Forum Messages
 A.L. vs. Memory Care - lo - 02/19/2011 01:29 PM
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 assisted living - Emily in CT- 02/21/2011 11:19 AM
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Thanks - lo- 02/22/2011 08:33 AM
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your so right - Emily in CT- 02/23/2011 01:55 PM
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AL vs MC - ErikaWa- 02/23/2011 01:07 PM
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| Author | Title: A.L. vs. Memory Care | |
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lo Registered: 05/11/09 |
Posted 02/19/2011 01:29 PM
Just taking a survey of sorts. Within a CCRC campus how would you define the difference between Assisted Living and a Memory Care Unit? I work in A SNF. I have observed that the traditional A.L. folks are hard to motivate/mobilize. Is it easier to do so in a Memory Care Unit? ( not to be confused with a specialty care dementia unit within a SNF) |
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Emily in CT
Registered: 08/22/07 |
Posted 02/21/2011 11:19 AM
HI, I work in a CCRC facility that has residental, assisted, and skilled floors. Within the assisted living, even though it is not offically labeled, I feel we have about half that should be in a memory unit and half that are assisted living. The memory people come to lots of programs cause they do not want to be "bored" in their rooms or foget that they just came to a program 1 hour earlier. The assisted living people are hard to get going because they want to keep their independence and do not want to feel "sick" like they feel the others are. I try to have programs for both or even separate them alittle within programs. An example is scrabble. I will get about 10 people (out of 40ish) to come down. I will make sure the more assisted people sit at one table. They can handle the game with out help from me as much and keep their own score. I sit at the other table where I have to keep score and help with words. Assisted living at a CCRC is different compared to a regular singular assisted living facility, in my opinion. CCRCs try to keep the residents in their "Homes" longer and help them more then if a reg AL place. They also come to us later, or when they are older, cause the nurse keeps them in their residential apartment longer. This is good in bad. Its good cause they feel like this is their home and treat it like that. Its bad cause they can not really take care of themselves as well as we want them too and now you have a lot of memory issues and dementia issues without the help of staff that you should have or the help you should have. I hope this helps, and its not just me complaining! |
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lo
Registered: 05/11/09 |
Posted 02/22/2011 08:33 AM
Gottcha! It almost seems that within the continuum of a CCRC there should now be 5 levels of care instead of the traditional 3 ( I.L. A.L. and SNF) : Independent, Assisted living, Memory care Assisted, SNF and separate Dementia Specialty care within a SNF. I guess that is a "perfect" scenario. I remember the days of me working at a free standing SNF when all of these functioning levels ( yes, what could be considered somewhat independent, in terms of who I see NOW living in independent apts.) were mixed all together! With baby boomers waiting in the wings, it will be interesting to see how the evolution of "home care" plays out and factors in to the "continuum" ! |
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Emily in CT
Registered: 08/22/07 |
Posted 02/23/2011 01:55 PM
The 5 levels is so dead on! I wish I could be more involved with the part of when residents are ready to move on. We just had a couple of weeks ago a resident who is in AL and fell in her room. She had a big gash on her forhead, on her arm and sholder, blood everywhere. She did not remember that her pendant was on and that if she hit it someone would help her. She also did not want the nurses to know. So she walked over (buildings are connected) to the Skilled unit and asked for a band aid. The aide made her sit down and called the AL nurse. They had to send her out and now she is in SNF, thankfully for her own safety. Then come to find out, the resident living below her told the nurse that she heard her fall all the time but never said anything cause she thought she would say. This resident would be great in a Memory care unit cause she can take care of herself but needs more help and more checks. |
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ErikaWa
Registered: 04/05/10 |
Posted 02/23/2011 01:07 PM
I'm in a CCRC with AL and a year-old memory care unit within AL. When I'm discussing options with families preparing to move their loved one, I emphasize the safety and structure of MC vs. AL. In AL, residents should have a level of safety awareness, so if they were to fall, would they know how to get help (by pushing their lifeline). It can be a challenge when families are in denial about how impaired their resident is, and don't want them segregated from the rest of the building. We try to emphasize that MC does have lower stimulation, but people are allowed to come and go with escort or friends/family can come in to join for lunch and activities. |
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