The Importance of Memory Care for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Caring for a loved one suffering from a memory related problem can be challenging. Since they require constant care and a lot of patience – which can’t always be guaranteed at home, sending them to live in memory care facilities looks like the ideal solution.
The Difference between Memory Care and Assisted Living
When a loved one starts presenting symptoms of a memory issue, one of the first things to do is get an assessment. Doing so helps you determine just how bad the problem is or if it’s a case that can be managed effectively.
In terms of care, it would be best for a person suffering from memory problems to have someone watching over them. This can be difficult for members of the same household, especially if everyone keeps a 9-to-5 job.
If that is the case, there is an option of putting them in a care home, but which type is best?
Like facilities with memory care, assisted living communities also care for the elderly. One of the differences between the two is that the former requires much more skilled nursing work.
Facilities are also defined differently. For one, there is an emphasis on security to ensure a resident doesn’t wander off. In addition, the place is designed to be navigable so that residents won’t find it difficult to find their way back.
Advantages of a Memory Care Facility
Caring for patients with a memory problem requires certain skills. In the case of patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia, nurses need to be able to handle disruptive behaviors, and communication problems, among others.
When it comes to memory care assisted living facilities do have units to care for patients with memory issues. However, they lack a few key ingredients, including a staff that is required to possess a certain skill set in order to deal with different kinds of patients.
A memory care facility still offers the many benefits enjoyed by those living in assisted living communities:
It is designed to help them find their way
Trying to remember what happened at a particular time can be challenging for those with functioning memories. So can you imagine how extremely difficult that situation is for someone who is actually suffering from a memory problem? It’s for this reason that facilities dealing with memory care are designed to be easily navigable to make it easier for residents to find their way.
It is safe
Assisted living communities providing memory care services have monitors to keep track of residents. This way, they can be accounted for and also kept away from trouble. While memory care facilities encourage independence, a resident in such a facility is monitored all the time to prevent them from wandering far away.
It provides peace of mind
Knowing a loved one is in a place cared for by specialists allows you to breathe easy. You no longer have to worry about whether or not your loved one left the stove on.
Elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other memory issues deserve proper care. When this can’t be done in a home setting, getting them to live in a memory care facility is the next logical step. A facility that specializes in such care knows how to deal with the issues in order to guarantee a better quality of life.
Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead
