VA Benefits for Memory Care in New Mexico

General Assisted Living Services Required in New Mexico

Assisted Living Facilities for Adults that provide memory care must still deliver the baseline services required of all licensed assisted living communities in the state.

• Facilities must employ an administrator, direct care personnel, and a licensed nurse.
• Residents must be offered three meals each day along with evening snacks.
• Communities must provide laundry and housekeeping services.
• Transportation assistance must be available for appointments, shopping, and other errands.
• Social activities are required as part of the facility’s resident services.
• Residents must receive support with activities of daily living when needed.
• Medication support and some nursing care services may be provided on site.

Resident Assessment and Dementia Care Staffing

Before a resident moves into a memory care unit, the facility must evaluate whether that environment is appropriate for the individual’s needs.

• A pre-admission assessment must be completed before placement in the dementia care unit.
• The purpose of the assessment is to confirm a physician’s dementia diagnosis.
• The evaluation must also determine whether the memory care setting is appropriate for the resident.

New Mexico also imposes training and supervision requirements on staff members working in dementia care settings.

• All direct care employees in assisted living facilities must complete 16 hours of training before they work independently with residents.
• Staff assigned to memory care must complete at least 12 hours of dementia-specific training each year.
• At least one trained staff member must remain awake and on duty in the memory care unit at all times.

Minimum Staffing Ratios

New Mexico establishes minimum staff-to-resident ratios for assisted living facilities, including those operating memory care units.

• Facilities must maintain at least one caregiver for every 1 to 15 residents.
• For 16 to 60 residents, the facility must have one caregiver and one additional staff member.
• For 61 to 120 residents, the facility must have two caregivers and one additional staff member.
• For more than 120 residents, the facility must maintain at least three caregivers and one additional staff member.

These ratios work alongside the requirement that at least one memory care staff member remain awake and present in the unit at all times.

Physical Environment and Survey Reports

Assisted living facilities operating dementia care units must maintain housing and safety features that support residents with memory loss and wandering risks.

• Resident units may house one or two individuals.
• Facilities are not required to provide apartment-style units.
• For every eight residents, the facility must provide at least one toilet, one sink, and one bathtub or shower.
• Memory care units must have alarm systems.
• Doors and gates must be equipped with locking systems.
• Specific residents with a history of wandering must have alarm protections in place.
• A secured and fenced outdoor common area must be available for residents.

Each Assisted Living Facility for Adults is licensed on an annual basis, and the state Licensing Authority conducts on-site surveys that are available to the public through New Mexico’s Health Care Provider Search tool.