As many residents of assisted living facilities age in place, their families do not want to see them moved. With the development of Alzheimer’s, of course, a move to another facility is probably inevitable. But for many residents who develop creeping dementia as time goes by, a fear exists both on their parts and their families’ parts that the ALF might decide the resident needs to go to a memory care or nursing facility. The pain of dislocation and the added expense of those types of facilities can be a burden. So how can an ALF work to keep a resident with slow memory loss on board?

A recent experiment at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale, New York appears to have proven successful in keeping dementia at bay and its symptoms under control at least for a while. The experiment was to videotape messages from family members and show them to the resident when they woke up in the morning. Not only did it jar the resident’s memories but, according to staff there, it brightened the resident’s spirits and got the day off to a good start. It also made those with developing dementia appear to be more comfortable. This in turn keeps the residents and their families happy with their chosen ALF. And with increased competition, keeping the families happy and reputation intact is important to success.