Category Archives: Senior Living

If you are searching for the phrase “assisted living vs memory care“, this post should help. There are a lot of things to think about considering the livelihood of your loved one and where they may live.

Assisted Living vs Memory Care

Undertaking a life change can be scary and stressful—possibly a little fun too. For example, if you’re moving into an assisted living community, you might miss your home but are looking forward to forging new roads and friendships and simply making life easier. However, what if you’ve started to notice that your memory is not like what it used to be? You may have heard about “memory care” and might be wondering if it would be appropriate under your circumstances and if you can get it in an assisted living facility. Here are some explanations on what assisted living and memory care are.

What Is Assisted Living?

An assisted living facility is one in which its residents largely lead their lives independently. They do get a little assistance for needs that differ from person to person, possibly with mobility, meal planning, transportation, hygiene or medication. You might be ready for assisted living if it is becoming hard or dangerous for you to go up and down the stairs at home or if driving is starting to get risky.

Assisted living can be in a residential-type neighborhood or large building. Some facilities allow pets and can also consist of laundry as part of the rent or for an extra fee. Learn more about assisted living and take a look at our assisted living checklist.

What Is Memory Care?

Memory care communities will differ considerably from assisted living communities. The residents in memory care communities have serious memory-related and specific requirements. They might not remember who they are on some days and may get angered walking around spaces that they have lived in but now feel unfamiliar with. They may tend to wander off the campus and can present a danger to themselves and to others, particularly if they get aggressive when they are frustrated. Learn more about memory care and take a look at our memory care checklist.

Can You Get Memory Care in Assisted Living?

So, back to the worries about being forgetful. You think you may be okay in assisted living as of now, but what if you need memory care sooner than later?

You can’t receive memory care in assisted living, but there are a lot of communities that integrates a wide range of care. For example, there are places that offer nursing home care, assisted living, and memory care. These types of care take place in its own wing or building, but because you are generally in the same place, transferring from one stage to the next can be a lot easier. The decor shares a lot of common features, and there can also be the same staffers’ faces regardless of where you’re at. It’s also usually easier on your family and friends. Not only can they continually visit the same place, but they also won’t have to take tours every couple of years and make new decisions and as to where you may live. This can be helpful for you as well if you are trying to plan out your options in advance.

Some degree of forgetfulness is typical with aging and doesn’t necessarily suggest serious problems later on. In any case, if you are concerned about your memory, it’s always a good idea to speak with the doctor.

Paying for Assisted Living and Memory Care

One thing assisted living and memory care facilities have in common: Paying for them isn’t as straightforward as many of us would like to believe.

First, assisted living: The state you live in Medicaid’s program may not provide much, toward assisted living. If you are a veteran, the Veterans Administration’s Aid and Attendance benefit can help offset some of your assisted living costs.

In a nutshell, you should still plan to finance assisted living through private means like long-term-care insurance, asset sales, savings accounts, reverse mortgages, settlements, and other financial means. The earlier you purchase long-term-care insurance coverage, your monthly costs could be lower, particularly if you opt for protection against inflation. Don’t get too discouraged if your get denied by one company for your coverage, other companies might still accept you.

Second, memory care: Any of the private means you may use to pay for your assisted living may also be used to pay for your memory care. There is also additional help for veterans and government support available for people who require memory care who are non-veterans. Programs such as Medicaid assistance, although the degree to which they help will vary by state. Also, you can be placed on a waiting list until you can get into a memory care facility, which may possibly not happen if you had private means to pay.

Retirement Communities in Youngtown, Arizona by Ventana Winds Retirement Community

Ventana Winds is an assisted living and memory care facility in Youngtown, Arizona. To schedule a tour of our assisted living facility, SLS Communities or for more information please call us today at (623) 624-4406.