With many common illnesses or living situations, finding the right kind of care to suit your loved one’s needs varies from situation to situation. For some, living in a retirement community is enough to satisfy certain age-related restrictions needed to help keep your loved ones safe. On the other hand, more advanced forms of care like those provided in the nursing home are necessary for the comfort of your family members. For those with family members facing cognitive-related illnesses, moving your relatives into a memory care facility is a necessary step toward providing better care for your loved ones.
How Is Memory Care Different From Other Forms of Assisted Living?
Various factors contribute to the form of care needed for different conditions. Things like accessibility, cognitive function, and all-around health are all crucial for finding the right level of care needed for your loved ones. Memory care, however, is particularly focused on those suffering from cognitive functioning decline, ranging from the effects of Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia to age-related memory loss. In a memory care facility, special precautions are taken to directly comfort and tailor the experiences of those in these facilities to better suit their cognitive functioning levels. For example, residents in memory care facilities have the option to use shared recreational spaces, like salons or game rooms, as a way to preserve their independence. However, these facilities are specifically designed to help monitor residents and keep them safe if their condition causes them distress.
Reasons for Needing Memory Care
Depending on the situation, as well as the factors that contribute to why your loved one is losing their memory, the reasons for needing memory care can range. Some of the most common factors for considering memory care for your loved ones include:
- Cognitive functioning decline. As our brains age, our ability to maintain our daily routines starts to decline, making day-to-day tasks seem harder than they once were. Gradual cognitive decline is expected with age. However, for some, it can reach a point where daily tasks like hygiene or taking care of your home can become unmanageable. In a memory care facility tailored to meet these needs, your loved ones will have access to facilities and staff that can help keep them feeling independent while getting help with the basic care they need to survive.
- Illness. As mentioned before, dementia-related illnesses, mainly Alzheimer’s disease, can cause a gradual decline in cognitive functioning, making it hard to live independently. In some dementia cases, the volatility of the disease, as well as the way these symptoms progress, can cause those with dementia to lose control of their daily lives. Memory care facilities are specifically designed with dementia patients in mind, providing staff that can handle the different stages of these diseases while also providing a comforting environment to help mitigate any sudden mood changes or stress brought on by these illnesses.
Changes in behavior related to memory are not always tied to cognitive decline and are not sure signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s, but coping with these changes can be hard, especially if living alone. Memory care facilities are a great way to transition from independent living to assisted living, especially for those who already rely on some form of care from a nurse or live-in assistant. Maintaining independence with access to care is one of the biggest requirements satisfied by memory care facilities.
Benefits of Memory Care
Unlike traditional assisted living facilities, memory care facilities provide expertise in dealing with cognitive degeneration. Because of how temperamental these illnesses tend to be as they progress, having access to care in a facility designed to help with these issues is crucial for creating a comforting environment for those suffering from these diseases. The biggest benefits of specialized memory care are:
- Lower risk of injury or harm. One of the biggest cons to living alone as a senior comes from a lack of help in situations of duress. For example, a slip in the shower or a trip on the steps can be life-threatening, especially for those living on their own. The complications these stressful events can have for people with cognitive degeneration make these situations even more complex, particularly when trying to call for help. In a memory care facility with constant access to help and lifelines, residents can feel safe knowing that they have constant access to help in any situation of duress.
- Open opportunities for socialization. Living independently, especially as a senior, can get lonely over time, and when facing any sort of memory loss that makes maintaining relationships harder than anticipated, relationships outside of an assisted living community can become hard to maintain. For those in a memory care facility, group socialization and social events are highly encouraged, helping bring back important aspects of independent living to residents in the facility. From art activities to shared recreation spaces, socialization can be key to creating a beneficial program for your loved ones.
Maintaining your peace of mind throughout the process of putting your loved ones into memory care is the most important part of the transition. Knowing your loved one’s situation, as well as the level of care needed to keep them healthy, is important for giving them a productive environment to thrive in, which begins with finding a facility you can trust.
Where to Find Quality Memory Care
The reasoning behind why people seek out memory care all comes back to doing what’s best for their loved ones. Between providing them with extra support on bad days to giving them newfound opportunities for independence and socialization, memory care facilities can help bring a sense of independence back into the lives of those suffering from memory loss or other cognitive disorders. At Rocky Mountain Assisted Living, our round-the-clock staff is highly trained to help your loved ones regain a sense of independence with the bonus of constant, attentive care. For more information regarding our services, contact us today.