You’ve probably heard about assisted living services for aging patients, but you must also consider memory care if your elderly relative suffers from conditions like Alzheimer’s or dementia. These places cater specifically to people who are losing mental faculties, and they’re more specialized for their care in many cases.
Your relatives will have much more independence as one of the many benefits of memory care because it’s not just about watching over them and giving them their correct medication. It’s about improving their quality of life as their disease progresses. Many of these facilities have a memory care room for their patients, which is particularly designed for them to remember things on their own.
However, most people don’t know what to expect from a memory care facility, which is why it’s always best to visit the center before committing to anything. You must feel comfortable leaving your aging relatives there, or you’ll be worried constantly. You can ask the nurses, doctors, and other staff your questions to ease your concerns, such as how many caregivers per resident in memory care, just so you’ll know that someone is watching your loved one.
Let’s find out more about the kind of environment these centers can provide for aging patients.
It was a surprising message. As you were checking through the latest posts on your social media site, the messenger app alerted you that you had a new message. Although the message caught you off guard, you were pleased to hear from one of your good friends from high school. The two of you had kept track of each other on social media for the last few years but you had not really exchanged any specific messages. On this occasion, however, your high school friend wanted you to know that she was going to be in town.
After noticing that you had posted a news story about some local Montessori high school students your friend wanted to let you know that her mother was actually staying in that exact memory care center. Your high school friend was going to be in town in a couple weeks and she was wondering if you could meet for lunch. In fact, she would really like to talk to you about what you knew about the work that the Montessori students were using with the dementia and Alzhemiers patients.
When you and your high school friend finally met for lunch your conversation was fast and furious. In fact, it was almost as if you had not talked to each other in years. The conversation quickly turned to the topic of nursing homes. Your friend confided that she was actually pretty nervous to go visit her mother, as it had been nearly two weeks since she had visited again. The typical nursing home setting often made your friend uncomfortable, but the conversation had some common ground when you both shared what each of you had learned about memory care.
Are You Looking for a Suitable Nursing Home or Memory Care Center for Your Parents?
Memory care issues are challenging. They are difficult for the patient and often painful for the children and other family members. Finding a nursing home that provides for memory care patients is not always an easy task, but with patience you can likely find the right spot.
The most important thing to know about helping make decisions for a parent, a spouse, or a loved one who is suffering from memory care issues is that you do not have to make your decisions alone. In fact, it is very likely that some of your friends, neighbors, and coworkers have also dealt with similar circumstances.
Consider some of these facts and figures about memory care in today’s society:
- Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in America.
- 66% of U.S. Alzheimer’s patients are women.
- Alzheimers disease is the only top 10 cause of death in America that cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured.
- 15,655 is the number of skilled nursing care centers in the U.S., according to American Health Care Association data.
- 40% of residential care facility residents in the year 2010 receive assistance with three or more activities related to daily living.
- 5 million Americans currently are living with Alzheimer’s. Experts predict that number could rise to 16 million by the year 2050.
- 13% of people over the age of 65 in the U.S. have Alzheimers.
- 35.6 million people across the world have dementia.
- Accounting for 60% to 80% of dementia diagnoses, Alzheimer’s is the most common of the over 100 different types of dementia.
Many things about getting old are difficult. Loss of memory and Alzheimers are two of the conditions that families can find the most challenging. If you find yourself looking for a memory care center, talking to family doctors, friends, families, and neighbors can help you consider all of the options. Although the decisions are difficult, it can be comforting to know that you can find other resources to help you reach your decision.
Many memory care centers offer unique approaches. Some, in fact, combine the principles used in Montessori classrooms and provide patients access to practical life works like washcloth folding and wood polishing. Allowing a patient to work on skills that are a pleasant part of the past can be both comforting and relaxing.
All transitions are difficult, but when an adult child has to help make difficult decision involving their parents, the transition can be even more of a challenge.
