Many people would rather care for their elderly relatives at home. Many factors, including the inability to adequately care for a person with Alzheimer’s disease, prevent this from occurring much of the time.
If your family member has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and is too dangerous to care for at home, you might want to consider residential care services. This style of care is a type of senior living that provides in-depth, personalized care to people who have memory issues. Memory care divisions have been established in a variety of assisted living and nursing homes for dementia patients. There are also facilities dedicated exclusively to memory care.
Memory care is becoming a bigger part of the residential care services, with the amount of housing growing by more than 60 percent since 2013, as per Seniors Housing Business magazine.
What Distinguishes Memory Care From Other Types Of Care?
Residential Care Services are built to provide a relaxed and consistent environment with regular routines to help patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia feel less nervous. In a similar way to an assisted living home, staff prepare meals and help residents with personal care activities.
They do, however, have specialized training to deal with the many issues that often arise as a result of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. They audit tenants on a regular basis and provide extra support and stability to help them get through the day.
What to Look for When Choosing a Memory Care Facility
You should arrange visits and try showing up unannounced once you’ve narrowed down a few possible homes for your loved one. Here are some things to think about when you conduct your investigation.
Learn about the staff’s level of dementia and Alzheimer’s training, as well as whether there is a nurse on staff who works at the hospital. Examine how attentive the staff is to the residents’ needs. Inquire on how they treat patients who have violent episodes if you don’t see an aggressive incident unfold. Assume they solely rely on antipsychotic drugs, which aren’t a good match for your relative.
The accessibility setup, as well as the overall physical environment, are important. Is the location sanitary and odor-free? Check to see if the corridors are round to avoid clients being frustrated as they reach a dead end.
So that people can get around easily, every area and door should be clearly identified. There should be a safe walking area, and people should appear relaxed rather than anxious.
Activities and Meals
Is there anything in the house that can keep your family member physically and mentally stimulated? Examine if they employ friendly tactics to inspire residents to consume their meals. It would be advantageous if you ate there at least once. If you can’t, neither should your loved one. Do the employees get to know the patients and interact with them? Is it possible to have complex care?
Some patients need more intensive treatment and may need admission to a higher level of the hospital. Inquire whether they provide the service. Find out if they still support Medicaid. Otherwise, if your family member’s money runs out, you’ll have to relocate them. Is there a degree of action or a serious health problem that they can’t manage and that will force your loved one to leave?
Overall, if your loved one has dementia, and you are unable to care for them at home, a memory care home is the best alternative. Picking the right fit ought to be simple after you’ve done your study.
