Alzheimer's Special Care Units in Missouri: What the Flag Means
The DHSS directory flags facilities with an Alzheimer's special care unit. Here is what that means and what to ask before moving someone with dementia.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) long-term care directory includes a field for an Alzheimer's special care unit, often called an SCU, and a capacity for the unit. Listings on this site show the flag and capacity when the directory has them. This guide explains how to use that information and what it cannot tell you.
What the flag tells you
When the directory marks a facility as having a special care unit, DHSS records that the facility has a distinct part of the building for residents with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia, with a stated capacity. The capacity is separate from the facility's total licensed capacity: a facility with 100 licensed beds might have a 20-bed unit. If a facility says it offers memory care but the directory shows no unit, ask the administrator to explain, and ask DHSS.
What the flag does not tell you
It does not tell you how many staff work in the unit, what dementia training they have, how the unit is secured, what it costs or whether it is a good place to live. Those come from the facility and from your own visit. The flag also does not tell you whether your relative's stage of dementia and behavior fit what the unit can handle.
Questions to ask
- What is the staffing in the unit during the day, evening and overnight?
- What dementia-specific training do staff receive when hired and each year?
- How does the unit prevent residents from leaving unsafely, and what is the response if one does?
- What activities are offered, and how many hours a day do residents actually take part?
- What would cause a resident to be asked to leave? Ask for examples and ask for the policy in writing.
- How is pricing set? Many places charge a base rate plus a care-level fee that increases as needs grow.
- How are medication changes and doctor visits handled, and how does the facility communicate with families?
Visiting
Visit more than once and at different times, including a mealtime. Watch how staff talk to residents who are confused or upset. Check whether residents have things to do and a safe place to walk. Smell and noise levels matter, and so does whether staff seem unhurried. Ask to talk to a family member of a current resident if the facility can arrange it.
Check the record
Look up the facility by license number in the DHSS directory and confirm the license is current. DHSS inspects licensed facilities and can tell you how to see inspection results and how to file a complaint. The Missouri Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline, 1-800-392-0210, takes reports of suspected abuse or neglect of older adults in long-term care. In an emergency call 911.
The Alzheimer's Association offers guidance on assisted living and memory care and a 24/7 Helpline for caregivers. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, reachable through the Eldercare Locator, advocates for residents of long-term care facilities.
A note on terms
"Memory care" is a marketing phrase, not a Missouri license. The licenses are assisted living facility and residential care facility, and the SCU flag is a directory field. Treat the flag as a prompt for questions, not as a recommendation. We list the state's record and do not rate or recommend facilities.
When the unit is full or does not fit
Special care units are small, so there may be a waiting list. Ask how the list works and how long people typically wait. If your relative moves into general assisted living first, ask whether a later move to the unit is possible, how it is priced and who decides. Also ask whether the facility keeps residents when dementia progresses, or whether it will ask a family to find a nursing home. Getting these answers in writing, before you sign, avoids a hard conversation later.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Missouri Assisted Living & Residential Care Index is not medical advice and does not replace a doctor, nurse, discharge planner or other qualified professional. Do not use it to make decisions about diagnosis or treatment. If you have a medical emergency, call 911. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.