Dear Savvy Senior: My mom has Alzheimer’s disease and can’t live at home any longer. I need to find a good memory care residential unit for her but could use some help. Any suggestions? — Exhausted Daughter

Dear Exhausted: Most memory care units, sometimes called special care units, are housed within assisted living or nursing home facilities. At their best, they offer staff extensively trained in caring for people with dementia, individualized care that minimizes the use of dangerous psychotropic drugs, a home-like environment and activities that improve residents quality of life. But at their worst, they can offer little more than a locked door. Here are some steps to help you find a good facility.

>> Make a list: Ask your mom’s doctor for a referral, and use the Alzheimer’s Association online tool at CommunityResourceFinder.org. Make sure the facilities are close to family and friends who can visit often as residents with frequent visitors usually get better care.

>> Research your options: Once you’ve made a list, contact your local long-term care ombudsman (LTCombudsman.org), a government official who investigates assisted living and nursing home complaints and can tell you which facilities have had problems. Use Medicare’s nursing home compare tool (Medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare), which rates facilities.

>> Call the facilities: Call facilities to find out if they have vacancies, if they provide the services your mother needs, what they charge and if they accept Medicaid.

>> Tour your top choices: During your tour, notice the cleanness and smell of the facility. Is it homey and inviting? Does the staff seem responsive and kind? Taste the food, and talk to the current resident’s family members. Find out about staff screening and training procedures, turnover rate and the staff-to-resident ratio. They should have at least one staff member for every five residents.

Make sure the facility offers quality activities, even at night when she may be awake. Ask how they respond to residents who may wander or become aggressive. If the answer is locked doors and antipsychotic drugs, that’s a red flag. Find out what, if any, health conditions might require your mom to leave the facility or move to a higher and more expansive level of care.

It’s a good idea to make multiple visits to the facility including an unscheduled visit at night or on a weekend when the staff is more likely to be stretched thin.

To help you evaluate your visit, the Alzheimer’s Association offers a checklist that you can access at ALZ.org/residentialfacilities.

>> Paying for care: The national average costs for memory care within an assisted living facility is over $5,000 per month, and over $7,500/month for nursing home care, but costs can vary. Since Medicare does not cover long-term care, most residents pay for care from either personal savings, a long-term care insurance policy, or through Medicaid (if available) once their savings are depleted.

To help you research your financial options, visit the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information website at LongTermCare.gov.

Jim Miller is a contributor to NBC-TV’s “Today” program and author of “The Savvy Senior.” Send your questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070; or visit savvysenior.org