Memory care assisted living is more than a secure building. It combines the services of assisted living with the safety and special programming of memory care.

That means your loved one gets help when it’s needed, but can still make his or her own choices — all in an environment uniquely designed to support people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias.

The Good Samaritan Society’s memory care assisted living communities are modern and designed to feel like home.

Watch a virtual tour of a memory care assisted living community:

Recreating home

Memory care assisted living communities should provide more than a secured building. The community itself should be designed around nurturing and supporting residents’ unique needs.

Memory care assisted living communities contain key design elements that engage residents through the five senses, connect them with fond memories and provide details to help with recognition:

• Life skills stations are shared spaces within households that help residents recall favorite interests or daily activities. Life skills stations might include props like utensils in a kitchen or a tape measure at a "handyman" station that residents can interact with.
• A sensory room provides a calming and soothing setting for residents with objects like soft blankets and pillows or scented hand lotions.
• Environmental cues, such as a bowl of fruit, can drive “wayfinding,” which helps a person recognize and navigate their surroundings.
• A sensory courtyard is a contained outdoor space where residents can take in fresh air, watch a bird splash in a birdbath, or taste fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Common areas provide opportunities for residents to interact with others.

Whether it's gathering around the living room TV or enjoying a breath of fresh air outside, these design elements can help your loved one feel at home.

Walking, not wandering

Well-designed pathways are another subtle yet important design element in memory care assisted living, because six in 10 people with dementia will wander.

A walking path in a contained sensory courtyard can help residents explore the outdoors as they move from touching plants in one area to sitting on benches in another.

Inside, life skills stations and common areas are positioned so a resident's wandering turns into walking.

Modifying wandering behavior into walking can help each resident stay physically healthy.

Assisted living memory care helps residents gain a sense of purpose through familiar activities and gives them a chance to pursue their passions. It’s about more than just living through a diagnosis. It’s about getting the most out of life.

Sources: Senior Housing News, Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Foundation of America