What to look for — and ask — when touring a dementia care community

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Fosco offers a practical checklist for evaluating memory care and assisted living communities before a crisis forces a rushed choice. On a tour, watch whether staff spontaneously greet residents and visitors — not just during a scheduled tour — and whether posted activities are actually happening. Ask about staff-to-resident ratios on all three shifts (morning, evening, overnight), staff turnover rates, how long the director of nursing has been in place (long tenure signals a healthy culture), how call-outs are covered, what continuing education staff receive, and specifically how the community handles agitation, aggression, and sundowning in residents with dementia. He also points to a federal website — search 'Care Compare' — that publishes staffing ratios for skilled nursing and assisted living by state. His practical advice: tour at least two communities before any decision needs to be made, not in a decision-making frame but simply to get comfortable with the process.