Washington Memory Care Facilities

If you stand by the motto that everything is the best in the west, then senior living certainly has some features and amenities to represent that slogan well. Memory care facilities in Washington are one of many aspects of senior living that is strong in the northwestern state. Among its 7.4+ million residents, a significant portion are Alzheimer's care residents who seek the advanced treatment at dementia care facilities within the state.

The excellent medical care and squeaky-clean memory care facilities do come with a few disadvantages, including the price. Washington Alzheimer's care homes currently rank 12th in the nation for being the most expensive, yet memory care communities in this state are still far cheaper than California dementia care communities.

Detailed Cost of Memory Care Facilities in Washington

While the state does rank within the Top 15 of most expensive in the U.S. for memory care, Washington dementia care homes are still reasonably priced. The median price for a monthly stay at one of these facilities is just over $5,000 per month, or approximately $168 per day. When compared to the national average of $160 per day, the daily rates are not all that ludicrous.

Affordable Alzheimer's care facilities in Washington can reach prices as low as $100 per day, with several in the $120 to $140 price range. The median average for the lowest 10 percent of dementia care homes in Washington is slightly less than $3,000 per month. On the other hand, the priciest average $240 to $280 per day, or approximately $8,500 per month. At more than $5,000 per month difference between the most expensive and least expensive, Washington memory care communities do vary substantially based on location or amenities offered.

Are you unfamiliar as to where the best selection of Alzheimer's care homes in Washington are? It's never a bad idea to start with a larger city that generally provides not only a better selection but also easier access for friends and family to visit whether from the same area or flying in from an airport.

Seattle is a massive metropolitan area with over 700,000 residents. Spokane, Tacoma, Bellevue and Vancouver are the four next biggest cities. All of them have over 200,000 residents, or close to that number, which means you can find many high-quality assisted living centers, nursing homes and dementia care facilities in Washington.

Kent, Renton and Everett are other noteworthy places for families with a loved one suffering from the terrible diseases of Alzheimer's and dementia. The table below shows detailed costs of memory care in the state of Washington:

Timing the Move to a Washington Dementia Care Community

Many individuals with Alzheimer's still prefer living in their own homes, with family members just checking on them from time to time. However, more people have been relocating to dementia care homes in Washington in recent years. But when do you know if it's time for your loved one to transition into one?

To better assist you in the decision-making process, geriatricians suggest that you consider the behavioral changes in your loved one, their overall safety, and their health condition. In addition, you as the primary caregiver must also review your care capabilities and overall well-being.

Behavioral Changes

• Has your loved one's behavior drastically changed from being conscious about their looks to forgetting how to comb their hair?
• Do they often become frustrated with their inability to carry out chores they used to do daily?
• Has your usually cheery and confident family member suddenly become more anxious and reserved?

Safety

• Can you still trust that your family member will come back home safe and sound from a walk around the block, and not be lost in an unknown place without knowing how they got there?
• Are you confident they will not be confused and disoriented driving to the store, and getting involved in an accident?
• Will your loved one remember who they can call or trust when they need help?

Health Conditions

• Does your loved one eat, drink, and take their medication on time?
• Are they having a difficult time moving independently?
• Do they require assistance with their daily living activities?
• Are they showing signs of incontinence?

Care Capabilities

• Can you still keep your composure during your loved one’s drastic mood swings and behavioral changes?
• Are you able to carry them from one room to another?
• Can you assist them with personal hygiene when they are experiencing incontinence?
• Will you be capable of caring for them when they can no longer move, chew, and drink independently?
• Are you confident that you can give them consistent, round-the-clock, high-level care for the long-term?

Your Well-Being

• Can you still juggle caregiving with your other responsibilities at home and at work?
• Do you still connect with other family members and friends?
• Do you give yourself time to breathe and take care of your physical, mental, and emotional needs?

Dementia is an unpredictable disease. Hence, it is important to assess your situation from time to time, especially when your loved one's condition and needs change.

Perhaps you feel guilty about transitioning them to a memory care home. But you have to remember that relocating a family member to a memory care community is your way of ensuring they get the best possible care even if you are not the one assisting them with their daily activities. You are supporting them in the best way you can—looking for care professionals who can address all their care needs.

Assisted Living vs. Memory Care Home in Washington

There are three stages of Alzheimer's—mild, moderate, and severe. Depending on where your loved one is in, they can call either an assisted living facility or a memory care facility in Washington, their new home.

An assisted living facility offers boarding, meals, and round-the-clock support services. However, unlike a dementia care home, it puts a premium on independent living. Assistance is available if residents need help with some daily living tasks like bathing and dressing. This makes assisted living communities ideal for people in the mild and early-moderate stages of Alzheimer's and dementia.

A Washington memory care home, on the other hand, focuses on caring for Alzheimer's and dementia patients regardless of the disease stage they are in. This type of facility has specially trained staff who can supervise therapy sessions for individuals and groups, provide behavioral management, address directed and personal care, and offer high-level memory care.

The Aging and Long-Term Support Administration from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services licenses both institutions. It also inspects the facilities every 18 months to ensure that residents are receiving quality care and are treated with dignity, the facility is up to code, and the staff is competent and well-compensated.

Admission Requirements for Memory Care Homes in Washington

Washington residents who are over 65 years old and those who have physical and development handicaps are welcome in Washington memory care communities.

However, individuals who require intensive monitoring due to their medical condition but do not have an available third party to give nursing care may be refused admission to a facility. Similarly, those who can harm themselves, other residents, and the staff may also be barred.

Despite these basic guidelines for admission, special consideration may be given to your loved one. You may get in touch with the facility to schedule an on-site tour and meeting with the administration and care staff.

Senility, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia was incorrectly referred to as 'senility' years ago. It refers to the physical and cognitive decline often associated with old age. Unlike senility, dementia is more of an umbrella term that describes the loss of language, cognitive ability, and memory due to brain cell damage.

Alzheimer's remains to be the most common cause of dementia. This disease damages the brain cells. The damage worsens over time, taking a person's memory, thinking ability, and mobility with it. A recent report indicated that 5.8 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and since there is still no cure for it, experts project the number of cases to continue to rise.

With no cure available, the only thing people can do is ensure that their loved ones with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia get high-quality care and enhance their quality of life. Sometimes, this means allowing professionals at care facilities to look after them.

The Right Washington Dementia Care Community for Your Loved One

Searching for a new home for your loved one can be a daunting and stressful task. But you can make the process easier.

First, list down all the things your loved one says they enjoy in their current or previous homes and recall what they adore about those places. Next, note all their care needs, sensitivities, and restrictions. Lastly, make your own list of the things you wish they can have to make their days more comfortable.

Compare your lists with the information that Washington dementia care homes have on their websites or brochures. Call the ones that you think can give the most, if not all, of the things on your lists, and schedule a visit. Try to bring your loved one with Alzheimer's along. If this is not possible, choose someone who knows them as well as you do, to confirm your choices.

During the tour, you may want to ask the facility personnel about their services, amenities, policies on family involvement, and house rules. Some topics you would want to discuss include:

• Frequency of visits from licensed physicians and nurses
• Presence of staff members with memory care
• Staff and resident ratio
• Frequency of room and building maintenance
• Availability of amenities that your loved one needs
• Meal planning process and accommodation of food restrictions and special diets
• Size and accessibility of living areas, bathrooms, and common areas
• Recreational activities that residents enjoy
• Family involvement in care planning and actual care
• Process of communicating to families the changes in residents’ health condition and care needs
• Admission procedure
• Things that residents can bring into their living spaces
• Policies for hospital and emergency room visits
• Visitation rules
• Discharge policies and procedures
• Continuing care and aging in place

Washington Memory Care Home Amenities

Along with regularly scheduled programs and daily meal servings of well-balanced, nutritional food as well as housekeeping and room amenities, the best memory care facilities in Washington also have a strong reputation for their security and safety measures. Security pendants and color-coded walls are often utilized together with staff monitoring to keep residents safe and secure, consequently avoiding wandering from the building premises.

Affording a Washington Dementia Home

Washington memory care facilities take pride in providing top-tier memory care services and a top-notch staff to match. However, these entail higher than normal rates. In order to afford this level of care, you can look into these state and non-state programs.

• Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Eligibility
  • Washington residents
  • At least 55 years old
  • Lives within the service area
• Specialized Dementia Care Program Eligibility
  • Washington residents
  • Medicaid-eligible
  • Must be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia
  • Department of Social and Health Services-confirmed need for specialized memory care
• The Community First Choice Option Eligibility
  • Washington residents
  • At least 65 years old or someone who has a physical and developmental disability in need of high-level care
  • Must not make more than $2,313 per month
  • Must not have total assets more than $2,000
• Apple Health Long-Term Services and Supports Eligibility
  • Washington residents
  • 18 years old and above
  • Requires long-term care
  • Must meet Apple Health and Long-Term Services and Supports financial requirements

You can also check long-term care insurances, life insurances, Veterans benefits, and reverse mortgages for additional channels of support.