There are a number of circumstances that can cause a family to wish to reassess their loved one’s care. You don’t have to wait for any signs of unhappiness to begin questioning them about their care practices and procedures. Remember, your family is essentially a customer, and the dementia care they provide your loved one is a service, just like any other. Considering the magnitude of the service being provided, it seems odd to feel hesitation in questioning memory care facilities, yet many families allow unanswered questions or resentments to hang over their heads. At Valiente Senior Living, we encourage families to ask questions about their loved one’s care at any point, for any reason. Some things that you should ask your current facility include:
What type of training has the current staff undergone to date, and what continuing education policies are in place to ensure that continues?
Continuing education is a huge deal for any memory care facility, and it should be a simple question to answer. If you feel like you’re getting the run around, then odds are your current facility is only doing the bare minimum in accordance with the law (hopefully, at the least). The right place for your loved one will strive for up-to-date care techniques and training for all those in contact with residents.
What services are included in the monthly rate that we are paying, and is there any services we are not currently taking advantage of?
Many memory care facilities offer services that you may not immediately assume are there, including access to physical therapy, one-on-one time, and even more basic recreational or facility offerings. Asking about something as simple as a switch to a private room can have a huge impact on your loved one’s overall care. Each case is different, so be sure to ask specifically about anything important to your family’s beliefs and values.
What is the ratio of staff-to-residents, both during daytime and evening hours?
Another sign of a great facility is a clear, confident explanation for the amount of staff deployed at different times throughout the day. The expected answer should feel right to you, and there is not cut-and-dry number to have in mind. Each memory care facility has unique patients with varying abilities and needs. What’s important is that you feel comfortable with the care the staff is allocating for your loved one.
Magnolia’s Premier Memory Care Facility
If you find an issue with your Magnolia area memory care facility, please reach out to Valiente Senior Living right away. There’s a reason why many local memory care facilities refer patients to Valiente, and it has everything to do with the quality of specialized dementia and memory care we provide local families each and every day. To learn more about our Magnolia memory care services, please contact us today. We’ll happily talk about everything covered here and more, and look forward to the opportunity to care for your loved one.
