I keep reading about the terms nursing home and memory care unit. What is the difference?

I am always amazed that something as simple as a UTI can cause such diffuclt issues with the elderly, and just a routine common infection in much younger people. I never knew about the elder issue until I started reading the website.

My state is MI, suburbs of Detroit. Nobody told me about he zombie meds, I experienced it with my husband at the geri/psych hospital. It was a whole different atmosphere compared to the nursing home. I can't even explain it. Hubby was put on xanax, ativan, and zyprexa along with the meds he already takes on regular basis at nursing home. He just stared and so did many of the others there and yes, I was scared from this lady and how they just let them wander around like that during visiting hours when they knew she was aggressive. I just assumed the meds did not work for her or she was new. I agree, I need to do some more research on memory units. The ones I did speak to had this price cap or whatever you call it and medicaid would pay that and the family would pay the excess. I dont work, cant afford to pay that. I will ask my elder care lawyer again about this. I like the home he is in but the fact that they shipped him out like that, does not sit well with me and he is not the first since I have been there. The most important part I forgot to tell you all is that my hubby gets frequent UTI's and has no symptoms at all except extreme aggressive behavior. I have told this home that many times and begged them twice before this to test for it and I was right both times and they sent him to regular hospital. This time they would not test him and just sent him to this place and yes, he did have nasty UTI. He is settling back down now and he is off most of those meds except the Ativan.

The assisted living place where my daughter works has a separate unit for Memory Care. More than half of the residents of the regular assisted living wings have dementia. I asked my daughter what was the difference between those that go into memory care and those that stay in the regular wing.

She said the primary difference was wandering. The memory care unit was more secure and intended to prevent residents from walking off the premises. The other factor was behavior that would be disturbing to the other residents. Both units dealt with people with dementia, but the memory care unit had a higher staff ratio to deal with problematic behaviors. Someone who wanders does not necessarily have more severe behavioral problems, but they need more monitoring to keep them safe.

In my mother's nursing home the second floor is their memory care unit. Again, security is a main difference. My observation is that most of the residents on Mom's floor have dementia. (Not all, certainly, and I'm just estimating by observation.) Only those that are at risk for wandering off or need more personal attention are on the second floor.

Hmmm, who TOLD you this information? I'd do some more research. Who told you about the medication/zombie stuff? Not in the places I've been in the State of Connecticut.

BettyG, picture a facility wing where everyone has the same level of memory issues [totally out of control].... I couldn't imagine working in such an environment where every one of the patients has this situation.... but think of it this way, the patients probably don't realize what the other patients are doing.... you and I, of course, would notice because our mind is healthy.

OMG, I couldn't imagine what you went through when you were pinned to a wall by another patient and having that patient screaming at you. I would have been so scared to ever return as a visitor to the facility. But think about it, every day the employees are in such an environment, they probably get pinned, kicked, cussed at on a regular basis. It is just the way it is.

So sorry that you have to go through this with your husband.

BettyG, I'm betting you were told wrong.

Start calling some nursing homes. I'd be very VERY surprised if there aren't a plethora of nursing homes that have memory units and take Medicaid. What state?

Thanks for answering. I am surprised you understood my question. Upon reading it over, wow....so many mistakes. Now I do understand. Hubby's nursing home has no such unit. When the staff can no longer handle them, the send them to a local hospital that is only for geriatric patients. There they load them up on drugs and send them back as zombies. It was locked, yes, I could only see him one hour a day and I really feel the care was not too good. Hubby fell twice, once injured his head and once his leg but no permanent injuries. I also got my self pinned against the wall by a patient (woman) who said she was going to kill herself and screamed and scream in my face until they took her away. I was scared to death. I was told that the homes that do have memory care units are not all the way Medicaid paid, so I cannot afford them. I was also told if hubby becomes out of control permanently, there is one or 2 nursing homes that will take them and upon investigation, they are the worst of the worst. Thanks all

Memory care can be a unit in a Nursing Home or an Assisted Living Facility, depending upon the state regs. They are locked units; residents can't come and go freely and visitors need to be buzzed in. Staff generally has special training to deal with aggressive, noncompliant behavior. Often, there is a specific program, centered around activities to keep residents occupied. In one memory care unit, the big central area where residents gathered had "stations"-- a tool bench, a kitchen set up , a nursery set up, an area with beautiful clothing from the 1940 and 50s. When a resident would become agitated, staff would bring him/her to a preferred station to do some work to calm them.

You ask a good question.

To some extent I think things vary by state. Here in MO we have nursing homes and within those nursing homes there is usually a "memory care" unit, a locked unit for people with profound dementia that is not easily accessible to residents and visitors.

When I hear the term "memory care" I think of a specific and separate wing of a nursing home for people with dementia.

I don't know of a geriatric/psych hospital here in St. Louis and I work in healthcare. There are psychiatric wings attached to hospitals and included are adolescent, adult, and geriatric which are all separated from one another.

From what you wrote I would say that your husband is in the hospital.