Choosing the ideal memory care center for your loved one might be difficult. With so many differences between facilities, team members, and activities, you may be unclear how to select a memory care center to meet the requirements of your loved one. Continue reading for advice on how to evaluate a memory care community to ensure your loved one is safe, well-cared for, and happy.
Priorities and Needs of Your Loved One
Choosing the best memory care community begins with recognizing and prioritizing your loved one’s requirements. Is your parent, for example, in need of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing, bathing, or eating? If this is the case, it’s critical to understand how the memory care team will support them during the day and night. Alternatively, if your loved one has diabetes or another chronic health condition that needs frequent medication or injections, you’ll want to discover how team members can effectively manage their health requirements.
Amenities
Memory care communities include a variety of amenities, ranging from diet-specific meals to care coordination and concierge services. To choose which aspects are most significant, consider your loved one’s requirements and hobbies.
Competence of Team Members
One approach to establishing whether a community’s understanding of dementia care is up to date is to observe how team members handle challenging dementia behaviors such as refusing care, rage, and hostility. Ask about how caregivers assist people with dementia who are in distress, as well as how challenging dementia behaviors are avoided in the community. Finding out how well team members know the people they care for is one of the simplest methods to learn about their care and commitment. Ask about how the community uses residents’ histories to improve communication and care for individuals.
Safety Features
Families seeking dementia care are more concerned about their loved one’s safety. Memory care homes often integrate a range of safety technologies and amenities, ranging from motion-sensor technology in apartments to protected windows and doors with keypads. Memory care safety standards and safeguards are especially critical for preventing wandering, which is a typical yet dangerous activity in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Memory-Enhancing Activities and Therapies
Tailored therapies or treatments may enhance the quality of life and postpone cognitive decline in patients suffering from dementia and other related health disorders. Light therapy, for example, might be used to treat depression or alleviate symptoms of sundown syndrome, a behavioral change that worsens disorientation and increases agitation in individuals with dementia as the day turns to night. Ask about memory-enhancing therapy in the community and how it can aid your loved one in particular.
Choose Mariposa
At Mariposa, we understand the ups and downs of dementia, as well as the burden it may place on patients and their loved ones. We think that with the right care, your dementia-afflicted family members, such as those with Alzheimer’s or other memory-loss conditions, may live a more full and fruitful life. That is why, in order to give you the best of both worlds in terms of cutting-edge dementia care, we engage with families and care providers by combining science with the personal human touch.