The cost of memory care in Louisiana is more affordable than other areas of the country, especially the East and West Coasts. But are the services they provide comparable and worth it?

Memory Care is regulated

The memory care provided in Louisiana is regulated at the state level via their Department of Health and Hospitals. Communities are mandated to provide special and separate accommodations for residents who have Alzheimer’s disease.

Not only are these retirement communities expected to complete the Alzheimer’s Special Care Disclosure Form,” but they must also outline their general mission and philosophy while highlighting the criteria used for the admission, transferal and discharge of persons from their program. Because of all these stringent requirements, the service level provided by Louisiana memory care communities tends to be top tier and comparable to the rest of the nation.

They Have Specific Admission Requirements

While Louisiana retirement communities can admit residents that manifest a broad condition range, restrictions do exist. Individuals who can be admitted include:

Those with dementia
Those with developmental disability
Those who manifest mental health issues
Those who are physically disabled
Those with traumatic brain injuries

Those who should not be admitted include:

Those that require nursing care full time
Those with level three or four pressure ulcers
Those who require complete assistance with breathing apparatus
Those who are dangerous to themselves or others
Anyone who is comatose

This demonstrates that Louisiana memory care communities must be cautious in who they admit, which means that those who pay for their services will have peace of mind in knowing they are being properly cared for by a trained team.

Extensive Care

For a single monthly fee, memory care residents will receive a range of services, which includes assistance with housekeeping, laundry, recreational programs, transportation and meals. Every community must ensure these services are always available, whether through the family of the resident or a 3^rd party. Residents should also have the option of receiving outside care via their personal expense, as long as they honor their residency conditions.

Medication Management

Most of the individuals who are admitted to memory care communities will be using one or more medications. Properly managing these medications is crucial to prevent overdoses. Community team members are trained to open containers, maintain the schedules, administer the drugs and safely store it in a location where the resident or others will not gain unauthorized access.

In Louisiana memory care communities, a medication may only be given by individuals who are licensed by the proper state agency. It is also possible to provide intravenous therapy so long as the person doing it is within supervision of licensed practitioners inside level four communities.

Residential Requirements

Louisiana memory care communities also have specific residential requirements which may differ from other states. For instance, the domiciles may only hold 2 residents for each residential unit. Level one and two communities might offer a single restroom for every 4 residents, while level three or four communities need to have complete and separate bathrooms within every apartment.

Memory Care Guide: https://dsl.link/SHPP_MCGuide_Blog