Taking care of our parents or elderly adults in our family is essential. It’s a responsibility that we would love to take. However, at times taking care of our dear ones might include making a crucial decision. That is to admit them in memory care communities. It is applicable for parents or elderly adults who have dementia and need a little more than home care. Not every family member is equipped to take care of an elderly adult or a senior citizen when they have Alzheimer’s or dementia. That is when you need to count on the memory care communities.
Today, more people are getting affected by dementia and Alzheimer’s. In today’s day and age, close to 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. And according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), by 2060, the amount is estimated to be 14 million. Hence, it’s natural that the demand for memory care communities will increase exponentially in the next few decades.
So, what exactly is a memory care community?
Simply put, the memory care communities are best described as the long-term assisted living homes that get designed to cater to the safety, happiness, and health requirements of Dementia, Alzheimer’s patients, and brain injury sufferers. To know more, you can check out Alzheimer’s care near you.
What do memory care communities entail? If you want to know about that, here are five essential facts about them.
Adequately trained staff
First and foremost, the memory care communities possess correctly trained staff in comparison to the nursing homes and assisted living facilities. These trained staff in various memory care communities aim to make the lives of your loved one comfortable and provide the best memory care. In this care facility, the therapies, staff and the monitoring get tailor-made to cater to patient’s particular requirements with Alzheimer’s and various other kinds of dementia. The service customization helps in maximized security by promoting familiarity and bringing down confusion. When you are browsing through the memory care communities, it is essential to ask a few questions like:
- How trained are the staff?
- How frequently are the instructions provided?
- What does the state need?
When you ask these and similar questions, it will help you get a better idea of what makes a particular memory care community different and better from the standard assisted living facilities.
It has designed units.
The new-age memory care communities have improved security to avert wandering, which is typical with patients with dementia. Usually, they are smaller than the assisted living facilities and highlight distinctive designs to help with navigation, such as the color-coded hallways. The security features and additional layout can comprise of:
- Alarmed or secured doors
- Shares spaces
- Interior courtyards
- Outdoor gardens
These are all specially designed units that ensure comfort and security for your loved one.
There are social activities for the seniors
The other thing you need to know about memory care communities is that they don’t isolate the seniors. There are multiple social activities designed for seniors. Some of the daily group activities might comprise of:
- Field trip to the shopping areas or parks
- Games like bingo or trivia
- Art activities
- Sing-alongs
These communities also plan various choices for every resident, irrespective of the stage of Alzheimer’s and dementia they have. Several activities help stimulate the seniors’ minds, maximize their motor skills, and offer the much-required social interaction.
Provide Alzheimer’s and dementia care services
One more thing you need to know about memory care communities is that they provide specific Alzheimer’s and dementia care services. These communities have memory care services that effectively address wandering, memory loss, and various other side effects by offering sound therapies to bring down the symptoms. The communities provide memory care services that can comprise music therapy, art therapy and sensory stimulation depending on an individual’s requirement. Some of the leading memory care communities have their all-inclusive nursing care around the clock on the floor.
It is highly regulated
Other than the registration and licensure requirements for the assisted care living facilities, the memory care communities have extra regulatory oversight that makes sure there is high-end support and cares for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s. To know more, you can check out dementia and Alzheimer’s care in Lithonia GA.
You are now aware of the five essential facts about memory care communities. It will make it easy for you to search for one for your loved one. However, everything depends on the situation of your loved one. Not all memory care communities are the same. But suppose you have a dear one who is struggling with Alzheimer’s or dementia. In that case, it is essential to know about the advantages of the best memory care communities that you are researching upon. It will help you to make an informed decision.
