[Cajundaddy]

My Mom has been in assisted living for 4 years now. She started in the general population and was moved into memory care as the effects of dementia/alz progressed. There is no perfect solution here but these were the things we felt were important:

1. Have her very near us so we can visit often and take her to family gatherings.
2. Very clean place with no smell.
3. Community kitchen as clean as a fine restaurant.
4. Caretakers who are friendly and kind even when Mom isn't.
5. A spirit of community among residents during meal time. It feels more like the early bird meals at a local diner than inmates at an institution.

She is 85 and her world gets smaller every day but we feel she is in as good a place as any. Being there often for visits, and to break her out for dinner once a week helps to keep her spirits high. We are very fortunate that my Dad left her in very good financial shape so while the cost is high it is bearable from her holdings rather than our personal funds.

My wife is a Radiologic Technologist who works in a hospital with a lot of training in care and treatment of aging patients. She was great in helping to focus our search for the right place.