Do you believe residents in assisted living or home settings can receive excellent care? I do. But a recent article from the Long-Term Care Community Coalition argues that too many individuals with dementia in these environments—particularly those receiving Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)—are receiving poor or inappropriate dementia care and services. That concern led to the development of their Dementia Care in the Community initiative, which aims to bridge that gap by offering practical tools and education for families, caregivers, and individuals living with dementia. You can explore the initiative through their overview page.

To be clear, I don’t agree with the idea that assisted living communities are inherently unequipped to provide appropriate care. In fact, many states have specific training requirements for caregivers in memory or dementia care. If you’re curious about what your state mandates, check out the helpful state-by-state dementia training guide from Justice in Aging.

That said, we all know that perception often shapes reality. What impressed me was that the Coalition didn’t just criticize—they built solutions. Their project includes a range of well-designed resources, including an introductory webinar that lays out how caregivers and communities can better support individuals with dementia. The tools are practical, user-friendly, and free to access.

While the debate continues, there’s no doubt that better dementia care and services depend on staying informed, trained, and open to new ideas. I encourage you to explore the resources, share them with your caregivers and families, and use them to enrich the care you’re already providing.

There are also fact sheets and dementia care cards to use as quick reference developed from the fact sheets and a plethora of external resources on everything from care planning to hospice/palliative care, home safety tips, etc. We should never stop learning and sharing because no matter how qualified you are to care for residents living with dementia, trust me, there are things you don’t know or understand. Look at this valuable resource, share with your caregivers and families, implement some of their ideas, you may be surprised at how easy it is to learn and improve the quality of care/life for your residents living with dementia! Stay well and stay informed! 

Fact Sheets 

These fact sheets provide practical, easy-to-understand guidance to help individuals and families navigate dementia care in home and assisted living settings, supporting informed decisions and better quality of life. 

Care Planning for Individuals Living with Dementia
Community-Based Dementia-Friendly Initiatives
Compassionate Dementia Care Tools and Tips for Families and Care Teams
Engaging Activities for Individuals Living with Dementia
Effective Dementia Care Navigation
Home Safety for Individuals Living with Dementia
Informed Consent to Dementia Care & Services
Listening Beyond Words: Tips for Dementia Caregivers
Non-Pharmacologic Approaches to Dementia Care
Pain Assessment Tools for Individuals Living with Dementia
Pain Management for Individuals Living with Dementia
Palliative and Hospice Care: What Families Need to Know
Preventing Pressure Ulcers and Urinary Tract Infections
Psychotropic Drugs: Risks, Benefits, and Questions to Ask
Supporting Nutrition and Hydration for Individuals Living with Dementia 

The Benefits of Therapy Services for Individuals Living with Dementia
Understanding and Responding to Dementia-Related “Behaviors” 

Dementia Care Cards 

The care cards offer quick, easy-to-use tips drawn from our dementia care fact sheets, giving families and caregivers practical support for day-to-day care in home and assisted living settings. 

Communication Tips for Dementia Caregivers
Compassionate Care: Tips for Families and Care Teams
Everyday Engagement for Individuals Living With Dementia
Home Safety Tips
Honoring Informed Consent
Palliative & Hospice Care
Preventing Pressure Ulcers
Psychotropic Medications
Supporting Nutrition and Hydration
Therapy Services 

External Resources 

The external resources include tools, guides, and research from trusted organizations to help families and caregivers deepen their understanding of dementia care and find support for navigating home and assisted living settings. 

Care Planning
Dementia Appropriate Activities
Dementia Care Navigation: Tips and Tools for Caregivers
Dementia-Friendly Initiatives
Home Safety
Hospice and Palliative Care
Informed Consent
Non-Pharmacological Approaches
Nutrition and Hydration
Pain Assessment
Pressure Ulcers and Urinary Tract Infections
Psychotropic Drugs
Therapy Services