MARGARET T MORRIS CENTER

The Margaret T. Morris Center is a licensed assisted living center on Sunset Avenue in Prescott, Arizona, operated by Adult Care Services. State licensing records from the Arizona Department of Health Services list a capacity of 57 residents and approval to provide directed care, the highest of Arizona's three assisted living service levels, which allows the community to serve residents who are unable to direct their own care, including many people living with dementia.

Since 1999 the Margaret T. Morris Center in Prescott has been an assisted living community dedicated solely to dementia care, managed by a nonprofit. A medical director makes rounds twice a week, a master's-prepared director of nursing oversees day-to-day well-being, caregivers are certified with ongoing dementia training, and staff are awake at night. The free-standing building uses a neighborhood design, and the one-acre sensory walking garden has won national recognition.

Caregivers do not cook or clean, and programs include dance, art, daily exercise, cognitive games, pet therapy, and spiritual services. Respite care is available. In Arizona, assisted living centers serve eleven or more residents and are licensed by the Department of Health Services at one of three service levels. Supervisory care covers general supervision and help in an emergency, personal care adds hands-on help with activities such as bathing, dressing, and medications, and directed care is for residents who can no longer recognize danger or direct their own care.

Knowing a community's level helps families judge whether it can keep meeting a loved one's needs over time. A community focused on memory care can suit someone whose dementia has reached the point where a secure setting, consistent staff, and a structured day matter more than a wide menu of amenities. Couples where only one partner has memory loss should ask how that situation is handled. Arizona rules require an assisted living facility to prepare a written service plan for each resident that describes the care and services to be provided, and to review and update it as needs change.

Families can ask to take part in that review and to learn who to call when something in the plan no longer fits. Families can look up a community's license and inspection history on the state's AZ Care Check website before a visit, and reading recent inspection reports can show how a community has responded to any past findings. The Prescott address keeps the community within reach of the area's hospitals, shopping, and services.

When visiting The Margaret T. Morris Center, it helps to ask who completes the move-in assessment, how often care plans are updated, how many caregivers are on duty overnight, and how the team communicates with families. Local Senior Advisor is a free service to families, and a local advisor can help you weigh The Margaret T. Morris Center against other options around Prescott and plan the questions to bring on a visit.