As people get older, they may need more help, but they are not necessarily helpless. Finding the right care option for a parent or family member takes research and time. The determining factor may be how much independence does a person need to maintain quality of life. Here is an overview of the type of services offered by assisted living and memory care facilities to help with initial research.
Assisted Living is a residential option for seniors who want or need help with some of the activities of daily living. Assisted living facilities offer support for things like cooking meals, getting to the bathroom in the middle of the night, keeping house, and traveling to appointments.
An assisted living facility may be a good choice if someone needs more personal care services than available at home or an independent living retirement community, but not the round-the-clock medical care and supervision of a nursing home.
Assisted living facilities offer the safety and security of 24-hour support with access to care only a phone call away. Privacy and independence are encouraged. A good facility will develop a personalized plan to meet an individual’s needs and accommodate his or her disabilities, while residents still have the freedom to do what they can for themselves.
These residential facilities can range from converted homes or apartment complexes to renovated schools. Some provide apartment-style living with scaled down kitchens, while others provide rooms. In some, residents might need to share a room unless they are willing to pay higher cost. Most facilities have a group dining area and common areas for social and recreational activities.
In the U.S., each state has its own specific licensing requirements for assisted living; this is an item to cover early in the research process.
Memory Care is a specialized long-term environment for older adults diagnosed with an illness that affects memory. A memory care environment is designed for persons with a level of impairment making it unsafe for him or her to continue to stay at home, but who does not require the intensive medical care of a skilled nursing facility.
Communities geared toward memory service work for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Memory care allows a person experiencing memory loss to maintain privacy and a level of independence while relying on the safety and security of being in a residential facility with a professional staff.
At a meeting of the American Medical Directors Association, Lory Bright-Long, MD, CMD, said, There are only maybe five medications that have currently shown some promise of stemming memory loss in Alzheimer’s patients. These people must maintain their activity, walking, interacting with music, art. We have to awaken the senses so that the memory can have a hook. This is accomplished in the memory care setting.
Memory care communities are often incorporated as separate care units of assisted living communities. In memory care, memory-impaired residents have access to 24-hour support and programs that ensure their safety and quality of life. Typically, the residents live in private or semi-private units and have scheduled activities and programs designed to enhance memory, supervised by trained staff members. The residences are 100% secure with alarmed or locked areas to ensure no one wanders off. Usually within these secured areas, residents can enjoy indoor walking paths, or outdoor paths or gardens.
In memory care facilities common spaces are provided for socialization, meals and activities. The structured environment provides techniques that help the resident perform daily tasks even if they don’t always remember how.
Communities that provide programs and levels of care distinctive to memory issues can be a life-saver for the senior who does not need full-time medical assistance.
For a comprehensive resource on Alzheimer’s and many other health challenges, as well as information on how to plan and prepare for assisted living or memory care, visit www.helpguide.org.