When a parent is diagnosed with dementia, it’s time to be proactive and start looking for professional help. Fortunately, many senior living communities offer specialized care for seniors living with dementia, offering a home where they can feel loved, valued, and supported every day.
If you have a parent with dementia, consider looking at memory care communities near you. These communities offer quality care in an environment designed to support your loved one in a way that truly makes a difference. Memory care is an incredible way to make sure your parent with dementia gets the care they need.
What Is Assisted Living?
Assisted living communities are an excellent option for seniors who can remain mostly independent. In assisted living, your loved one enjoys life in a vibrant, compassionate community full of interesting services and activities. A team of trained caregivers is available around the clock, and when your loved one needs support, this team intervenes.
Whether your loved one needs support with housekeeping, bathing, or cooking, assisted living communities step in to meet their needs. Assisted living is a wonderful option for seniors who need a helping hand but enjoy their independence—it restores a sense of dignity and autonomy to your loved one while giving you and your family peace of mind. But what about seniors living with dementia?
Can Seniors With Dementia Live in Assisted Living?
For seniors diagnosed with dementia, assisted living may be a viable option at first. Many assisted living communities are equipped to support seniors living with mild cognitive impairments and can offer a structured routine and specialized care program to improve your loved one’s overall quality of life.
However, it’s important to note that dementia is a complicated progressive condition. As it develops further, your parent’s symptoms may worsen. Everyday tasks may become more difficult, and your parent may even become a danger to themselves and others. In such cases, it may be necessary to move your parent to a community that can meet their growing needs—like memory care.
What Is Memory Care?
As dementia progresses, it begins affecting more aspects of your loved one’s daily life. They may begin to experience:
- Confusion about time and place
- Difficulty recognizing familiar faces
- Challenges with communication and finding the right words
- Increased forgetfulness with daily tasks
- Changes in mood or behavior, such as anxiety or agitation
So what if there was a community that specialized in supporting seniors living with dementia? A place that goes above and beyond to ensure your loved one can live comfortably in a safe, structured, and supportive environment? This is memory care.
Memory care is a type of long-term care designed to meet the unique needs of seniors living with memory impairment, cognitive decline, and dementia. There are additional safety features, structured daily routines, and specially-trained staff all in place to help support your loved one every day.
In memory care, your loved one can enjoy life in an environment that genuinely understands the complicated nature of dementia—and is fully capable of supporting your parent every day.
How to Ease the Transition to Memory Care
The decision to move a parent with dementia to memory care can be emotional. It’s crucial to approach the situation with compassion, care, and patience; your parent may be resistant at first to the idea.
It’s important to stress that you’re trying to get them professional support in a way that can truly make a difference. Here are a few tips to help ease the transition:
- Begin by explaining the basics behind memory care. Focus on the benefits of the community and how they’re specifically designed to help people in your parent’s situation.
- Involve your parent in the decision-making process as much as possible. Ask for their input and try to address any concerns or fears they may have.
- Take time to visit different memory care communities together and let them choose which one feels right for them.
- Prepare your loved one for the move by showing photos of their new home, introducing them to staff members, and explaining how the daily routine will work.
- Make sure their new home is familiar, safe, and comfortable. Take the time to set up the space with familiar belongings and cherished items so your parent can recognize their new home.
- Make sure you communicate regularly with staff members at the memory care community to stay updated on your loved one’s progress and well-being.
These steps can make the move significantly easier and can play a big part in reducing anxiety and frustration about such a big step. Just remember—you’re doing an incredible thing, and you’re making sure your parent is getting the care they deserve.
Is It Time for Memory Care?
Deciding to move a parent with dementia to memory care is never easy, but it’s an excellent decision to help your parent. And at All American Senior Living in Kingston, we’re dedicated to providing compassionate and comprehensive memory care services to seniors in need.
If you’re thinking about memory care for your parent, contact our team to schedule a tour today. This transition may be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone.
