Is your parent, spouse, or another family member or close friend in need of a memory care facility?
If so, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding one these days. There are more than 800,000 Americans living in the roughly 30,000 assisted living facilities scattered across the country right now. That should make it easy to track down at least a few memory care options for your loved one.
But finding the right memory care center? That’s a completely different story. You’re going to have to do your homework to locate a center that will work best for the special person in your life.
Here are 7 tips that will help you as you sift through memory care facilities in Tampa, FL.
1. Ask People You Trust for Memory Care Facility Recommendations
If you’ve never had to look around at different memory care facilities before, you might not know where to start. With so many options in front of you, it can be a little bit overwhelming to pick a place to look at first.
Begin by talking to people you trust to see if they might have recommendations. For example, you can speak with your loved one’s doctor to see if they know of a place that would provide great care. You can also speak with a friend or family member who has placed their own loved one into a memory care facility.
This will give you a great starting point. You should be able to generate a short list of memory care facilities that you can research more.
2. Read up on the Different Facilities in Your Area Online
Whether you’re able to find recommendations for memory care facilities or not, your next stop on your search should be the internet. You’ll find everything you need to know about specific facilities in the Tampa, FL area.
Start by visiting the websites of memory care facilities that you’ve heard about from others. Browse through the services they offer and see if they might be a good fit for your loved one.
Then, take a look at as many online reviews for memory care centers as you can. You should be able to scroll through dozens of reviews for each facility in the area to get a glimpse of what others think about them.
You might also be able to find newspaper articles about specific facilities that shine a spotlight on what they’re all about. Use whatever you can find online to educate yourself about the local centers.
3. Schedule Tours of Facilities
At this point, you should be armed with a ton of information about the memory care facilities in Tampa, FL. But you’re still a long way away from making a final decision on which one you should choose for your loved one!
The next thing you should do is schedule tours of each facility on your list. Call each place and speak with the admissions director about setting up a tour. They should welcome you and your loved one with open arms and be more than happy to walk you through their facilities.
During your tours, take a close look at where your loved one would actually be living. Make sure the living quarters are clean and comfortable.
Gauge the cleanliness of the facility as a whole as well. You want your loved one to be in a place where they’ll be as safe as they can be.
4. Speak with the Staff at Facilities During Your Tours
Who is going to be providing memory care for your loved one at a facility?
That should be one of the questions you ask during a tour. You should also make it a point to speak with some of the staff members about the care they provide for those entrusted to them.
You want to work with a memory care center that has highly skilled and highly experienced staff members. There should be a mix of medical doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists, memory care specialists, and more on the center’s staff.
If you’re not blown away by the staff at a particular center, that facility probably isn’t right for your loved one.
5. Find out What Kind of Memory Care Your Loved One Will Receive
People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other conditions that impact memory require different care than those who just need help getting around due to physical limitations.
There are some assisted living facilities that don’t have much to offer in terms of memory care. These types of facilities might offer excellent care to patients, but they’re not right for you.
Find out what kind of memory care you can expect your loved one to receive. Make sure it will be customized to their specific needs. Alzheimer’s disease and dementia patients often have varying cognitive levels.
6. Learn About the Activities Available at Facilities
Just because your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia doesn’t mean they can’t lead a normal life. Their memory care center should still be able to provide them with a full list of activities so they can stay busy every day.
A great memory care facility will provide your loved one with activities like:
- Game nights
- Exercise sessions
- Baking classes
- Field trips
- And more!
By keeping patients active, memory care centers can often slow down the progression of their condition. They can also help people lead happier and healthier lives overall.
7. Consider the Cost of the Memory Care Center You like Best
You shouldn’t simply pick the most affordable memory care center for your loved one. That center might not be right for them.
But obviously, you will need to consider the cost of the center you like best at some point. In a perfect world, it will fit well within your budget. But even if it doesn’t, there are some programs that memory care facilities can offer to make their center right for you financially.
Don’t be afraid to ask the admissions director at a center about the options that might be available to you.
Find the Right Memory Care Facility for Your Loved One Today
You’re probably not going to find the perfect memory care facility for your loved one overnight.
But if you’re willing to put in some effort and spend a few days hunting around for the best facility in Tampa, FL, you’ll be able to find it. You’ll feel better about sending your loved one to live in a facility when you know it’s going to provide them with the best possible care.
Contact us today to see if our center might be right for the special someone in your life.
