential care options. If your loved one is already receiving medical care from a doctor or nurse with lots of dementia-related experience, you may want to ask them for recommendations.
Search online databases
Many nonprofit organizations and government agencies share information on memory care communities and other facilities that can house people with dementia. Examples include the following:
- The Community Resource Finder (CRF) from the Alzheimer’s Association and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) lets you search for specific types of care homes in your area.
- The Eldercare Locator provided by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) includes a searchable database as well as a helpline for those with questions.
- The Nursing Home Compare tool can help you find Medicare-certified nursing facilities.
- The Memory Care Facilities database on AlzheimerSupport.com allows you to search for nearby facilities based on your state or zip code.
You may still need to do some follow-up research, but these tools can help you get your search started.
Ask friends and relatives
You may be able to get the most detailed and unbiased information from people you know personally. If you have family members or trusted friends who have placed loved ones in residential care for dementia, you can ask them what their experience was like. They may be able to recommend (or warn you away from) specific facilities in your area.
Search online
If you’re having trouble finding specific recommendations, you can always try a simple web search. Try searching for terms like “Alzheimer’s facilities” or “local memory care communities” along with your zip code or the name of your city or region. You may have to do a bit more legwork to determine which one may be right for your loved one, but this method can give you a broader idea of what your choices are.
Evaluating local dementia care providers
Once you’ve found some nearby care facilities, you’ll likely need to investigate each one in depth to ensure they can meet your loved one’s needs.
Touring the facilities
Experts in dementia care typically recommend making multiple visits to any facility you’re considering. Showing up spontaneously once or twice rather than calling ahead might help you get a more candid look at residents’ day-to-day lives.
Here are a few things you may want to look for while you’re there:
- Residents’ grooming and physical condition. Do the people living there seem clean and healthy?
- Interactions between staff and residents. Are the residents treated with respect, care, and patience?
- Condition of the facilities. Is the building well-maintained, and are shared spaces clean and organized? Are there unpleasant odors or signs of neglect?
- Impressions of the environment. Do the living and activity spaces feel welcoming and comfortable, or do they seem cramped, uninviting, or difficult to navigate?
- Quality of amenities and activities. Visiting during mealtimes, observing group activities, and inspecting rooms can help you get a feel for the quality of life available to residents.
Questions to ask
You may also benefit from asking staff members and administrators some questions at each facility you visit, such as:
- What kind of healthcare is provided, and how many doctors and nurses are on site?
- Are all staff members trained in dementia care? What kinds of certifications and licensing do they have?
- What’s the resident-to-staff ratio?
- What kinds of dementia therapies and activities are available, and are they personalized for residents’ needs?
- Is there a dedicated memory care unit? What programs and accommodating design elements are available for residents with dementia?
- How much involvement can family members have in care planning? How can they communicate with staff and receive updates on residents’ well-being?
- What is the rate of medically concerning incidents such as falls or choking?
- Are dementia patients restricted to specific areas of the facility?
- What accommodations and facilities are available for family visits?
- Can residents bring personal possessions and familiar items? How much autonomy do they have over their living spaces and daily activities?
- Are residents able to receive ongoing care as their dementia progresses and their needs change? Is palliative or hospice care available?
- What kinds of health insurance, if any, are accepted?
The responses to inquiries like these can help you determine whether you may have found the right facility for the person you’re caring for.
Self-care for caregivers
While you’re planning for the future of a loved one with dementia, it can be helpful to remember to take care of yourself as well. The stress of supporting someone who’s experiencing cognitive deterioration can cause significant mental health difficulties, which may in turn affect your ability to provide support. You might benefit from taking time for self-care activities like:
- Physical exercise
- Enriching hobbies
- Quality time with friends and family members
- Time in nature
- Talk therapy
Many people struggle to find time to engage in self-care activities like therapy, especially when they’re also managing the daily needs of someone with dementia. Online therapy can be a more convenient option in situations like these. Since you can attend sessions without leaving home, it’s often much easier to schedule and stick to your appointments.
While research on web-based psychotherapy is still in its early stages, evidence is accumulating to suggest that it may be a beneficial resource for people experiencing distress related to being a dementia caregiver. For instance, a 2022 systematic review examined more than 35 studies on the topic, and its findings suggest that internet cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in relieving symptoms of depression in family caregivers.
Takeaway
You can find information about dementia care facilities near you by searching online, browsing nonprofit or government databases, and asking for recommendations from trusted friends or healthcare professionals. You may need to carefully assess the capabilities and policies of each facility to determine which might be right for your loved one. It can also be helpful to look after your own health along the way as a dementia caregiver. Getting regular exercise, engaging in enjoyable hobbies, and seeking the support of a therapist can all be helpful ways to do this.
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