For just a basic overview, you can go to the top of the AgingCare site here where the turquoise banner is in the upper right corner and click on "Find Care." It has a brief description of what each type of facility is and what they do. Good luck!
I think questions for your list will come with speaking to the facilities and exploring them. How much do they charge. What are the care levels. What is the cost for the care levels. What raises can you expect yearly. What medical and transit is available. What outings do they do (in normal times). Is there a beginning at Assisted Living and when do you have to move to Memory and how much is Memory Care. Are there medical groups that regularily visit (my bro's assisted living had two) and what insurance do they accept. Do they allow seriously impaired people to live in the Assisted Living areas where people who are quite well live? And on and on and on, and more and more will come to you. Stay on the forum. Ask folks here what they love about the facilities their elders are at and what they don't love. Ask if you can attend for a meal or two (in non covid times). My brother's assisted living did have a memory care unit but I would say, seeing what his partner now goes through, that it is a bit cost prohibitive and the partner may move to home care where the facility houses only 7 seniors. So it is kind of learning as you go unfortunately. Also, in the timeline above you will see in the far right on the blue green thread the word CARE TOPIC. Click on that and look up all the things that pertain, and read up on the forum and articles.
An Assisted living Facility that also has a Memory Care wing would be your best bet. No matter which type of home you want to place your mom in, they will do an assessment of her beforehand to determine if she's a good fit for them, and if so, which section she belongs. If she has moderate or advanced dementia/Alzhemiers, she may be a lot better off in the Memory Care section, but again, it's up to the intake nurse at the ALF, not you. If she has a ton of health issues that are out of the scope of what an ALF handles, then she'd be a candidate for Skilled Nursing instead. One they do the assessment of her at the ALF, they will let you know if she's beyond their care capacity and better off in a SNF. I am unaware of any sort of 'checklist' that may be available to use to determine what care facility she'd be best suited for; that's up to the them.
Based on your profile, your mother is already living in Assisted Living which you are unhappy with...........? If so, scope out some other places in town to get a feel for how things are run. Look at their online reviews, too, which is always helpful. I'd avoid the corporate run facilities because they seem to be more focused on bringing in the bucks than they are on the quality of care they provide to the residents. I had my folks in a Corporate run ALF for 9 months and had to get them out of there after I had one issue after another, including an incorrect bill every single month the entire time. All they wanted to do was increase the charges and decrease their level of service. I found a privately owned ALF with a memory care annex and they've been remarkable. Dad passed in 2015 but mom is still there in the MC section at 93.5 years old and doing well.
A conversation should be had with the admissions director at the facility. They need to assess your mom's abilities. AL has differing levels of help, at "a la carte" pricing, like to do laundry, housekeeping, administer meds, etc. If the LO is "too" forgetful or they wander they need MC but that's up to the facility.
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For just a basic overview, you can go to the top of the AgingCare site here where the turquoise banner is in the upper right corner and click on "Find Care." It has a brief description of what each type of facility is and what they do. Good luck!
My brother's assisted living did have a memory care unit but I would say, seeing what his partner now goes through, that it is a bit cost prohibitive and the partner may move to home care where the facility houses only 7 seniors. So it is kind of learning as you go unfortunately.
Also, in the timeline above you will see in the far right on the blue green thread the word CARE TOPIC. Click on that and look up all the things that pertain, and read up on the forum and articles.
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Based on your profile, your mother is already living in Assisted Living which you are unhappy with...........? If so, scope out some other places in town to get a feel for how things are run. Look at their online reviews, too, which is always helpful. I'd avoid the corporate run facilities because they seem to be more focused on bringing in the bucks than they are on the quality of care they provide to the residents. I had my folks in a Corporate run ALF for 9 months and had to get them out of there after I had one issue after another, including an incorrect bill every single month the entire time. All they wanted to do was increase the charges and decrease their level of service. I found a privately owned ALF with a memory care annex and they've been remarkable. Dad passed in 2015 but mom is still there in the MC section at 93.5 years old and doing well.
Good luck!!