We live in medium sized town in Central Texas with only 3 facilities designated “memory care”. While the staff are very loving, no one is trained to work with them. As a result they just sit in chairs with “Andy Griffith” playing ALL DAY everyday! Are there any state laws governing services provided?
This is a good point to ask about when visiting facilities. Not all assisted living (AL), Memory care (MC) or nursing homes (NH) offer the same services. Ditto for hospice care.
As far as state laws, call your State office of aging and ask what is required. Alternatively, you might enlist some community service groups/church group/school groups to visit and do activities. The middle school near my Mom's place would do a 45 minute version of their winter concert at her MC. The brownies would come and do a craft activity. One church group came every month and sang religious songs. And, the private grade school across the street would come and do a Halloween parade with the younger kids in their costumes.
Based on what I've seen, the facilities/staff do try. There is room for improvement, but, I can see how daunting of a task it may be. I think that music is an under utilized tool, that these facilities do not fully appreciate, though most do have music time each day.
I know there is someone who tries to get those who are mobile involved in Bingo, or a movie night, or some kind of in-house activity. Nothing big or time consuming.
This place isn't an expensive "bells and whistles" kind of facility." It's clean, the food is OK, but it's not a place I'd want my mother. Probably there simply isn't money for activities that you'd see at an ALF or IL situation.
We take "church" to the center every week. The residents who participate can't often last through a half hour service. They just get up and walk away.