Memory Care

Choosing Memory Care Is Not Easy

Trying to decide if it’s time to put your loved one in a memory care facility can be a very tough decision. At Valiente Senior Living, we aim to make this transition go as smoothly and lovingly as possible for your family.

What is Memory Care?

Memory Care is a very specific kind of long-term care for people living with Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and other types of cognizance conditions. Memory care facilities are often part of a larger senior living community, but can be stand alone facilities as well. You can expect to have round the clock care for your loved one at a memory care facility, including help with medication, multiple daily meals, housekeeping and laundry services, exercise and physical therapy services, and a variety of social activities and programs. For someone living with a degenerative disease affecting memory and recollection skills, a memory care facility can offer a safe, controlled environment that will help your loved one avoid dangerous situations such as wandering off, getting lost, or forgetting important medications; all while offering a community full of companions and activities at the same time.

What is the difference between Alzheimer's disease and Dementia?

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease often are confused in common understanding and conversation, but they are two distinct disorders that are diagnosed and treated differently. Dementia is an umbrella term for a chronic and persistent set of symptoms that impact communication, memory and thinking. There are multiple types of Dementia, including:

Vascular dementia
Parkinson’s disease
Frontotemporal dementia
Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)
Huntington’s disease
Mixed dementia
Alzheimer’s disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob

The cognitive decline as you age with dementia often makes it increasingly difficult to perform daily functions. Alzheimer’s disease is a specific type of dementia that manifests in symptoms such as confusion and impaired speech, memory, and thought. Unlike some other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease that sadly, is not currently reversible or curable. Alzheimer’s disease is the cause of approximately 50 to 70 percent of dementia cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are other common causes of dementia.

There are some early signs of dementia that include, but are not limited to:

Memory loss
Declining motor function
Disorganization
Disorientation
Agitation
Cognitive decline

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Assisted Living

Memory Care

General Care

How does care for Alzheimer’s and dementia residents differ?

Elderly with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as those with dementia, should both receive supervised care, likely 24 hours per day. The exact nature of the care may differ, however, depending on which stage of dementia a person is in or their specific symptoms. In the event your parent’s dementia is treatable, caregivers may initiate a medical course of action to stall or reverse symptoms. Those in the early stages of dementia who are experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are given dementia care to help alleviate their stress. As symptoms worsen during the moderate or moderately severe cognitive decline, caregivers assist your loved ones so they can continue to perform any day-to-day activities they’re struggling with, such as bathing or showering, toileting, taking medication, etc. Alzheimer’s disease currently is incurable and long-term Alzheimer care focuses on providing assistance with daily functions in a safe, comfortable environment during the mental decline.

How much does it cost for memory care every month?

The national average cost of memory care for a single resident varies greatly by care facility. The costs for specialized memory care are generally higher than you would pay at a regular assisted living facility, even if the memory care unit is at such a facility. Some residents within memory care communities pay as much as $7,000 per month or as little as $1,500 per month, depending on the services offered. In general, the increased cost for memory patients is due to the 24-hour supervised care your loved one receives.

At Valiente Senior Living, we are committed to helping ensure your loved one gets the care that they need without putting a financial strain on the family. Contact us today to schedule a tour of our senior living facility, and discuss the level of care needed and what options there are for financing.

Is Alzheimer’s or dementia care covered by insurance, Medicaid or Medicare?

Faced with the high price of memory care, you may need to seek ways to cover at least some of the costs, although the unfortunate reality is a majority of funds come out-of-pocket from caregivers and patients themselves.

Medicare routinely covers many prescription medications and other medical items and treatments for patients 65 or older with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Medicare does not cover most services provided through long-term care though, such as home health aides or custodial long-term assisted living. You can supplement your Medicare coverage with Medigap, a private insurance policy. The more expensive Medigap policies may cover additional memory care items.

Once a patient has sufficiently low income or their assets are depleted to about $2,000 or less, they may qualify for Medicaid to cover long-term nursing home care, adult day care or assisted living. Each state’s welfare agency administers Medicaid, so eligibility and benefits vary from state to state. If your loved one is eligible for Supplemental Security Income, they should automatically be eligible for Medicaid.

Whether your loved one’s long-term memory care is covered by private insurance depends on the provider and the policyholder’s specific plan, as well as what insurance is accepted by various memory-care facilities.

The different options for financing for a memory care facility can be confusing and overwhelming. Give us a call today, and let our trained staff at Valiente Senior Living help steer you in obtaining the most financial help possible for placing your loved one in our memory care home.

What type of care do residents receive at Valiente Senior Living?

At Valiente Senior Living, we are dedicated to providing only the best for our residents. You can depend on 24-hour supervised staffing care and personal assistance for your loved one, from daily meals and social programs to health and medication management. The staff working in our memory care unit and facilities are specially trained to serve those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and provide them with the highest quality of life. Because of our outstanding reputation in the senior living community, it is not uncommon for other assisted living facilities in the area to refer residents to Valiente Senior Living when they are unable to provide the level of memory care required.

Because of the nature of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, our special care unit implements specific measures within the environment, including easy-to-navigate hallways, color-coding and secured exits, to ensure the residents’ safety and reduce their anxiety. Providing your parent this type of comfortable environment often encourages them to strive for greater independence and social interaction.

If you are struggling with the decision about whether it is time to have your loved one reside in a lovingly supervised, structured, 24-hour memory care facility, contact us today. We would love to have you and your loved one come tour our facility, and answer any questions you have about what to expect with cognitive issues associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

What People Say About Us

Our Testimonials

My grandmother is a fiercely independent woman and lived on her own until the age of 93. So I knew I had to find just the right place for her to live when I moved her. She moved into Valiente July 2019 and is so happy. Valiente is home to her. She loves being there and has grown close to all of the staff. The staff makes every resident feel loved, cared for and special. I love that the Valiente staff celebrates the holidays and birthdays with the residents. They participate in arts and crafts, games, music and many other activities. I am so grateful to have found a place where my grandmother feels at home.

Valiente Senior Living is amazing. They cared for my uncle for the past several months. We were told to come visit whenever we wanted and we did. The staff is unbelievable and so skilled with dealing with dementia. They care for the residents like they are family. They engage them in activities, music, games and distract them when they are having a bad day. They are wonderful down to the lovely ladies that work in the kitchen. My uncle was happy and loved by the entire staff until his passing. My family will be forever grateful. ❤❤❤

My mother is at the Valiente Memory Care facility. She is well taken care of and loves the people. The Staff takes wonderful care of her and attends to all her needs. I can go there at anytime and find my mom very content and happy. If she needs anything the staff will call and let us know quickly. The grounds and home are beautiful. The place looks exactly like the Website pictures.

This is home, not a facility. The owner is awesome and I could not be any more happy or comfortable in the love and care for all involved.

My father has been there for over 6 weeks and absolutely loves it! The facility is lovely, comfortable and most of all clean. The staff shows great respect and works diligently to meet all his needs. I could not be happier. Highly recommend!!