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Does someone with dementia qualify for assisted living?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Ashlee Shefer is a freelance copywriter, content writer, and digital marketer who specializes in senior care, mental health, health care, and other wellness-related topics. She has one year of experience writing both short- and long-form content related to senior resources, assisted living, nursing homes, and home care, including blog posts, research-based articles, resource guides, product reviews, facility blurbs, finances, and care costs.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
Someone with dementia may qualify for assisted living depending on the severity of their condition and the community’s specific policies. Assisted living helps seniors to live safely but is not for those who require around-the-clock medical care. While many facilities can accommodate people with mild to moderate cognitive impairments, memory care communities better serve those in later stages of dementia.
Additionally, some assisted living communities offer specialized memory care units to help residents transition to higher levels of care without moving to a new facility. You can contact specific communities to determine what levels of care they offer and how they accommodate people with dementia.
How can assisted living help someone with dementia?
Assisted living can help someone with dementia by providing a structured environment, with planned activities and daily meals, to establish consistent routines. Routines can help ease common symptoms associated with dementia, including anxiety or confusion, and encourage productivity, allowing individuals to feel a sense of achievement and purpose.
Additionally, assisted living staff can assist with daily tasks, including dressing, bathing, meals and activities. This can help someone with dementia maintain personal hygiene and safely navigate the community. However, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are progressive diseases, meaning symptoms gradually worsen. Some seniors may eventually need specialized services found in memory care communities.
When to consider memory care for someone with dementia
It may be time to consider memory care for someone with dementia if they experience significant behavior changes affecting their physical safety. For example, wandering and getting lost commonly occur in dementia. Memory care communities typically feature security measures, including obscured entrances and visual directional cues, to enhance resident safety.
Memory care should also be considered if a loved one’s overall health declines or they increasingly display agitated or aggressive behaviors. These communities provide around-the-clock medical care and supervision to monitor resident health and specialized cognitive activities, including art or reminiscence therapy, to reduce symptoms and enhance comfort.