The Joint Commission has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to bring the new Memory Care Certification program to assisted living communities. The goal of this new program is to help communities minimize risk and improve care for residents with all levels of cognitive impairment. The program launched July 1, 2023 – two years after The Joint Commission first announced the assisted living community accreditation program. These state-of-the-art standards build on the existing requirements for the assisted living community accreditation program and include evidence-based best practices for dementia care.
The Joint Commission’s decision to offer the Memory Care Certification program aligns with the rapidly changing aging demographics. There are an estimated 6.7 million Americans 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease and approximately 34% of assisted living community residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. The population of Americans 65 and older is projected to grow from 58 million as of 2021 to 88 million by 2050.
Assisted Living communities that offer memory care services meet a very important consumer need. The growing demand for communities that provide memory care services opens the door for prioritizing evidence-based best practices. Joint Commission accreditation is a marketplace distinguisher and offers communities the opportunity to boost consumer confidence so they can become a provider of choice in their community.
Achieve Accreditation began accreditation readiness services for Memory Care Certification over a year prior to The Joint Commission’s formal launch. As national industry experts, Achieve Accreditation is no stranger to being the first in earning industry milestone titles. Achieve Accreditation was honored to prepare the first community in the nation to obtain assisted living accreditation in the fall of 2021. Achieve Accreditation has the premier turn-key accreditation readiness process with the tools, resources, and expert knowledge to make Joint Commission accreditation a reality at your community too. To schedule an information session with us, please complete the form under our contact page.
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Caitlin Jensen LNHA, BBA, CDP is a Senior Consultant at Achieve Accreditation. Achieve Accreditation has helped skilled nursing providers and assisted living organizations to obtain and maintain their Joint Commission Accreditation for 35 years.