The first call about memory loss usually starts with an apology: “I’m not sure we need memory care yet.” Often the family is right. Sometimes they are a year late. These five questions are how we tell the difference.
Does your parent leave home and get lost?
Forgetting where the car keys are is common. Walking out at night, or driving to a familiar store and not finding the way home, is a safety question. A secure neighborhood answers it without locking anyone in a room.
Can they still use a call button?
Assisted living depends on residents asking for help. If your parent no longer remembers to press the pendant, care has to come to them on a schedule, which is how memory care works.
How are the evenings?
Many people with dementia become anxious in the late afternoon. If evenings at home have become hard, a small group with familiar care partners usually helps more than a quiet apartment.
Are meals being skipped?
Weight loss is often the first sign families notice. In memory care, meals are served in small groups, with help and finger foods for those who need them.
What does the doctor say?
A diagnosis is not required to move into memory care, but a cognitive assessment helps everyone plan. Our visiting geriatrician can do one on site.
If you are still not sure
Book a tour of both. Our nurse’s free assessment will tell you plainly which fits now, and residents can move from assisted living to memory care without leaving the building.
