The primary difference between memory care and assisted living is that memory care includes professional care for residents with dementia on top of the basic care they would receive at an assisted living facility. When determining whether your elderly loved one needs either assisted living or memory care, it can be helpful to ask yourself a few questions before making the decision. For starters, consider your loved one’s level of physical competence when it comes to caring for him or herself. If he or she hasn’t been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia and doesn’t appear to have any major memory issues, then basic assisted living will likely suffice. Assisted living is designed for those whose assistance needs are primarily physical. ​ On the other hand, if your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another condition affecting memory, then a memory care facility will be best. Even if your loved one hasn’t been diagnosed with an official memory condition but has shown signs of fading memory (or family history shows a high risk for Alzheimer’s or dementia), this is probably the best choice for him or her.

Dementia refers to the gradual loss of mental function that ultimately impairs a person’s ability to function. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, but there are many other types of dementia to be aware of, including: Vascular dementia Mixed dementia Lewy body dementia (LBD) Parkinson’s disease dementia Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) Creutzfeldt-Jacob dementia Normal pressure hydrocephalus Huntington’s disease Wernicke-Korsakoff dementia Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are very often confused for each other, and some people believe them to be the same thing. However, Alzheimer's is a specific type of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in elderly people. Specifically, Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that kills brain cells, often resulting in severe memory loss and other impaired mental functions. Click here to learn more about Alzheimer's