10 Best Memory Care Facilities in Sarasota, FL

Most people try to pay for as much of their loved one’s memory care as possible with Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits. However, most people need to supplement these methods with some savings or other personal income. In this section, you’ll find an overview of how to pay for memory care in Sarasota, including private payment methods, veterans benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare.

Your loved one will receive expert care from compassionate caregivers in Sarasota’s memory care communities. Florida memory care communities are held to high standards by the Bureau of Health Facilities Regulation. The bureau licenses memory care communities as a type of assisted living facility, so they go through the same regulatory procedures as all other assisted living facilities in Florida.

Sarasota memory care facilities follow assisted living standards

Memory care facilities are a subset of assisted living facilities in Florida, so they follow the same standards and requirements as all assisted living facilities. Florida’s Residential Care and Assisted Living Policy explains the foundational standards that assisted living facilities must follow:

• Facilities must communicate with family members or guardians at least once every 30 days.
• Facilities must be kept clean and hygienic, following all building codes.
• Facilities must provide residents with daily nutritious meals.
• If a couple resides in the same facility, they should be allowed to live in the same room.
• Facilities should allow residents to keep their personal belongings in their rooms.

Memory care facilities in Sarasota have additional requirements

Even though the Bureau of Health Facilities Regulation doesn’t offer specific licenses for memory care facilities, they do outline additional requirements for any facilities that offer memory care. If a community offers memory care services, they must meet these standards:

• Facilities should be wander-safe, with additional security features to keep residents secure.
• Facilities should provide regular activities appropriate for people with memory loss.
• Facilities should have staff members on-site 24 hours a day.
• Facilities with 17+ residents should have awake staff on-site 24 hours a day.

Sarasota memory care facilities undergo additional training

In addition to the regular training at assisted living facilities, caregivers and administrators at memory care facilities should undergo the following trainings:

• Staff members who interact with people with memory loss should have at least 4 hours of memory care training within nine months of their employment.
• All staff members who work with people with memory loss should undergo an additional 4 hours of memory care training each year.
• All memory care training should be approved by the Bureau of Health Facilities Regulation.

Memory care facilities in Sarasota get regularly inspected

Prior to opening, memory care facilities in Sarasota undergo an initial inspection. After the initial inspection, memory care facilities then go through an inspection every two years. Inspection results are all public, and you can find them on the Florida Health Finder portal. You can search by location or care type.

Florida Department of Health contact information

Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
2727 Mahan Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Phone: 888-419-3456
Feedback form

Bureau of Health Facility Regulation

COVID-19 regulations for Sarasota memory care facilities

Florida doesn’t enforce masking, vaccine, or quarantine policies for memory care facilities. Instead, Florida provides recommendations for quarantine and cleanliness in the event of an outbreak. Visitors are allowed in any Floridian memory care facility regardless of vaccination status. Sarasota provides vaccination sites, testing centers, and local updates about COVID-19 on the Sarasota COVID-19 FAQ page.

Memory care is the fastest-growing type of senior care in Sarasota. While the city may have the reputation as a young retiree’s paradise, it also attracts older adults who need the personalized help of professionals at an assisted living or memory care facility.

Standards and demand for memory care facilities tend to be high in Sarasota. Memory care communities are often newer than other care types in Sarasota because of an increased demand in recent years. State-of-the-art design, secure grounds, and highly trained staff are the norm for Sarasota facilities offering care for people with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.

Sarasota’s memory care facilities may partner with other care types

In Florida, memory care facilities are licensed as a type of assisted living community. Because of this, most memory care facilities in Sarasota are attached to assisted living facilities or are part of facilities with multiple levels of care. This means residents’ needs range from basic activities of daily living (ADL) assistance to round-the-clock memory care, and different areas of the facility accommodate those needs accordingly.

Multilevel care facilities in Sarasota tend to be large, with 100 or more residents. These large facilities have more amenities, such as gyms, craft rooms, and pools, which may not be available to residents of the memory care wing.

Memory care wings in Sarasota provide a seamless transition

Some residents move into a memory care wing from another care type within their multilevel care facility, which can be an easier transition. Staff members often work throughout the facility, which means residents may enjoy a level of familiarity with their caregivers. Moving to a memory care wing in a multilevel care facility can also mean an added level of care continuity. Families can also have increased peace of mind by having an established relationship with the staff.

Stand-alone memory care facilities in Sarasota are newer and more expensive

Sarasota has an increasing number of facilities that only offer memory care. These are smaller, with up to 50 residents, and they’re newer. Most have been built within the last 10 years, and it shows in the details. Stand-alone memory care facilities in Sarasota are more likely to have research-backed design features, such as the village model and circular hallways. They may also provide more extensive memory care training for their staff members. Because these facilities are often newer, they’re more expensive and many have waiting lists.

Daily life in Sarasota’s memory care facilities

Seniors living in Sarasota’s memory care facilities live in private or shared rooms, eat in communal dining areas, and spend their time in common areas like the library, game rooms, or on walking paths. Real estate is in high demand in Sarasota, so rooms tend to be smaller than in other areas in Florida. However, many have views of palm trees and glowing beaches.

Activity coordinators organize daily games and social events to keep residents active and engaged. Crafts, singalongs, and reminiscence activities are some of the most common, but some communities go high-tech by using virtual reality.

Memory care in the surrounding Sarasota suburbs

Memory care in Sarasota is more expensive than in most other Florida cities, so some families choose to place their loved one in the surrounding communities. Lakewood Ranch and Bradenton are two of the most popular communities. Lakewood Ranch is inland from Sarasota and tends to have young families and seniors. Bradenton is just north of Sarasota, and about 25% of its population is above 65.^[06]

Many memory care facilities in Sarasota are paired with on-site skilled nursing facilities. While these can’t take the place of a hospital for an invasive procedure or more serious illnesses, they can help seniors who need to recover from a procedure or illness.

For a city with a population of 54,764, Sarasota has a high concentration of health care facilities.^[01] This is largely due to the many seniors who call Sarasota home. Sarasota’s health care facilities are evenly spread throughout the city, and because Sarasota is only about 24 square miles across, medical care is never far away.

Public transportation alone isn’t the best way for seniors with dementia to get around. Thankfully, most memory care facilities in Sarasota offer complimentary transportation to and from appointments. Most of these facilities also provide a caregiver escort during the ride. Additionally, Florida Medicaid provides transportation from medical appointments.

Visiting family and friends can take advantage of Sarasota County’s public transportation system, Breeze (formerly known as The Sarasota County Transit System, or SCAT). Breeze offers affordable bus rides to most areas around Sarasota County, including Siesta Key.

Breeze also provides OnDemand, which is a pick-up and drop-off service for people with disabilities, including seniors with memory loss. You can find route and fee information on the Breeze website.

Beautiful weather, accessible museums, and world-renowned beaches make Sarasota a friendly place for seniors with memory loss. While seniors with memory loss shouldn’t engage in any of these activities unsupervised, they all provide invaluable social and cognitive stimulation. And more importantly, they’re fun. Read on to discover the best activities for seniors with memory loss in Sarasota.

Activities in Sarasota’s memory care communities

All of A Place for Mom’s partnering memory care communities have a dedicated on-staff activity director whose job is to keep seniors active and engaged.^[02] Reminiscence activities are the norm, such as singalongs to hits from the past. Some communities even use virtual reality to help seniors relive moments from their past. Brain games, like checkers, are also popular.

Sarasota’s Senior Friendship Centers

Sarasota’s Senior Friendship Centers are the city’s one-stop shop for daily activities and social events. With a membership, seniors can access all the amenities and activities at the center, including the library, computer room, kitchen, and gym. The center organizes educational events, social hours, and a daily lunch that’s free to members.

The Senior Friendship Center in Sarasota also provides adult day care services for seniors with memory loss. Caregivers can register to participate in adult day care on the Senior Friendship Center website. Membership to the center is $125 each year per senior. You can learn more about what membership includes and how to pay on the Senior Friendship Center website.

Siesta Key Beach

The most famous attraction in Sarasota is Siesta Key Beach. Known for its bright white sand and clear water, Siesta Key Beach remains an accessible day trip for seniors with memory loss and their loved ones. The beach is one of the few in the area with lifeguards, and seniors can request a sand wheelchair at no cost at one of the lifeguard stations. Siesta Key Beach is large, so you’ll likely find plenty of space.

If you want something a little different, you can head to other local beaches. Lido Beach, Caspersen Beach, and Longboat Key Beach each offer a slightly different feel, but all are safe and relatively large. Note that these beaches may not employ lifeguards.

The Ringling Museum

More than just a museum, The Ringling Museum houses two circus museums, the fanciful Cà d’Zan mansion, the State Art Museum of Florida, the Bayfront Gardens, and the Asolo Theater. Spread over expansive grounds, the museum started as an homage to the circus traditions of Sarasota helmed by John Ringling.

For seniors with memory loss, an entire day spent in the museum may be overwhelming, so you may want to consider buying a membership and exploring the museum for a shorter time over a few days. Seniors can ask for a discount at the door.

Celery Fields

Nature is often the best medicine. Enjoy some fresh air at Celery Fields, considered one of the area’s premier birding destinations according to the Sarasota Audubon Society. The Celery Fields are the region’s storm water collection zone, but they’re mostly known as an exceptional picnic area. With 100 acres of restored wetlands and shaded picnic areas, the fields make a wonderful afternoon activity for seniors of all abilities.

Sarasota Classic Car Museum

The Sarasota Classic Car Museum is an ideal place for seniors to reminisce. Although the museum has a range of historic models, most notable is its collection of celebrity vehicles. Within its collection are Paul McCartney’s Mini Cooper and John Lennon’s Mercedes Benz. Traveling exhibitions, such as The Automotive Art of Ferdinand Porsche and Enzo Ferrari, regularly cycle through the museum.

Local guides to Sarasota

Visitsarasota.com is a great resource for weekly activities in and around Sarasota. It publishes updated information about events, sales, and weather conditions. You can find information about social events, farmers markets, and more.