Alzheimer's & Dementia Care
Patient, Familiar Memory Care at Home, at Every Stage
What Is Alzheimer's & Dementia Care at Home?
Alzheimer's and dementia care is non-medical help at home for a person living with memory loss. It can begin with a few hours of company and gentle cueing each week and grow to supervision around the clock. From our office at Nocatee Town Center, we provide it in 28 ZIP codes across St. Johns, Flagler and Duval counties, from Atlantic Beach and Fleming Island south to Ormond Beach and Pierson.
A caregiver keeps the day calm and predictable, helps with bathing, dressing, meals and medication reminders, redirects gently when confusion or agitation sets in, and keeps watch for wandering and falls. Our caregivers remind and cue; they do not give medications or provide nursing care.
Home care works best alongside local programs. Close to our office, the St. Johns County Council on Aging's Ponte Vedra Memory Care Center, at 1048 A1A North in Ponte Vedra Beach, (904) 729-9535, runs its IMEP memory program in three-hour and five-hour sessions, the longer one with lunch. A caregiver can help your loved one get ready, drive them there and be home when they return.
What Makes Our Dementia Care Special
Florida asks any home care agency that says it offers special care for people with Alzheimer's disease to spell out what makes that care special. Here is what ours involves.
Dementia training. Every caregiver completes the dementia training Florida requires: written guidance on interacting with people who have dementia when they are hired, a one-hour course from the Florida Department of Elder Affairs within 30 days, and, for everyone who gives personal care, two more hours within seven months on managing behavior, helping a person stay as independent as possible in daily tasks, and working with families. We add our own instruction in calm communication, redirection and keeping the home safe.
One familiar caregiver. We match a caregiver to your loved one's personality and aim to send the same person every visit, because a familiar face eases confusion.
Routines in writing. The daily routine, from waking and meals to bathing, rest and outings, is written into the care plan before the first shift, so the day runs the same way whoever is on duty.
Nurse supervision and family updates. Our registered nurse on staff supervises dementia care plans and is there for caregivers when something about a client's condition changes. We revise the plan as the disease progresses and keep the family informed with regular updates.
Our Alzheimer's & Dementia Care Process
A plan written for your loved one's stage of dementia, and rewritten as it changes.
Free In-Home Assessment
We visit the home, learn your loved one's history, habits and hardest times of day, and look at the house for wandering and fall risks.
Written Care Plan
Before care begins, you get a written plan: the daily routine, the tasks, the schedule, and how we handle the moments that tend to go wrong, such as bath time or late afternoon.
Caregiver Match
We match a dementia-trained caregiver to your loved one's personality and schedule, and aim to keep the same person on every visit.
Ongoing Support & Adjustments
Our registered nurse on staff reviews the plan as the disease progresses, the family hears from us regularly, and our phone line is answered at any hour.
Benefits of Memory Care at Home
Familiar rooms, a familiar face, and a day that runs the same way.
Dementia-Trained Caregivers
Florida's required dementia training, plus our own instruction in calm communication, redirection and home safety.
Routine & Structure
The same daily rhythm, written into the care plan, eases agitation and anxiety.
Wandering Safety
Active supervision and a home-safety review of doors and exits to lower the risk of wandering.
Family Support & Respite
Hours off for spouses and adult children, and help finding the caregiver programs in your county.
Engagement Activities
Music, photo albums, walks and favorite pastimes that support memory and mood.
Stage-Adaptive Care
From early-stage cueing a few hours a week to overnight and 24/7 coverage as needs grow.
What Families Can Count On
A home care office at Nocatee Town Center, led by executive director Mariella Sajkowski, with a registered nurse on staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can we get a memory evaluation?
Baptist AgeWell Center for Health in Nocatee, at 98 Nocatee Village Drive (904-202-4243), lists memory disorder care and geriatric assessment among its services. Florida law also establishes a memory disorder clinic at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, at 4500 San Pablo Road (904-953-7103). On the Florida Department of Elder Affairs map of the state's memory disorder clinics, Mayo's is the one serving St. Johns, Duval and Flagler counties. Your loved one's primary care doctor can help you decide where to start.
What support is there for family caregivers?
ElderSource, the area agency on aging for Northeast Florida, including every ZIP code we serve, is the place to start: 1-888-242-4464. The Alzheimer's Association runs a 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. In St. Johns County, call the Council on Aging's dementia line, (904) 209-3674. Its free Community Care-Giving program offers assessments, workshops and support groups, in person and online, and it hosts free Memory Cafés each month.
Is there adult day care in St. Johns County?
The Council on Aging's Sunshine Center Adult Day Care is in St. Augustine, at 180 Marine Street, open weekdays. At the north end of the county, the Ponte Vedra Memory Care Center on A1A North runs shorter memory program sessions four days a week. Home care can cover the hours around either one, or stand in for them.
Does Medicare or Medicaid pay for dementia care at home?
Medicare generally does not pay for non-medical home care like ours. We are private pay, accept long-term care insurance, and do not bill Medicare or Medicaid. Florida's Medicaid Long-Term Care program can cover some in-home help for people who qualify, but it has a waitlist; ElderSource handles the first screening by phone at 1-888-242-4464.
Is there Medicare help for families caring for someone with dementia?
There can be, through GUIDE, a Medicare dementia care program. It is for people with a confirmed dementia diagnosis who have Traditional Medicare, not Medicare Advantage, live at home and are not in hospice. At no cost to them, it provides a care navigator, a support line caregivers can call at any hour and home safety checks, and caregivers who qualify can receive up to $2,500 a year toward respite at home, at an adult day center or in a facility. ElderSource takes applications at myeldersource.org or through its HelpLine, 1-888-242-4464, and can tell you whether your loved one qualifies.
Why Choose Always Responsive Home Care
We provide compassionate, personalized in-home care services tailored to each client's unique needs. With a team of highly trained home care providers available 24/7, we offer peace of mind to families and help seniors maintain their independence and quality of life in the comfort of their own homes.
Learn More About UsGet Started with Always Responsive Home Care
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What Families Are Saying
Testimonial: Our caregiver knew exactly how to redirect Mom on her hardest days. The training and patience the team brings to memory care is remarkable.