Memory care is a specialized care facility or unit for people living with Alzheimer’s and forms of dementia. It features a safe environment with well-trained staff members to monitor the health of Alzheimer’s and dementia residents closely.
Programs, events, and activities are designed around helping memory care residents work on their cognitive abilities while still enjoying their hobbies.
When someone you love is experiencing memory loss, it can be hard to understand, manage, and sometimes accept. But just because someone you love is dealing with memory loss does not mean that they need to sacrifice their quality of life.
Residents who live in a memory care facility are surrounded by familiar faces of people who are helping them enjoy their life. They will experience feelings of belonging, have a purpose, and can even manage skills. Contacting a memory care facility in the Lafayette, LA area can help you to better understand the advantages people with Alzheimer’s or dementia will have.
Benefits to living in a memory care facility
- Safe and secure setting. Many facilities keep the exterior doors locked 24 hours a day with keypad entry. They will also have doorbells at the entrances and exits to monitor who comes in and leaves the building and ensure that residents do not wander off.
- Quality services. Residents will experience a full life surrounded by a staff who knows them and takes good care of them by handling such things as their laundry, housekeeping, helps with bathing, administering medication, and much more. Some facilities offer dementia-friendly menus for dining with assistance throughout the meal.
- Warm environment. Residents will feel more comfortable and at ease in a memory care facility with well-trained staff in dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia people.
- Build relationships. A memory care facility and staff will work to get to know the residents for who they are and will incorporate their needs and interests into their care plan.
- Consistent care scheduling. The facility will work to keep familiarity a priority for residents by trying to keep the same staff member assigned to the same resident whenever possible.
- Take part in activities. Residents will stay engaged, enjoying simple daily routines of planned activities such as brain games, dancing, music programs, and art classes. This will help them to maintain their abilities as well as encourage the use of their current skills. They may also enjoy outside time safely in secure outdoor spaces.
About 5.8 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s. This is the most common form of dementia. For families who care for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or dementia, living at home without professional help can become unhealthy and unsafe due to symptoms that come with the loss of memory. Considering memory care services would provide a safer alternative for seniors living with memory impairment.
Signs that indicate someone needs memory care
- Unable to keep them safe at home. When your loved one declines in their overall health such as weight loss, hunched posture, and bruising, are major signs there is trouble.
- When the caregiver’s stress becomes overwhelming. Stress is inevitable when taking care of someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia, especially as the disease worsens.
- When the family can’t maintain a healthy living environment. Family members feel tremendous pressure to keep their loved one at home, thinking they can handle it. But no one is immune to caregiver fatigue. Signs such as unpaid bills, hoarding, unkept house, dirty dishes piled in the sink, or not bathing, to name a few, all indicate that a different living arrangement is needed.
- Becoming less social as older adults’ world becomes more confusing is common, but isolation can worsen Alzheimer’s symptoms.
- If the caregiver is not good. Sometimes a spouse caregiver cannot recognize the declining signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia, therefore, cannot provide the care their loved one requires.
- Listen to your gut. We all know that gut feeling or intuition that tells us something is wrong. Don’t ignore it. Listen to your instincts and keep in mind that no one is to blame.
Since the progression for Alzheimer’s and dementia is a slow one, it could take years to transition from early to late stages. This can sometimes add to the guilt and emotion of putting a loved one in a memory care facility, making the decision even more difficult.
If you are in the Lafayette, LA area and struggling with a senior loved one’s care, contact Home Instead today for support. Our compassionate staff at Home Instead will treat your loved ones like family, giving them the quality care they deserve and require wherever they call home.
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