Winston-Salem Senior AdvisorWhat should we do first after a dementia diagnosis?
While your parent can still take part, put legal papers in place: a durable power of attorney for finances, a health care power of attorney and an advance directive, and make sure someone trusted can see bank accounts and bills.
An elder law attorney can prepare these and look at long-term care planning at the same time. Then ask the doctor about the type and stage of dementia, what to expect over the next year, and whether driving is still safe. Write down the answers; you will need them for the FL-2 and for any care setting later.
How can we keep a parent with early dementia safe at home?
Simplify the home and the routine: remove trip hazards, lock away medications and firearms, set up a pill dispenser, add stove shut-offs and door alarms if wandering starts, and arrange for someone to check in every day.
Early dementia often allows years of good life at home with the right support. Adult day programs give structure and company on weekdays and a break for the family caregiver; the Williams Adult Day Center in Winston-Salem is one option. Watch especially for scams and financial exploitation, which target people with memory loss.
When does a parent with dementia need memory care?
When the risks outgrow what home or ordinary assisted living can manage: trying to leave, getting lost, night wandering, not recognizing danger, or agitation that caregivers cannot calm, often in the middle or later stages of the disease.
In North Carolina, memory care means a special care unit approved on a home's license. In the five counties, 23 adult care homes hold special care unit beds (789 in total on DHSR's October 28, 2026 list), and 4 nursing homes hold another 104. Our memory care list shows each one with its unit beds and state star rating.
How should we choose a memory care unit around Winston-Salem?
Confirm the unit on the state's special care unit list, read its written disclosure statement, ask how many staff are inside the unit on each shift and what training they have, and ask which changes would lead to a discharge.
Visit in the late afternoon, when many people with dementia are most restless, and watch how staff respond. Read the home's recent survey documents on its facility page. If money may run short, ask whether the unit accepts Special Assistance, which pays its Enhanced Rate in a special care unit.
Where can Winston-Salem caregivers find dementia support?
The Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging ((336) 904-0300) runs family caregiver support across the five counties, Senior Services Inc. (336-724-2040) helps Forsyth families find services, and dementia caregiver support groups meet through local hospitals, churches and the Alzheimer's Association.
Caregivers of people with dementia carry one of the heaviest loads in caregiving. Plan for respite early, before exhaustion sets in: adult day care, in-home respite hours or a short respite stay in an adult care home. See our guide to caregiver exhaustion.
What it is, and what it is not
| Early on, focus on | Later, focus on | |
|---|---|---|
| Paperwork | Powers of attorney and advance directives | Making sure they are used as intended |
| Home | Simplifying routines and preventing falls | Supervision, including at night |
| Support | Adult day care and caregiver education | Respite and possibly a special care unit |
| Money | Long-term planning while choices are open | Special Assistance or Medicaid if needed |
Based on N.C.G.S. Chapter 131D, 10A NCAC 13F and 13G, DHSR and NCDHHS documents, NC Medicaid, CMS, the VA, CareScout and the local agencies named above; see our editorial standards for how each is checked.
