Popular Memory Care Facilities in Nassau County

Seniors with dementia very typically have or will develop physical problems like walking and speech difficulties. The cause of these physical challenges in seniors with dementia is straightforward: The brain is where neuromuscular actions like walking begin, and if the brain is damaged by some condition causing dementia, then the brain and body will eventually not be able to communicate well.

It is because of this combination of physical and cognitive difficulties that New York State issues a special license to those Assisted Living communities that also care for seniors with dementia. This authorization is called a “Special Needs” license. All the Memory Care communities (or sections of larger Assisted Living communities) shown below have this license. The staffing in the Memory area of a community typically is higher than that in Assisted Living. The Memory staff is specially trained in techniques like Diversion and Acceptance, and they are prepared for both cognitive issues and advanced levels of support for the Activities of Daily Living.

The cost of care in Memory is typically presented in one of two ways – All Inclusive and Rent plus Care. The All-Inclusive pricing model, which is becoming something of the norm, charges one single monthly price for care within the Memory section of a building. This charge for the most part does not change even as the resident’s physical and cognitive needs become greater. Because the charge is fixed, some of these communities will not be able to care for a resident as his/her needs become very advanced. This is the point when seniors with dementia sometimes move to a Long Term Care facility.

The other pricing model is Rent plus Care. Under this model in Memory, the care is broken up into two, sometimes three components. The first is Rent. Under this monthly charge, the resident’s room, food, activities, and other parts of their physical environment are paid for by a single monthly charge. When the resident is going through the community’s admission process, their care needs are assessed. This care for the resident’s Activities of Daily Living is paid for by a second charge, typically just called Care. This cost can range from a relatively low cost to several thousand dollars each month. In addition, some communities also have a separate charge to administer, dispense, record, and reorder medications.

The communities that charge under a Rent plus Care model typically are able and willing to keep residents longer – sometime till end of life.

In Nassau County, we are fortunate to have almost 30 Memory Care communities, including several that exclusively serve seniors with dementia.

This listing is a deep sampling of the communities that have set up a separate and specific area for seniors with cognitive issues, and it includes most of the communities that charge residents on a monthly only basis. Many seniors with dementia are also residents in Long Term Care facilities, and this is a good choice for seniors with severe physical problems accompanying dementia, those that also have very significant psychiatric problems, and those relying totally on Medicaid to pay for care.

For more information, and to help pick the most appropriate Memory communities for your loved one, call Mike McClernon at Assisted Living Locators of Long Island. His phone is 516 254 9481, and his email is mikem@assistedlivingloctors.com. He has helped hundreds of Long Island families with the important decisions around senior placement.