Assisted Living vs. Memory Care: What’s the Difference?

Are you exploring Senior Living options for yourself or for an elderly family member? you may have discovered that there are many choices and lifestyle options available. How do you know which one is right for your loved one?

Let’s quickly discuss the two most common styles of senior living housing, care and accommodations:  Assisted Living  and Memory Care. While there is some overlap between the two, they are not the same. It’s important to understand the differences between the two.

Assisted Living: Independence With Occasional Help

Most of our elderly relatives are mentally sharp and physically active, but may need some assistance with activities of daily living. As we age, tasks, like getting dressed, navigating healthcare appointments, cooking meals, and maintaining personal grooming and hygiene, can become more difficult to manage.

That’s where assisted living comes in. Residents of assisted living facilities receive a helping hand for daily activities, but they still live relatively independently. They maintain their own apartment and often receive daily "reminders" or ques to help keep them active and assure their care and nutritional needs are being met. Think of Assisted living as an independent lifestyle that provides occasional "checks" on your loved one.

Memory Care: Safety for Seniors With Dementia

Memory care is similar to assisted living, but it is optimized to better suit adults with increasing cognitive challenges such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other memory problems. We sometimes see memory care also referred to as Dementia care or Alzheimer's Care. Individuals suffering with memory care challenges have special needs. They may become disoriented, and some have a tendency to wander away from home. Some may be forgetful about turning off their stoves or locking their front doors. Some of their forgetfulness may begin to worry family about their safety when left alone. Staff at memory care facilities have specialized training to better assist residents with cognitive impairments.

With memory care facilities, there’s also an increased emphasis on security and intuitive layout, which prevent confused residents from endangering themselves or getting lost.

Memory Care vs. Assisted Living: Which for You?

If you’re weighing options for yourself or a loved one, you might wonder which of these lifestyle options is a better choice. How do you know if your loved ones "forgetfulness" is age appropriate or requires more specialized care? If your loved one is surrounded by daily checks and reminders- will they really require more specialized dementia care?

For adults who need reminders or help with the basic requirements of daily life, but are still otherwise independent, assisted living is a clear choice. Most assisted living communities offer assistance with daily living activities, reminders, personalized care, meal preparation and service, housekeeping, laundry and a calendar full of social activities to keep your loved one active and engaged.

Those who struggle with cognitive impairment, however, may be healthier, happier and safer in a memory care program. These types of facilities are specifically designed to meet their needs.

The Needs Assessment process

One of the first things that any family will do, no matter what type of community setting you are considering is a needs assessment test. This is a standard yet very important assessment that happens for every new resident. The assessment tool will help you determine what placement setting is most appropriate for your loved one by testing their physical and cognitive health. The assessment results are then shared with you so your family and the community can lay out an appropriate plan of care and identify any services that may be needed for your relative. Senior Living Advisors and Sales Counselors are experienced and will be able to help you and your family to navigate these tough conversations.