Why Should You Consider A Memory Care Facility For Your Relative With Dementia?
by Tony Grant
Dementia can be a hard disease for a family to deal with. If you have a relative with this condition, you and your family members have likely taken turns doing caregiver duties. However, if their health is starting to get worse, it might be a good time to start thinking about moving them into a memory care facility. These centers are similar to nursing homes, but are set up to specifically serve people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and any other memory issues. Here are a few reasons why such a facility could benefit your relative and your family.
Regular Routine
Because they were being cared for by you and your other relatives, your relative with dementia might not be on any particular schedule, as each family member might do things differently. You might not know that those with dementia can actually thrive when they have a daily schedule to stick to. Being on a schedule is something that can help your relative remain in a good mood, as they always know what to expect. Memory care centers run with that thinking in mind and offer the same activities and the chance to eat in a familiar place each day.
Medical Staff on Site
While you and your family members love your relative, very few, if any of you, are professional health care providers. As your relative's health deteriorates, they might need more help than you can provide. Memory care facilities are fully staffed with nurses on duty throughout the day, as well as nursing aides who can help with toileting and other basic needs. Having medical staff there regularly can help you to feel better for other reasons; if they become suddenly ill, for instance, the professionals can quickly assess their condition so that they can be helped right away.
Safety Issues
One of the scariest things you might experience if you've got a relative with dementia is discovering they've left the house and have wandered outside. It can take time to find them and you worry that they have been injured or feel lost. Memory care centers provide a secure, safe location for your relative, and because staff is on hand at all times, they are very unlikely to be able to leave the building unnoticed.
Now that you know some of the benefits that a memory care facility can offer your family, talk it over with other relatives. You may all want to meet with directors of local memory care centers in order to find the one that can best accommodate your relative.
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About Me
When you're facing putting your loved one into a nursing home or assisted living facility, you want to make the best possible choice for your loved one. That can be difficult when you don't know much about the nursing homes in your area, or about what you should be looking for in a nursing home to begin with. It's a good idea to tour as many facilities in your area as possible to get an idea of which ones you like, but you still need to know what the signs of a good or bad nursing home are. I used to work as a kitchen assistant in long term care facilities, and I learned a lot about them during that time. I started this blog to share some of my insights into what makes a nursing home great, and how to spot problems in a facility that you're considering.