How often should the staff meet with us about our family member in memory care? How often should we receive a care plan?

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How often should the staff meet with us about our family member in memory care? How often should we receive a care plan?

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My relative has been in Memory Care since April 10. Initially, my family and I were told there would be a meeting with us after he had been there one month, but it hasn’t been mentioned yet. I plan to ask about a meeting, but I want to know what to expect first. How often should the staff meet with the family? What should we ask about? What are they obligated to tell us? What does a care plan include?

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It has just been a bit more than a month. This site is always good to search for information about all things elderly.

Search for care plan with the magnifying glass in the upper right corner. I tried to cut and paste but for some reason that has not been working for me.

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My dads facility has one every 90 days.

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Yes, do ask. Your question will be answered by your individual facility. Do ask for their "handbook" that gives answers to questions you should have. And ask any individual questions at your first care plan meeting. This is an in-facility question, individual to this particular facility. Do ask what care plans include for them and they will tell you. In general they will get together all the contact persons (there will be one contact and then a contact in case that one cannot be reached. It will have special things needed by this person. For instance, do their medications need to be crushed? What time should they take their medications. Are they incontinent. Are they confused and need frequent checks. What dietary restrictions and needs to they have in terms of amount, consistency, prohibited foods. Do they eat in room or communally. What mobility issues are there? How much shower assistance is required. Do they have idiosyncracies about knocking before entry to room or other things. Are they capable of using a phone device or not, a call button. What eyesight problems do they have. Basically ANYTHING you can think about. Mobility issues, food issues, behavior issues, needs. Sit down and form a list.

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My mother's SNF had care plan meetings once a month. They were basically a waste of time. The staff had a form they followed and each specific entity made general comments."Your mother seems to be adapting well". Oh yeah, then why had she fallen trying to get out of her wheel chair and back into bed?
"Your mother tries to participate in her therapy sessions". Oh yeah, then why did Hell Med and Insecure Horizons stop all therapy because she wasn't making any progress?
They scheduled the care plan meetings, but would not reschedule if the time was not convenient for the family.
They are basically just going thru the motions to satisfy some state regulations.

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Most likely they plan a meeting for around the one month residence, because by then they will get to know your LO better and what makes them tick or not tick.

Details on how often and what reviews would entail is really a question you need to ask the administration at the facility. What would be covered in the review should be something they might be able to answer, but more likely it would be the nurse overseeing the MC unit.

Someone else said they have plan meetings every month. That seems like a bit of overkill, unless the person was in the final days, weeks, months of life. My mother's facility did them at about 6 months. I'm sure if something changed drastically they would have met with me sooner, or at least called (virus eliminated most access.) They had a check list for abilities and needs and a space for additional comments. Unless a person is regressing quickly, 6 months should be sufficient.

Each place will have their own way of doing this, so you will need to contact admin or at least the head nurse of MC.

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we asked for a care conference when we felt it was necessary. And sometimes that was once a month and sometimes several months down the road. You also can request that things be added to his/her care plan. You can ask to see the care plan. You can also ask for a look back at medication compliance. My sister was a retired geriatric nurse practitioner and I also had been in the medical field for over 35 years so between us we demanded that we were informed and also were not shy about being sure we got dad what he needed. The bottom line is, you have to stay on top of them and be their advocate.

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Hi, Harpcat. I note that you and your sister "were not shy" about ensuring your dad got what he needed. I am also a retired advance practice nurse. Can you expand on how you utilized your occupational experience in collaboration with the care staff? Anything you would do differently regarding interacting as a family member with healthcare experience?

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Good advice from Harpcat below. In my mother's facility they are required to review her care plan periodically, I think once a year. They also must notify me if anything happens to her (like a fall, or if her condition changes, or she gets vaccinated, etc.). My mother is now in hospice care, and hospice also calls me periodically to report on their visits with my mother. I also try to visit as often as possible, just to see how things are going. If your relative's place is not doing that, you can ask to speak with his case worker or nurse (and get the email address).

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I would just like to say that I wish I had known about this website when mom in law was still alive. So many things come to mind when I read through the questions. So many helpful answers that I wish I had known a few years ago.

We had to put her in a "Care Facility", she had alzheimers/dementia, macular degeneration. We "flew by the seat of our pants" through the whole time she was there. We did the best we could for her. If I have to put my husband in a facility (and I will have to at some point) I will be watching every day! Hindsight 20/20 now! God bless you all!

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There was a meeting about my dad after 3 months of residency, however, if there was an incident such as a fall, he wasn't eating or refused showers they would connect with us. After it was yearly, unless I saw an issue or they contacted me. You must remember your family member is not the only person they care for. If allowed visit your family member often.

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The facility my mother is in schedules Care Plan meetings annually and had the first one one month after she was admitted. To get additional Care Plan meetings, you’ll need to request it through the social worker. I would suggest that you submit your own questions/agenda items in writing to the social worker a few days prior to the meeting. This can be distributed to attendees and give them an opportunity to review and come back with answers. This makes the meeting much more tailored to your parents needs.

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My sister facility meets with her and us once a quarter.

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You have the right to ask for a meeting or inquire about regular updates and meetings, a team approach is necessary and all should be viewed prior to using services.

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Just ask for the meeting, I'm sure they will schedule one, they are probably just real busy.

A care plan is just that, a plan to let you know what will be done for your loved one.

Unless you see something that would require more care then what's being done, I would just call for a meeting to see about the Care Plan once a year.

As far as an update on how the loved one is doing, you should be visiting and you will see for yourself, first hand.

I find people in Institutions are treated better when they know that the patient gets regular visitors.
Most places are under staffed and they if they have anyone that requires extra work like always asking for something, ect they will ask to Medicate the love one, which the reason will be to make it easier on the staff but they'll not tell you that.

Most Seniors are over medicated.

Best thing is VISIT at different days and times, so they never know when you're coming, that way you can see fir yourself if your LO is left in soiled bedding or soiled clothes, ect.

If it were my LO, I would have a camera installed in the room to see how the aids really treat your LO when they think no one is watching.

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Do you know if the Alexa devices with video would be allowed? I have one for me mom for her at home and it is the only way she will communicate with me. Just thinking for the future

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My MIL has been in a memory care for a year and a half and we have never been informed of or invited to any such meeting.
I think a meeting like this would be incredibly helpful to all concerned and I am going to raise the issue with the manager today.
Since she lived with us for a year and a half before moving to the facility I think I could give some information that may help them. Not at all sure why this has never been offered, since she was in there for a couple months before the Covid thing became epic. Maybe that is the reason, but I am going to ask.

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It maybe because of Covid but my State requires a meeting every 3 months if in a facility.

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Ask for a meeting. Your meeting will be a family meeting, not a staff meeting. Usually a care plan talks about the overall condition about the client: health, social, therapies... Make a list of your concerns and give a copy to the administration. Explain you would like your questions addressed at the meeting. Talk to administration that you want to meet regularly to discuss your loved one's needs and concerns. Set up a schedule that works for you and the facility.

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when my father went into the NH 6 years ago. they have set times when they meet. i think it is every 4 months unless there are other issues. They would give us information about his blood work that was done, how he was as far as other stuff (eating, etc) weight, and then they asked if we had questions. Normally we didn't have too many unless it was something specific we were concerned about. But you should be able to call any time and ask questions about them. maybe they are just overwhelmed right now with the virus stuff, and if they had any changes in how they handle visitations, etc. give them until June 1st, then you can request a meeting to see how things are going. wishing you luck.

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When dad was in SNC there was a meeting every 90 days to review what was being done. Most of the meetings were basically crap - especially since dad was also on hospice - he wasn't going to get any better - but it was a good time to bring up problems. Although, if the problem was big enough I didn't wait for the next meeting. Now these meetings were outside of when dad fell - which was basically weekly - then they'd call and let me know he fell again that he had scrapes and bruises but was otherwise ok - by the time he was in SNC his falls were more like slides to the floor as he was too weak to stand but kept forgetting - or just stubbornly tried to stand on his own.

The AL (mom still lives) also does a review every 90 days, but unless there is a change in care needs or health they don't have a meeting. While dad was still in AL they upped his level of care for about 90 days as he was having more problems - and the director and I did review what was happening with him and their plans if he didn't improve. After the ninety days he was doing better and put him back to the basic level.

Since dad died before COVID pandemic - I'm not sure whether some of the meetings went away as other agenda items took precedence like trying to keep COVID out of the facility and then to mitigate it once it made its appearance. I would definitely check back with management to see when the meeting will occur.

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Imho, you should ask for a meeting as you're entitled to one.

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I would question why you have had none. When my Mom was in rehab it was suppose to be in 7 days. It was over 2 weeks. If they had done it in 7 days I would have been made aware that her Thyroid meds were not given to her. At the AL I was told they were required to have a care meeting ever 90 days. I think I had two in the 5 months Mom was in LTC. All these meetings staff was there. SW, DON, activities director. They were 15 min long so gave me no chance to ask questions. I did complain about this. That at least the first meeting needs to be longer.

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My dad was in a facility. I’d get a letter in the mail every 3 months about a meeting (no date, no time, no phone #, no email). Basically if you want to know what’s going on….barge in. Otherwise they’ll just ‘check the box’. Make the weight of your presence known.

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Although my wife is home now, from October 2017 until June of 2020, she was in 5 different facilities for a total of about 27 months. Each facility had a care plan meeting one a month, and more often if needed.

There was a Nurse to represent the floor or wing she was in
also a pharmacist
PT and OT
Food service and nutrition
Activities Director or a rep.

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How often should the staff meet with us about our family member in memory care? How often should we receive a care plan?

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