As you start planning your loved one’s future, ensuring they have the best care is essential. As the first step, you could tour memory care in New Orleans, LA.
Here are some questions you should ask when touring memory care communities:
What Differentiates Your Community from Others?
Is there anything that sets your community apart from the rest? Some people may assume all assisted living communities offer similar services, but that’s only sometimes the case! Asking this question will help ensure your loved one lives where their needs will be met, and they’ll feel comfortable and happy. This can also help you narrow down options if multiple communities seem good fits for your mom or dad.
What Types of Activities Do Residents Participate in Regularly?
When touring memory care communities, it’s important to ask about activities because these are essential for older adults who don’t have much energy and require assistance with everyday tasks such as bathing, eating meals and taking medications. These things may be hard to do on their own, especially if they’ve been diagnosed with an illness like Alzheimer’s. But they will be able to enjoy themselves through socialization, exercise classes or outings into town or around town via van service provided by some communities.
What Is the Ratio of Caregivers to Residents?
Knowing how many caregivers are in the community and how many residents are being cared for is important. While it may seem like a simple question, this information is vital because it will tell you how much time each individual in your loved one’s care can expect to receive. You also want to be sure that the ratio of caregivers to residents is appropriate for the number of people in the home. For example, suppose they have ten residents but only five caregivers. In that case, one caregiver will be responsible for every two residents—which isn’t enough attention or help when you consider all of the daily tasks required by a resident with Alzheimer’s.
Is There an Activity Director?
The activity director is the person who oversees the activities of the community. They’re responsible for developing and implementing the activity programs and supervising your loved one’s activities. In addition to being able to answer questions about their role, they should also be able to tell you how much time they spend on each resident.
How Will You Ensure My Loved One’s Safety?
Ask about the community’s safety measures. In addition to keeping your loved one safe, you want to know that they are being carefully monitored and cared for—and that if something does happen, there is a plan in place. What types of safety precautions do they have? Do team members regularly check in on residents? Do they have a security system? How often do they review the records of residents who may be prone to wandering away from the property? Does someone at least check in on them once per hour when no one else is around? All these questions should be answered during this part of the tour.
What Types of Food Is Served?
Asking about the food is a great way to get a feel for how well your loved one will be served. If the team can’t tell you what’s on the menu, it may indicate that there isn’t much variety or change. In addition, if they can’t describe how special diets are accommodated (such as those for vegetarians), this is also a sign that there’s something off here.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand what to ask when touring a memory care community. As a family member, caregiver or friend, finding the right place for someone with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia can be challenging. But with all the facts at hand and some insider tips from our team, we know it can be done!
