Alzheimer’s and dementia are on the rise, and the number of cases in the United States is expected to triple by 2050. A massive influx of patients is about to hit the long term care facility industry, and there aren’t enough beds to take them all… Not yet, anyway.
Memory Care Gains Ground
US Memory Care, founded in 2011, is currently in the process of opening a number of memory care facilities across Texas. The company’s first memory care center opened recently in Colleyville, a city outside Dallas. The facility was the first of 20 separate memory care facilities that US Memory Care plans to build over the next 3 years.
Construction began early this year on 2 other locations in North Dallas and Vintage. Facilities in 2 more locations, Cedar Park (outside of Austin) and Southwest Houston, were announced this week and are expected to break ground soon. Each US Memory Care facility is expected to be 60,000 square feet and hold 75 residents.
Memory care facilities have become increasingly popular as the need for dementia specific care becomes more apparent. Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia require a very different environment than other nursing home residents, and senior housing developers are recognizing the importance of these care-specific settings in the long term care realm.
Designed for Success
US Memory Care facilities are all set up in the same way; they are separated into 3 “neighborhoods” developed around a “Main Street” common area. Each of the different neighborhoods is home to residents that require a similar level of care, and the common area focuses on positive social interaction.
Marti Smith, Regional Director of Marketing and Sales at US Memory Care released the following statement regarding the construction of the company’s new facilities: “At US Memory Care we live our mission everyday: to transform the lives of those afflicted with Alzheimer’s and those who care for them. Elderly care, especially in the area of memory loss, must provide a safe and compassionate environment for the residents and the families they serve. The design of our communities is unique to US Memory Care, and establishes a setting that enables us to provide the level of expertise and care for each resident on an individual basis.”
The setting certainly seems compassionate, namely the common room that includes a movie theater, barber shop, beauty salon, music hall, sweet shop, dining hall, and more. The typical image of cold, quiet halls in a barren nursing home that one might associate with long term care is completely squashed by this innovative type of care setting.
Progress Ahead
US Memory Care offers Texas residents a totally new way to receive dementia care. As Alzheimer’s prevalence increases rapidly across the nation, this specialized care is spreading in popularity, too.
Facilities like the US Memory Care facilities are top notch facilities that many people would choose as their preferred facility if given the option. However, not every one has the option. If you rely on Medicaid for your long term care, you will most likely end up in a standard nursing home. Patients with Long Term Care Insurance are able to choose from a variety of services, including in-home care, specialized care centers like these memory care centers, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes.
Long Term Care Insurance provides policyholders with the assurance that their assets will not be exhausted and they will still receive the type of care they prefer in the setting they choose. Texans are fortunate enough that the state has set up a Long Term Care Insurance Partnership Program, which incentivizes residents to buy LTCI. Visit our home page to learn more about the Partnership Program and general Texas LTCI information.