VA Benefits for Memory Care in Maryland

Required Memory Care Program Disclosure

Maryland requires assisted living providers that offer dementia care to prepare a written description of the memory care unit or program. This disclosure helps residents and families understand how the program operates and what services are available.

• The disclosure must include the program’s overall philosophy and mission as it relates to residents with dementia.
• Facilities must explain the criteria and process for placement, transfer, and discharge from the memory care unit.
• The document must describe how residents are assessed and how plans of care are developed and revised as conditions change.
• Facilities must outline the physical environment and design features used to support cognitively impaired residents.
• Staffing patterns for a full 24-hour period must be disclosed, including how direct care coverage compares with other programs in the facility.
• Job titles for staff assigned to the program must be identified.
• The disclosure must list the types of activities offered and how often they occur.
• Facilities must explain how families are involved and whether family support programs are available.
• The cost of care and any additional fees associated with the memory care program must be provided.
• The Department may require additional information beyond these items.

Manager and Staff Training Requirements

Maryland’s dementia care rules include minimum training standards for assisted living managers and employees working in memory care settings.

• The assisted living manager must complete at least eight hours of training from a nationally recognized Alzheimer’s or dementia care organization or resource.
• That manager is responsible for designing and implementing the facility’s required memory care training program for employees.
• Staff members must complete at least five hours of training on cognitive impairment and mental illness within 90 days of employment.
• Employees who provide personal care must complete at least two hours of annual dementia-related training thereafter.
• Annual training may be delivered through classroom instruction, in-service training, online courses, correspondence courses, prerecorded modules, or similar methods.

Resident and Family Information Rights

Maryland law requires transparency when a facility offers memory care services. Families and representatives must have access to the program description before a resident is admitted into the unit.

• The facility must disclose the memory care program description to anyone who requests it.
• A resident’s family member or legal representative must receive the disclosure before admission into the dementia care unit.
• This requirement helps families compare programs and understand staffing, fees, activities, and care processes before placement.

Inspections, Surveys, and Public Reporting

The Office of Health Care Quality conducts surveys and investigations under state or federal authority to verify compliance with assisted living and dementia care requirements.

• If a facility fails to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulations, the state may restrict admissions or close the memory care program.
• Facilities with 10 or more beds are subject to unannounced health and fire safety inspections approximately every one to two years.
• Inspections may occur more frequently when complaints are filed.
• The most recent inspection findings must be posted publicly within the facility.

Maryland also makes a significant amount of assisted living information available to the public through the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC).

• Families can search assisted living communities online by facility name or ZIP code.
• Available information may include ownership details, daily room rates, level of care provided, hospice or palliative care affiliations, total number of beds, resident demographics, available services, and whether the facility participates in Medicaid Waiver programs.
• The MHCC also collects annual information about influenza vaccination policies and staff vaccination rates for assisted living facilities.
• Copies of individual survey reports may be requested directly from OHCQ.
• Complaint and violation information may also be obtained through OHCQ or the Maryland Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program.