09 Mar Navigating Memory Care Decisions for Your Loved One
Home caregiving is never an easy task. Dementia makes it even more challenging. Fortunately, there are solutions that can ease the process, like the memory care and assisted living services offered by KindCare.
What Is Memory Care?
Seniors with memory loss receive round-the-clock care and housing at memory care communities. These communities offer residents a secure setting while putting an emphasis on enhancing quality of life, preserving dignity, and minimizing the negative behavioral impacts associated with memory loss.
Candidates for this level of care are people with memory impairment who can no longer live comfortably or safely at home or in the care of a family member.
How To Know Whether Your Loved One Needs Memory Care
It’s not always easy to tell when an elderly parent should no longer reside at home, especially if they are living alone. Do your best to notice changes in physical and cognitive behavior, and place a high priority on your loved one’s well-being and specific medical requirements.
You should ask yourself the following questions to determine whether your loved one is struggling to live at home:
- Has my loved one fallen recently? Are they at risk for frequent falls?
- Is my loved one becoming increasingly more isolated?
- What is the condition of the home? Is it messy and/or unclean?
- Is personal hygiene being neglected?
- Is there an abundance of clutter? What about stacks of unopened mail?
- Are bills being missed?
- Is your loved one losing weight without explanation?
- Are they having trouble remembering how to do simple, familiar tasks?
- Are you finding unexplained purchases in their home?
- Is your loved one experiencing heightened anxiety about driving?
- Are they getting lost when going to familiar places?
- Are you noticing increased defensiveness or paranoia?
- Are you finding yourself increasingly confused after speaking with your loved one on the phone?
- How is medication being managed? Are doses being missed or mismanaged?
It’s time to consider your options if you provided a yes response to any of these questions. It’s never simple to accept that your loved one could no longer be able to be secure at home. To compassionately start a conversation about memory care, use the answers you receive from the questions above. This will help you determine what sort of care your loved one needs.
What To Look For in a Dedicated Memory Care Community
You’ll probably feel confusion or sadness when a loved one starts to lose their memory, and no doubt you’ll have many questions. Do you require immediate assistance? What services does your loved one require, where can you find them, and how does moving to a community with memory care go? When you decide to start your journey, here are a few things to consider as you look at dedicated Memory Care communities.
What’s typically provided in memory care?
In addition to experienced staff trained in dementia care available 24/7, a memory care community like KindCare usually provides:
- Assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, grooming, dressing, and medication management
- Specialized dementia programming
- Three meals per day with snacks available
- Always available menu dining
- Housekeeping, laundry, and maintenance services
- 24/7 support and security
- Specially designed, easy-to-navigate neighborhoods
- Private, accessible, and customizable living
- Amenities and services that include a beauty salon, activity room, and library
Is financial support offered for memory care?
When looking at a community, inquire about payment options, admission fees, monthly fees, and any financial aid as you study various communities. Many families worry about the expenses of living in memory care communities, but our management company Charter Senior Living can connect you with or suggest a number of services and options, such as:
- “Try before you buy” Short-Term Stays
- Medicare coverage
- Long-term care insurance plans
- Life insurance plans
- Pensions, annuities, and investments
- Veterans benefits
- Real estate experts
- Loans (including bridge loans)
The specialization of memory care provided determines the cost of services at a senior living community. These costs vary by state. Contact KindCare to learn about our all-inclusive monthly memory care rates.
If you’re interested in learning even more about how you can help your loved one navigate this new chapter of their life, read on.
Helpful Memory Care Resources
Those living with memory loss find sites like the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimers.gov or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America to be helpful.
You can also contact us to request a copy of Seeking Support: A Guide to Navigating Memory Loss, the perfect resource to help you navigate memory care or assisted living decisions with confidence.
KindCare. Innovative, Exceptional, All-Inclusive.
KindCare is a senior living community with neighborhoods in Bristol, CT. Here, resident growth and well-being are our priorities. In an effort to enhance senior lifestyles, we place a special emphasis on human connection, fostering friendships among residents, associates, and visiting family members.