Aunt is in level 3 memory care. What does that include as far as actual care and companionship?

In my state (Connecticut) memory care is about $13,000 a month (when it's private cash pay) for an understaffed, low-end quality facility.

The care received in a memory care is the same as what you get in a nursing home only the floor is locked so no one can wander away.

Memory care facilities do not provide individual, private companionship for its residents. That doesn't happen anywhere. No facility will pay to have this much staffing. They provide some sort of social group activity. You may get kind-hearted aides who will encourage residents to join in. You may not. They are not obligated to and no nursing home/memory care has sitters on staff to keep individual residents company. They may offer to arrange for a sitter or companion at additional cost to the resident.

Many people hire a private companion to spend time with their LO who is memory care. That is also paid for privately. Insurance will not cover that.

I am in Wisconsin, my dad is in MC. He pays $6000/month
He can independently eat, bathe, (all though he will go months without a shower and needs constant reminders)and is continent.
Included in cost is medication management, but he is not on any, because it was behavioral and he consistently refused and put it in the fish tank.
Also included are meals, snacks, house keeping, laundry (he refuses to allow them to do his laundry or clean his room, so I do that too).
What I found in our area (Green Bay) is prices range from about $5000 - $10,000 = Level1

Mareva: Pose these questions to the Memory Care facility in Menomonee Falls, WI. An individual who sits around with the patient in memory care may not exist.

Ask the company providing the service. Every residential care facility may have different ways of defining "levels" and the care that is associated with that level.

My mother is in AL, and when she moved there she required level 2 care (the rehab facility was not going to release her unless she went to memory care ($$$$). But we were fortunate enough to have her released to a brand new AL; but the memory care unit was not yet open, but she had her room reserved for when it did. So we moved her into an empty apartment until the memory unit opened. Since there were only five residents in the new facility (I mean the AL was minutes old), all the caregivers could give her extra care, and we paid for a sitter for a while. But we got her UTI under control (that caused most of her memory and thinking problems, including sundown syndrome), and gradually her mind recovered enough for Level 1 care, and she did not have to go to memory unit. Those UTIs are still a problem, and they sure do a number on her mind (it is the only symptom she shows for the UTI), but EVERYONE in AL or any elderly person showing mental problems, should be routinely tested for UTIs, and her facility does this. My mother has them three or four times a year, and there does not seem to be anything we can do to prevent them. The level 1 of care for her covers medication to be given by the nurse, regular urine testing, help using the spa facility (she will only take a tub bath), and costs about $600 more than her rent. It is well worth the peace of mind for us.

Your profile says you are caring for your mother. It sounds like your aunt is already in a facility too and if you are not a recognized caregiver for your aunt, you probably will not get the info you are asking. The only one you should be asking would be the admissions person at her facility but only if you have HPOA or your aunt is with you.

FYI, if you are just curious to know what your aunt is paying, facility residents often share how much they THINK they are paying. Most residents, especially those in memory care, don't have a clue what they pay because their family is handling it. My father use to think if he could get a room exactly like someone else, he would only have to pay what they say they are paying. Each resident is an individual with individual needs and charged accordingly. Many facilities offer specials to move in then the rate goes up from there, so the rate may vary based on longevity or what the move in special was.

There is a standard fare for pricing depending if there is a variety of room sizes. In both AL and MC, if the resident requires more personal care such as more bed sheet washing or longer shower and dressing time. Let us say the standard personnel time is a standard of 3.5 hours a week, then the cost of care will increase if more time is needed. An extra laundry may be $10. The hairdresser is always extra. One year my mom's MC, the bill increased $600 and the next year was much less. Always expect an annual increase. Or expect notification of increased needs will increase the bill.

BTW companionship depends on how the residents interact with each other and their personalities. Your aunt will see her fellow facility mates more than the staff that change each shift. If your aunt is a shy or very private person, then her personality will show

Now if you want to know about enrichment socialization, then look at the monthly activities when you visit. Also observe how engaged the residents are. Be mindful that residents are at different levels as some progress to sleeping all day. Because residents come and go, that level if engagement will change. It does not mean the place is a bad one, but may just mean you keep on looking.

I don’t know the answer to this specific question but will add that I admitted my mom to temporary care to heal from hip surgery and shopped around. I found the facilities varied greatly.

To add to the other replies, in some assisted living facilities, the cost may NOT be related to the level of care within the AL. While this may seem counter-intuitive, determining periodically the amount of care a resident requires and changing the billing as the needs of residents change can be very time-consuming and sometimes contentious. From time to time we get questions here about what to do if an AL facility has reclassified a resident as needing a higher level of care, and thus being required to pay a higher rent (and possibly needing to be relocated within the facility).

Regarding companionship from staff members, as Lealonnie1 has written, that is not something that an AL normally is expected to provide. If a resident needs increasing amounts of care, the amount of staff focused on the resident will probably increase, but that would probably not translate into more positive companionship.

Levels of care are not standardized across the industry or even within a state. At my Mom's facility, the Head Nurse had the breakdown that when accumulated, indicated the level of care which determined the price of her stay. It is an interesting read.

For me, it included the number of drugs/vitamins that they had to give the person a day and how often a day they had to give a drug/vitamin. It also included the level of how her food was prepared/presented (chopped, chopped fine, puree, etc., no salt, regular), whether I gave them the drugs or they could just order it through their system.

As I said, a very interesting read.

Call the facility she’s in.

I've never heard of "companionship" being included at any price in any Memory Care Assisted Living facility. Staff will assist as needed, but as far as sitting around with a resident, that's not doable. That's what other residents are for, and family/friends who come to visit.

You need to speak to the Executive Director about these questions you have, not us. Each facilty differs from the next.

You need to ask the facility that. Each facility probably has their own rating system and whats included in each. The cost depends also on the facility. These are privately paid and privately owned so can set any price they want. They are not rent regulated. When Aunt was admitted to the facility, her level of care cost should have been discussed with family and what that cost entailed.

My Mom was the highest level in her AL which was 4. She needed help with all her ADLs. Dressing, toileting, bathing, getting her down to dinner, brushing her teeth, etc. Her room and board were one price, her care another.

Sorry, we are Caregivers from all over the Us and other countries. Each State is different and in each state depends on where in the state u live. Facilities are cheaper in southern part of my state than in the North where Counties are closer to NYC.

I think that each facility has its own definition of levels of care and what they include.
Meet with the admins of the facility with an appointment to speak with them about this.
It varies widely facility to facility for both ALF and MC.

The levels of care and the pricing depend entirely upon the facility. Each facility should have sales documents/brochures that list what is included in each level of care, and the sales staff or office staff can tell you the current price for each level.