MemoryCare

Our goal is to provide expert medical care for older adults with dementia, support with education and training for their caregivers and community education to ensure this public health issue has a community that understands.

MemoryCare's key strategy is to include caregivers as an integral part of the team in caring for person living with dementia (PLWD) and to provide them with the education, support, and training they need to manage their role as well as possible. With individualized support and education for caregivers integrated with expert medical care for the PLWD, we facilitate improved chronic disease management & overall safety by educating families about the need for oversight with medications, nutrition, finances, driving, firearms, and more and by helping establish safety routines. For both the PLWD and family we emphasize the importance of healthy diet and exercise; we promote completion of Advance Directives. Though caregivers are critical to the safety, health and well-being of PLWD, their role often takes a toll on their health as well; caregivers need support & information particular to their circumstance so they can care for their loved one with excellence, minimize the impact of dementia on their own health and well-being, and maximize quality of life for all affected.

This type of dementia care is both evidence based and considered best-practice but is not supported financially by insurance. Nearly half of the families enrolled in our program are low income by HHS Poverty Standards.

MemoryCare is an independent, community-based non-profit serving western North Carolina for almost 20 years. Our strength lies in our model of care and the dedicated staff who serve families. Our model incorporates best practice components from the Alzheimer’s Study group and we adapt services based on client needs to ensure its practical benefit. Services are provided by our clinical care management teams all of whom receive special training in dementia care with geriatric focus. Our physician staff includes dementia specialists with added certifications in geriatrics, hospice and palliative care. MemoryCare's founding director served on the national board of the Alzheimer's Association and the North Carolina Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias and the current director is the western North Carolina liaison for the newly established NC Registry for Brain Health.

Our program has 19 years of experience delivering evidence-based dementia care and education in our region. Our experience in providing consultative medical care and caregiver support has allowed us to develop strong networks with primary care practices in the region who rely on our program for expertise and management of their more complicated patients and our caregiver education programs are the leading source of dementia caregiver education in the western NC region.

We offer an intensive 6-session course about dementia, caregiving and community resources and educational information is available through our Resource Center, website and e-newsletter. We teach healthcare professional about dementia care and supervise a peer support network of caregivers. MemoryCare partners with many local educational, healthcare, and community organizations to coordinate services and avoid duplication. We improve safety and quality of life by focusing on care of vulnerable, memory-impaired individuals to minimize malnutrition, medication errors, and other safety risks.

MemoryCare's clinical model and initiatives in caregiver education and training have been recognized for excellence on both state and national levels (N.C. Division on Aging, Premier Cares and American Geriatrics Society Award recipients)..Data has consistently demonstrated significant reductions in unnecessary utilization of the acute and long term health care systems and, equally as important, 99-100 percent satisfaction of the families served.

Each year, MemoryCare sees over 1000 people living with dementia and 3,400 of their family caregivers.