Is Memory Care A Marketing Term?

MaryG123

I listened to a recorded presentation from a CELA in Wisconsin, and learned a lot about medical and financial poa’s, as well as financing long term care.  She stated that memory care is a marketing term used by the industry to attract patients with dementia and charge extra fees.  In Wisconsin at least, it is not a medical or regulatory term.  They are licensed as assisted living facilities in the community based settings category.  Because of this, she advised to ask carefully about extra services, as they might not be any different than an AL facility that doesn’t use the term “memory care”.  Is this the case in other states as well?

loveskitties

Not sure how licensed, but in Virginia, Memory Care facilities are very different from AL.

Some AL do have a Memory Care unit, some don't.

Memory Care units here includes, but not limited to:

having locked entrance and exit doors to prevent wanders from eloping

staff who sees to personal needs such as showering, teeth brushing, shaving, dressing, assistance for toileting, etc. as required.

staff qualified to administer meds

staff to see that patient gets to meals and assists with feeding if necessary

 Memory Care is definitely a specialized care unit, and not a marketing term.  

How the costs are set depends on the facility.  Some increase the monthly charge depending on the level of care required.

Crushed

In Maryland  they are level 3 Assisted living

 Level 3 programs provide all Level 2 and 3 services and also ongoing access to and coordination of comprehensive health services and interventions; comprehensive  and frequent assistance with ADLs; monitoring and providing ongoing therapeutic intervention or intensive supervision to manage chronic behaviors that might disrupt or harm the resident or others; and monitoring and managing a variety of psychological or psychiatric episodes involving active symptoms, condition changes, or significant risks  that may require skilled interpretation or immediate interventions