A Program of the Alzheimer's
Foundation of America




About Excellence in Care

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America (AFA) developed Excellence of Care to partner with care settings in the establishment of a nationwide standard of excellence in care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias.

Excellence in Care offers the opportunity for facilities to ensure that their dementia care settings meet the optimal care needs of their residents/clients. The program, created with the input of industry experts, consists of a comprehensive on-site evaluation and consultation on strategies to achieve the established standards for quality of care and to sustain performance.

A dementia care professional who has undergone comprehensive training—an AFA Excellence in Care Specialist—will partner with the care setting to meet the program’s standards of excellence. Key areas of review include: environment, education, staff-client interaction and programming.

Care settings that successfully reach the standards established by this initiative will earn the status of Alzheimer's Foundation of America Excellence in Care Dementia Program of Distinction.

Why do care settings want this national status?

Provide optimal care: Ensure the best quality of life for your residents/clients.

Retain and recruit staff: Provide ongoing and comprehensive training.

  • Enhance knowledge and understanding of dementia
  • Boost staff morale
  • Build confidence

    • Be recognized as a model of dementia care in your community.

  • Gain an edge over the competition
  • Increase your visibility—listing on AFA’s Web site
  • Familiarize the community with your setting
  • Highlight the Excellence in Care distinction in marketing materials

    • Be a dementia care resource: Conduct educational workshops for clients’ families and friends.

  • Provide knowledge and support
  • Encourage communication
  • Enhance staff-family interaction
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    How does this help families of loved ones with dementia?

    AFA’s objective is for this program to help ensure quality of life for individuals with dementia and their families, and the availability of optimal care settings in local communities.

    The Excellence in Care program serves as a resource for families selecting care settings for the loved ones. If a facility has the status of Alzheimer's Foundation of America Excellence in Care Dementia Program of Distinction, families know that the care setting has voluntarily gone through the Excellence in Care evaluation process and has met AFA’s national standard of excellence.

    Excellence in Care Specialists have no proprietary, financial, professional, or other personal interest of any nature in the care settings that they evaluate.

    What type of care settings qualify?

    • Assisted living facilities
    • Skilled nursing facilities
    • Continuum of care residential communities
    • Adult day care/adult day healthcare programs