Accessibility of Music Programs in Florida Assisted Living Communities with Memory Care
Mentor Information
Hillary Rouse (School of Aging Studies)
Description
ALCs in Florida offer memory care services to older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Recent research highlights how implementing music can significantly improve outcomes for older adults with ADRD. Despite this research, music activities in memory care ALCs are not universally available. The goal of this research is to examine the accessibility of music activities in memory care ALCs in Florida. Data were collected from the Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration. The variables included the presence of memory care and music activities, location, Medicaid acceptance, and specialty licenses that enable ALCs to serve residents needing specific nursing care. The location of ALCs was categorized as rural or urban based on 2010 U.S census data. Of the 3,090 ALCs in Florida, 1,921 (62.2%) offered music activities, 683 (22.1%) offered memory care, and 603 (31.4%) offered both memory care and music activities. Less than half of ALCs with memory care and music activities accepted Medicaid and a majority of these did not have a specialty license. Additionally, only 13 ALCs in rural counties included both services. The results suggest there is significant rural disparity in access to ALCs with memory care and music activities in Florida. Older adults needing financial assistance or specialty care that could be provided with different licenses have less access to ALCs providing these two services – services that will be increasingly important as the number of adults with ADRD in Florida grows as predicted.
Accessibility of Music Programs in Florida Assisted Living Communities with Memory Care
ALCs in Florida offer memory care services to older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Recent research highlights how implementing music can significantly improve outcomes for older adults with ADRD. Despite this research, music activities in memory care ALCs are not universally available. The goal of this research is to examine the accessibility of music activities in memory care ALCs in Florida. Data were collected from the Florida’s Agency for Healthcare Administration. The variables included the presence of memory care and music activities, location, Medicaid acceptance, and specialty licenses that enable ALCs to serve residents needing specific nursing care. The location of ALCs was categorized as rural or urban based on 2010 U.S census data. Of the 3,090 ALCs in Florida, 1,921 (62.2%) offered music activities, 683 (22.1%) offered memory care, and 603 (31.4%) offered both memory care and music activities. Less than half of ALCs with memory care and music activities accepted Medicaid and a majority of these did not have a specialty license. Additionally, only 13 ALCs in rural counties included both services. The results suggest there is significant rural disparity in access to ALCs with memory care and music activities in Florida. Older adults needing financial assistance or specialty care that could be provided with different licenses have less access to ALCs providing these two services – services that will be increasingly important as the number of adults with ADRD in Florida grows as predicted.
