You can search most states online records for licensing surveys. Potomac valley’s skilled unit does pretty good on their last few surveys. Based on the patient demographics part 75% if their skilled patients have dementia. Seems like a solid option but I would still recommend ask about their activities/programming interventions.


http://mhcc.maryland.gov/consumerinfo/longtermcare/Nursing_Home/Users/FacilityProfile.aspx?FacId=15024

Anonymous wrote:Okay, I have a name - it’s called Potomac Valley. I can’t vouch for the quality of their care - I just know it’s where we send our residents who have become more than we are able to manage due to aggression and severe behaviors. Sometimes they are able to return once their medication is managed and they are calmer. It might be a tough place, I don’t know. But worth a visit.

They handle it by heavily medicating. I looked at them and it was not a pleasant looking place. People were staring at the walls and very few staff (which is very common)... not a chance I would move my family member there.

Anonymous wrote:My dad has dementia and is violent when upset. His dementia actually looks like mental illness (to me at least). He has now assaulted a second caregiver. He remains physically very robust. Anger was always his go-to emotion before he was ill. My sister who has guardianship and actually works in the nursing home industry says there's nowhere for him to go. My other sister and I think he needs to go into memory care but I know that places can be selective. What are my options?

Your sister in the industry is right. Nursing homes will accept him, if you are not totally transparent (or, in other words, if you are optimistic) in your information sharing... but will discharge him/evict him after a few months when they find out they cannot care for him. And really, you don’t want to do that to them, their caregivers, but most especially your father.

Does your father have a gerontologist or mental health physician? What about a social worker?

The folks suggesting he be put on an off label anti-psychotic (likely black box) are accurate but the state of the industry is shameful - mostly because of a lack of true mental health resources / funding across the country. If you do not find a good place they will get the house doc to dope him up to “manage behaviors” and it will shorten his life.

If you just go to a facility ask about which programmatic interventions they use to manage behaviors (validation method, brain health activities, music therapy) - if they can talk to it, much likelier they will use it.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks so much! The only memory care place I found with a behavioral health unit was in Pittsburgh and the article I found that discussed the place kept saying how rare that combination was. Thanks again.

NP here and so glad that you now at least have a local option to explore. It's great that someone here was able to help you. Please keep us posted and I wish you well.

Does your loved one have a gerontologist? They can be very helpful with figuring out best medications and making sure there are no interactions that might be exacerbating the behavior.

Thanks so much! The only memory care place I found with a behavioral health unit was in Pittsburgh and the article I found that discussed the place kept saying how rare that combination was. Thanks again.

^^ just to add, I’m not recommending Potomac Valley because I know nothing about it. But just letting you know they may take people with more difficult behaviors.

Okay, I have a name - it’s called Potomac Valley. I can’t vouch for the quality of their care - I just know it’s where we send our residents who have become more than we are able to manage due to aggression and severe behaviors. Sometimes they are able to return once their medication is managed and they are calmer. It might be a tough place, I don’t know. But worth a visit.

Just to add - we have some residents who were pretty agitated and have calmed down a lot with medication. That may be something to explore so you won’t be as limited in your options.

Oh my goodness, it was such a busy day that I forgot to ask; I’ll txt her now...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continuing care retirement communities will often have long-term memory care, and assisted living memory care; the facility I work in has both. Since i started there, we’ve had two residents who have become agitated and violent; in both instances they were sent to a facility that can accommodate these behaviors, in an attempt to intiduce and manage new medication that might improve things enough that they could return. One resident was able to return and the other didn’t improve enough and stayed there permanently.

In what state is your dad living?

My dad is in Maryland. Were those other facilities classified as memory care or something else? This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Memory care. I’m going to ask my colleague in the morning and post back the name of the place. It’s in Maryland and they take the difficult cases that my facility can’t accommodate.

Thanks very much. I will check back tomorrow. I came to this forum today hoping you had posted a name. I have been doing a lot of google searches but not finding much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continuing care retirement communities will often have long-term memory care, and assisted living memory care; the facility I work in has both. Since i started there, we’ve had two residents who have become agitated and violent; in both instances they were sent to a facility that can accommodate these behaviors, in an attempt to intiduce and manage new medication that might improve things enough that they could return. One resident was able to return and the other didn’t improve enough and stayed there permanently.

In what state is your dad living?

My dad is in Maryland. Were those other facilities classified as memory care or something else? This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Memory care. I’m going to ask my colleague in the morning and post back the name of the place. It’s in Maryland and they take the difficult cases that my facility can’t accommodate.

Anonymous wrote:Continuing care retirement communities will often have long-term memory care, and assisted living memory care; the facility I work in has both. Since i started there, we’ve had two residents who have become agitated and violent; in both instances they were sent to a facility that can accommodate these behaviors, in an attempt to intiduce and manage new medication that might improve things enough that they could return. One resident was able to return and the other didn’t improve enough and stayed there permanently.

In what state is your dad living?

My dad is in Maryland. Were those other facilities classified as memory care or something else? This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Great advice given, OP.

Been down this road before and I suggest reaching out to your father's physician if he has one. The physician might be able to provide a medical referral or at least steer you in the right direction.

Your father may need to stop taking some medications as they are prolonging his life. I had to get hospice involved with my dad's care (dementia); my mother was insisting that my father take his blood pressure meds, have dental cleanings, etc. when it was inappropriate.

Establish medical proxy, figure out if you want a DNR, too.

I was told that if they have resident in care that becomes agitated and violent, then they will do all they can to manage that residents care. They do not take in new residents that have a know history of acting out violently.

^^ Meant where does he live, in case the facility I mentioned might be an option?