More than 6 million Americans are living with dementia or Alzheimer’s, and this number is projected to rise to nearly 13 million by 2050. For those with severe cases of Alzheimer’s, it can leave their families wondering if memory care is what’s best for them.
If you’re considering memory care for your loved one, here is some helpful information you need to know before moving forward with your decision.
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is an option that your loved one is offered when considering the move into a senior living community. It’s different from assisted living because your loved one will require more help when completing daily living activities.
The care that will be provided to your family member is a plan that has been personalized to address their specific memory loss issues, and helps them continue to thrive as much as possible.
Now that we understand the concept of memory care, here are some specifics about its benefit.
Locked Units
When you visit memory care facilities, you might get confused about why the entrances and doors are locked or painted over to make it appear as part of the neighboring wall. This is to protect the residents from wandering away and finding themselves in potentially hazardous situations.
While the thought of your loved one being in a locked community might seem daunting, it’s not as scary as it sounds. The locked pathways don’t stop the residents from engaging in several activities and outings provided by the caregivers, it only prevents them from meandering out of the memory care portion of the community.
Increased Peace of Mind
As we hear from families all the time, placing a loved one with memory issues in an assisted living community that specializes in memory care provides a tremendous amount of peace of mind. You can rest assured that your family member is being cared for by professionals that understand their needs and can personalize their care based upon their unique situation.
Along with knowing that your loved one is in the best care situation, it also alleviates you from the responsibility of constantly having to ensure their safety.
Can Be Costly
While you will enjoy the comfort of moving your loved one into a memory care community, you should keep in mind that this level of care can be somewhat expensive. Naturally, the reason for the increased expense is that your loved one will require more care than someone in a community living independently.
Before making a move to memory care, you should ask for information about the cost and care your family member will receive while living there.
Memory Care 101
Memory care is a type of assisted living specializing in providing care for those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s. Before moving a loved one into these communities, we recommend reaching out for a conversation to ensure the decision makes sense for your family and loved one.
If you’re looking for a place for your loved one to continue enjoying their life, contact Elite Senior Placement Services. We can detail all the options available to you and your family when it comes to senior living.
