When is it time to move from assisted living to memory care?

Your answers have been soooo helpful. Thank you so much!

Same as freqflyer above, it was the staff at my mother's assisted living as well as some of her behaviors that facilitated her move from assisted living to memory care. My mom also moved from a 2 bedroom apartment to a studio and seems fine with that. Coincidentally another woman from my mom's previous floor also moved into memory care about the same time as my mom. My mother needs more assistance with bathing, toileting and has progressive dementia. The memory staff is more hands-on as well as gathering the folks together more often than in assisted living.

Amber, my Dad lived in Independent Living in a really great facility, and it was the Staff that told me it was time to move my Dad into Assisted Living/Memory Care which was part of the same complex.

I honestly was surprised at the Staff request, but I realized this wasn't their first rodeo, it was my first. Since I wasn't around Dad all day, I didn't see how he was managing when I wasn't there. His private caregiver did mention to me that Dad's mind was becoming confused, but I was in denial. It wasn't until the Staff meeting that I realized this was real time.

I was worried how Dad would take moving from a nice 2 bedroom apartment into an one room studio. I did joke with him it would be like going back to college and having a dorm room. And I did a therapeutic fib saying this would be cheaper, which Dad really liked the sound of that. Dad's only concern were the meals, if it would be the same chef... yes it would be, thus Dad was ready to pack his things.

Thus, it is the Staff that evaluates when it is time for someone to enter Memory Care. In Dad's complex, it was the top floor that was dedicated to Memory Care, and they had their own separate dining room which was set up like a posh restaurant with a printed menu, same as what Dad had in Independent Living.