A memory care move-in checklist has five parts. Get the papers the community asks for, including any consent for locked doors. Pack fewer, simpler things and label them all. Leave out items that are risky with dementia, such as knives, scissors, cleaning pods and car keys. Set up the room like the old bedroom before your parent arrives, and plan move-in day around their best hours.
Key facts
- Under California rules in effect since January 2025, a community that locks its outside doors must keep in the resident's file either a court order showing a conservator's authority or a statement signed by the resident that they understand and agree to the locked doors at admission. (Cornell LII, 2025)
- Florida Statutes 429.177 requires an assisted living community that claims special care for people with Alzheimer's to describe those services in writing and give a copy to anyone who asks. (The Florida Senate, 2025)
- The Alzheimer's Association says six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once. (Alzheimer's Association, n.d.)
- The National Institute on Aging says toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, soap and perfume may look and smell like food to a person with Alzheimer's. (NIA, 2024)
The memory care community has sent its move-in packet, and the date is set. Your mom has dementia, and each line on the list raises a new question. Can she keep her purse? Does the razor go? Who signs the form about the locked doors? Find out on move-in day and you end up repacking in the hallway while she waits.
This memory care move-in checklist covers the papers, the packing, what stays home, the room and the day. The everyday things that turn risky in memory care, like toothpaste and laundry pods, are in the section on what to leave out. For an hour-by-hour plan of the day, see move-in day with a parent who has memory loss.
Your parent's community and your state set the actual rules, so check each item on this list with them.
What should you ask the memory care team first?
Ask for the community's written move-in list before you pack a single box. The Alzheimer's Association notes that special care units take many forms and may or may not be locked. So the rules in one building won't match the next.
Send one email to the move-in coordinator or the memory care director, so you have the answers in writing. You could write:
"Mom moves in on the 14th. Could you send me your memory care move-in packet, your list of items residents can't keep in their rooms, and any forms we need to sign before that day? I'd also like a short call with the nurse to go over her routines."
Then add the questions that change what you pack:
- Which forms are due before move-in day, and which can follow?
- Do you need a written dementia diagnosis from her doctor?
- How should medicines arrive, and who takes them from us?
- Do you label clothes, and how often is laundry done?
- Do you supply incontinence products, or do families buy them?
- Can she keep a purse, a wallet or a little cash?
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) suggests getting to know the staff before the move and talking with them about how to make the change go smoothly.
What paperwork does memory care ask for?
Expect most of the same papers that assisted living asks for, plus a few about dementia and secured doors. The full general list is in our post on assisted living admission documents. For memory care, check these as well.
- Medical forms. The doctor's report or medical assessment, TB screening and a current medication list. Ask which form the community uses, and book the doctor visit early.
- Legal papers. Copies of the health care and financial powers of attorney, any advance directive, and a guardianship or conservatorship order if there is one.
- Insurance cards. Medicare, any supplement or drug plan, Medicaid, and any long-term care insurance policy.
- Consent for locked doors. Secured units can come with their own paperwork. In California, under rules in effect since January 2025, a community that locks its outside doors must keep one of two papers in the resident's file. One is a court order showing a conservator's authority. The other is a statement signed by the resident that they understand the doors are locked and agree to it at admission. Exit alert devices and location trackers also need the prior written approval of the resident or conservator.
- The community's memory care disclosure. The Alzheimer's Association says some states require a Special Care Unit Disclosure form. Florida, for example, requires an assisted living community that claims special care for people with Alzheimer's to describe those services in writing. It must give a copy to anyone who asks (Florida Statutes 429.177).
- A recent photo. Ask whether the community wants one for its file. The Alzheimer's Association suggests keeping a recent, close-up photo of a person with dementia on hand to give to police if they ever go missing.
If you aren't sure who has the legal right to sign for your parent, ask an elder law attorney before move-in day.
What to pack for memory care
Pack fewer things than for assisted living, and pick ones that are easy to use. NIA notes that people with Alzheimer's often find it hard to choose clothes. At home, it suggests keeping only one or two outfits in the closet at a time. In memory care, ask how often the staff do laundry and pack enough to cover that stretch. Ask whether the staff can keep the extras out of sight.
NIA's dressing tips also point to loose, comfortable clothes, elastic waists, large zipper pulls in place of buttons, and slip-on shoes that won't slide off. If your parent wants to wear the same thing every day, it suggests buying three or four sets of the same clothes.
A packing list of what to bring to memory care:
- Comfortable clothes for the season, with elastic waists and few buttons
- Pajamas, a robe, cotton socks and cotton underwear
- Slip-on shoes that stay on, or shoes with hook-and-loop straps
- Glasses, hearing aids with a charger or batteries, and a denture case
- An electric razor, which NIA suggests for safety
- Their own bedding and pillow
- A favorite chair, a lamp and a small dresser, measured to fit the room
- Family photos, with names written underneath
- Music they love, on a player they already know how to use
- A few things your parent likes to hold or sort, from a hobby or an old job
- A folder for the staff with copies of the papers and a one-page profile of your parent's routines and what calms them
Label every piece, including glasses and hearing aid cases. Our post on labeling clothes for assisted living covers label types and where to put them. The room-by-room list is in the guide to what to bring to assisted living.
Give each part of the checklist a date
Parent Move Plan puts the doctor visit, the papers, the labeling and the room setup on dated tasks counted back from move-in day. The last week never gets squeezed, and the move-in day and first-week checklists are ready to print. It works in Google Sheets or Excel, shared with your family.
Get your first 3 days freeWhat should stay out of a memory care room?
Leave out anything that could hurt your parent if they used it the wrong way. NIA notes that toothpaste, lotion, shampoo, soap and perfume may look and smell like food to a person with Alzheimer's.
| Item | Why it's a concern | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| All medicines, including over-the-counter ones | NIA lists them among items to lock up or remove | Hand them to the staff the way the community asks |
| Cleaning products and laundry pods | On the same NIA list | Ask who cleans the room and supplies the products |
| Knives, scissors, tools and weapons | On the same NIA list | Keep them with family |
| Toiletries in open view | They may look and smell like food | Ask where the staff will store them |
| A blade razor | NIA suggests an electric razor for safety | Pack an electric razor |
| Alcohol and poisonous plants | On the same NIA list | Ask the community's policy |
| Space heaters, electric blankets, heating pads | NIA advises removing space heaters and warns the others can cause burns and fires | Ask maintenance about the room's heat, and pack a warm blanket |
| Fake fruit or food-shaped magnets | NIA says they may seem edible | Leave them home |
| Large mirrors | NIA says mirror images may confuse a person with Alzheimer's | Ask the staff before hanging one |
| Car keys | Your parent may forget they no longer drive | Keep them with family |
The Alzheimer's Association says six in 10 people living with dementia will wander at least once, and not always on foot. Its wandering advice is to remove access to car keys once a person no longer drives.
Purses and wallets need a talk with the staff. The same page lists coats, hats, pocketbooks, keys and wallets among things that may trigger the urge to leave. If your mom has always carried a purse, ask the staff how they handle that in the unit. Keep credit cards and valuable jewelry with family.
The general rules for any apartment, such as extension cords and loose rugs, are in what not to bring to assisted living.
How do you make the room feel familiar?
Set the room up to look like the old bedroom, before your parent sees it. Alzheimer's San Diego suggests arranging the furniture and personal things in a way that is similar to the old space. It says this helps with comfort and with finding belongings. First ask whether residents may bring familiar items such as photos, bedding and a chair, a question the Alzheimer's Association suggests asking when you compare communities.
- Before you pack, photograph the old bedroom from the doorway and from the bed.
- Ask for the room's floor plan, and measure the furniture you plan to bring.
- Put the bed, chair and lamp on the same sides as at home, as far as the room allows.
- Make the bed with your parent's own sheets and blanket.
- Hang photos where your parent can see them from the bed and the chair, choosing faces and places they still talk about.
- Ask whether you can put a simple sign or picture on the bathroom door. NIA suggests brightly colored signs or simple pictures to label rooms.
- Add a nightlight on the path to the bathroom, as NIA suggests for homes, if the community allows it.
- Keep the dresser top mostly clear, so the few things on it are easy to find.
- Ask whether there is a name sign or display case by the door you can fill with a photo your parent will know.
Start with less on the walls than you planned. You can add more once you see what your parent notices.
How to plan memory care move-in day
Plan the day around your parent, and finish the room before they arrive. Alzheimer's San Diego suggests picking the right time of day, since many people function better in the morning. It also suggests sharing the first meal at the new home. The hour-by-hour plan is in the post linked at the top.
The last week, step by step:
- Seven days before. Send the profile to the nurse or memory care director, and go over it on a call.
- Three to five days before. Label the last clothes, and pack a day bag with glasses, hearing aids, a change of clothes and the staff folder.
- One or two days before. Set up the room, if the community allows it.
- The morning of the move. Keep breakfast normal. One calm family member rides with your parent.
- Arrival. Go straight to the finished room, then share the first meal.
- Handover. A second person gives the medicines and the folder to the staff, out of your parent's sight.
- Goodbye. Leave when the staff suggest it, with a short goodbye and a set day for your next visit.
NIA's advice for the day is to listen to concerns but not argue about why your parent needs to be there. After the move, it suggests checking in regularly and working with the staff as care partners.
The tasks that apply to any move, like keys and the last boxes, are in the move-in day checklist. For questions about sleep or mood in the first weeks, talk with the community's nurse and your parent's doctor. You can also call the Alzheimer's Association at 800-272-3900.
Rules and prices differ by state. Assisted living rules and costs by state lists the medical exam, TB test, move-out notice, Medicaid and the median monthly cost for all 50 states, with sources.
Frequently asked questions
What should you not bring to memory care?
Leave out things that could hurt your parent if used the wrong way: medicines (hand them to the staff instead), cleaning products and laundry pods, knives, scissors, tools, alcohol, space heaters and car keys. The National Institute on Aging also notes that toothpaste, lotion and soap can look and smell like food to a person with Alzheimer's. Ask the community for its written list.
How many clothes should you bring to memory care?
Ask how often the community does laundry, then pack enough for that stretch plus a few spares. Choose loose, comfortable clothes with elastic waists and few buttons, and slip-on shoes that stay on. If your parent wants to wear the same outfit every day, the National Institute on Aging suggests three or four sets of it. Label every piece.
Can you decorate a memory care room?
Ask first. The Alzheimer's Association suggests asking whether residents may bring items such as photos, bedding and a chair. Also ask about nails or hooks for pictures and about a sign or photo by the door. Setting the room up like the old bedroom can help your parent find their things.
Do you need a dementia diagnosis to move into memory care?
It depends on the state and the community. Ask the community in writing whether it needs a diagnosis, a doctor's report on a state form, or both, and what the doctor must include. Then book the doctor visit early so the signed forms are ready before move-in day.
Should you set up the memory care room before move-in day?
If the community allows it, yes. Alzheimer's San Diego suggests making the room personal before admission, so your parent walks into a finished room with familiar things already in place. Ask the move-in coordinator when you can get in and whether staff can help with heavy furniture.
Sources
- National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer's Caregiving: Finding Long-Term Care (accessed Oct 2026)
- National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer's Caregiving: Home Safety Tips (accessed Oct 2026)
- National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer's Caregiving: Bathing, Dressing, and Grooming (accessed Oct 2026)
- Alzheimer's Association: Long-Term Care (accessed Oct 2026)
- Alzheimer's Association: Wandering (accessed Oct 2026)
- Alzheimer's San Diego: Tips for Transitioning into a Residential Care Facility (accessed Oct 2026)
- Cornell LII: Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22, 87705, Care of Persons with Dementia (accessed Oct 2026)
- The Florida Senate: Florida Statutes 429.177, Patients with Alzheimer's disease or other related disorders; certain disclosures (accessed Oct 2026)