The stress and fears of dealing with the disease of Alzheimer’s/Dementia in a person’s own home or that of a loved one can become extremely hard on both the families and caregivers. Often, the care we receive in the home might be limiting due to burn out or financial means and might not be the best environment for those living with this disease.
The cost of private care is often much more expensive than the monthly cost of an Assisted Living/ Memory Care unit.
We often see that the caretakers themselves start having advanced health issues or develop stress and depression, which can be related to the stress of caring for the person that they committed to caring for in their lives. The common verbiage we hear is “I promised my parents or loved one that I would never put them in a home”.
What once was called a “Nursing Home” back in the day is not the same as our parents knew it to be or perhaps how we perceive it today.
Many Memory Care companies over the years, have focused on communities being a home-like environment that offers very nice amenities, socialization, independence, and specialized training in the disease.
The training is often focused on the understanding of the many different types of dementias, the stages of the disease as well as the behaviors that sometimes come along with the disease. It focuses on the approach in dealing with a cognitively challenged person suffering from Alzheimer’s/Dementia. Additionally, working with the physicians to ensure medications are appropriate, when needed.
Types of activities trained address the needs of the individual independently and are understood to calm some of the fears and unknown behaviors that might exist as the disease progresses. Understanding that every individual still has individualized skills that continue to create independency and is vital to their success.
While there is so many other aspects of training to touch on, our seniors deserve a quality of life that focuses on their individuality and enhances the interaction that is so important to receive while going through this disease and as the disease progresses. Transitioning in early stages is instrumental in the adjustment of a new home to obtain the full benefit of an Assisted Living/Memory Care environment.