Sarasota Senior AdvisorWhat should we do first after a dementia diagnosis?
Put legal documents in place while your parent can still sign them, including a durable power of attorney, a health care surrogate designation and a living will, then review driving, medication management and home safety.
A Florida elder law attorney can prepare the documents together with any Medicaid planning. Ask the doctor for a referral to a memory disorder clinic for a full evaluation and care plan.
When does someone with dementia need memory care?
When safety at home cannot be maintained with the help available, especially with wandering, nighttime confusion, unsafe cooking or driving, or caregiver exhaustion; many people with early dementia live well at home or in standard assisted living for years.
Under Florida's new s. 429.076, facilities that serve memory care residents will need a memory care services license once AHCA's rules take effect (due by June 1, 2027). Ask any facility you consider about its plans.
What help is there for family caregivers of people with dementia?
Adult day care, in-home respite, caregiver support groups and education are available through the Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and Florida funds Alzheimer's respite through the Department of Elder Affairs' Alzheimer's Disease Initiative.
AHCA licenses 8 adult day care centers in the two counties: Empath Life in Bradenton, Meals on Wheels Plus Adult Day Center in Lakewood Ranch, Town Square Bradenton at University Parkway in Sarasota, Activage Sarasota in Sarasota, Senior Friendship Centers, Inc in Venice, Senior Friendship Centers, Inc in Sarasota, Tina's Adult Day Care in Sarasota, Town Square Sarasota in Sarasota. Several assisted living facilities also run day programs.
How do I pick a memory care community in Sarasota or Manatee?
Start with ALFs whose AHCA profile lists memory care, check each facility's inspection history for dementia training citations, ask how many staff are awake on the memory care wing overnight, and watch an afternoon activity before choosing.
See the memory care roster.
Should a person with dementia stop driving?
Not automatically, but the question should be settled early with the doctor; Florida allows physicians to report drivers they believe are unsafe, and a formal driving evaluation can give an objective answer.
Plan transportation alternatives before the keys are taken away.
Are there memory disorder clinics near Sarasota and Manatee?
Florida's Department of Elder Affairs funds a network of memory disorder clinics under the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative that provide diagnostic evaluations and caregiver training; the ADRC for your county can tell you the closest one.
A full evaluation can identify treatable causes of memory loss before a dementia diagnosis is settled.
Sources include Chapters 408, 429 and 651 of the Florida Statutes, Fla. Admin. Code chapters 59A-36 and 65A-2, AHCA, DCF, OIR and Elder Affairs pages, CareScout and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
