Memory Care
The senior living experts at Assisted Living Locators of Los Angeles are Dementia Care Certified® and can help you make the right assisted living decision to best care for your loved one.
Choosing A Memory Care Facility
You are not alone. Caring for someone with dementia at home is by far the biggest challenge for family caregivers. Please don’t feel guilty that you are considering memory care. Taking care of your loved one does not mean that YOU alone must take care of your loved one. It often means letting trained professionals do the job. In fact, making a move to a memory care facility at the right time has been proven to slow the decline of the disease.
Stage 1
Mild Cognitive Impairment or Early Dementia
Symptoms
Loss of awareness and limited communication, may be non-verbal. Totally dependent on others for physical care. Unable to walk or eat without assistance. In the final stage, your loved one may become bedridden, requiring comfort-focused care as the disease advances.
Best Facilities for Stage 1
Hands-on, close supervision is required for this level of care. We recommend board and care homes for people with late-stage dementia. Board and care homes are limited to six residents.The homes we work with and recommend have at least a 1:3 caregiver to resident ratio and specialize in the long-term care of people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Stage 2
Moderate or Mid-Stage Dementia
Symptoms
Loss of time and place orientation, forgetting parts of their history, hands-on help with activities of daily life such as getting dressed. Sometimes persons with moderate-stage Alzheimer’s will hallucinate, have delusions, or paranoia. May be exit seeking.
Best Facilities for Stage 2
This is the toughest stage for placement because the person is usually in transition and from person-to-person needs can vary greatly. Depending on whether the decline is physical, cognitive, or both we assess to determine whether a small board and care home or a larger unit with more activity is appropriate.
Stage 3
Late-Stage Dementia
Symptoms
Loss of awareness of events and surroundings. Totally dependent on others for physical care. May be non-verbal. Unable to walk or eat without assistance. Near the end, may be in bed most of the time as the body shuts down.
Best Facilities for Stage 3
Hands-on, close supervision is required for this level of care. We recommend board and care homes for people with late-stage dementia. Board and care homes are limited to six residents. The good ones we work with have at least a 1:3 ratio and specialize in the long-term care of people with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Dementia
Local Los Angeles caregiver resources
Alzheimer’s Los Angeles
4221 Wilshire Blvd # 400, Los Angeles, CA 90010
(323) 938-3379
Dementia workshops, counseling and support groups in a variety of languages.
UCLA Mary Easton Center
University of California, Los Angeles, 200 Medical Plaza Driveway Suite #365A, Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 319-3222
Diagnosis, medical resources and clinical trials.
USC Family Caregiver Support Center
3715 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90089
(855) 872-6060
Support for family caregivers including social workers.
Alzheimer’s Association
9606 S Santa Monica Blvd #200, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(323) 309-8821
National advocacy and research organization.
Leeza’s Care Connection
501 S Buena Vista St, Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 847-3686
Support groups covering a range of caregiver needs
Parkinson’s Community LA
(310) 880-3143
@PDCommunityLA
www.facebook.com/ParkinsonsCommunityLA
Support groups and information for Parkinson’s care partners and family
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