The older population is expanding, and more people are being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, dementia due to Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Frontotemporal dementia. By 2040, the number of people diagnosed with dementia is expected to double. As these numbers rise, state-of-the-art memory care will be in high demand. What is memory care and what is so beneficial about it?
Understanding Memory Care
A relatively new approach is becoming more common in assisted living communities. It is considered by many to be an improvement over traditional and less specific forms of care and consists of newer interventions, approaches and treatments for seniors with dementia. The concept is called “Memory Care” and is a newer type of senior living that provides long-term, intensive and specialized care to seniors with dementia.
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While memory care may cost more than the average assisted living, positive health outcomes and quality of living may be worth the additional expense. The peace of mind that families get from more support and 24-hour supervised care is probably worth it. Memory care is built around maintaining or improving the senior’s cognitive abilities. Its therapeutic programs may also uniquely handle wandering, dementia-related behaviors, and address loss associated with each stage of the disease.
Another primary goal of memory care is to enhance quality of life for everyone involved: the resident, family and professional caregivers. Part of the mission is to reduce the use of prescription medications that may have negative side effects, and to reduce falls, injuries and trips to the hospital. Other areas that may be enhanced by effective memory care programs include better nutrition and hydration, greater independence, increased social interaction and improved or maintained mental performance.
Many memory care communities are designed as smaller neighborhoods or households. They have a warm and friendly feel to them and are less institutionalized than other parts of some facilities. A smaller group of seniors live on the memory care hall, making caregiving more personal and effective. The environment is meant to keep residents happy and active as possible.
Some Benefits of Memory Care
Once the concept of memory care is better understood, it is easy to identify some of the main benefits derived from it. No two seniors are the same and no form of dementia affects individuals, progresses, or causes complications the same. Therefore, it is imperative to deliver highly personalized or person-centered care. Memory care can be most effective when details about the individual’s current and former life are shared. Each resident will have unique needs which can only be met through a deep understanding of the person. Knowing the person’s strengths and abilities as well as what their weaknesses and disabilities are provide much needed information for caregivers to deliver their best.
After gathering all the information possible from the resident and their family, meaningful memory care programs can be designed to enhance cognitive abilities, provide joyful activities and purposeful living. Families are encouraged to join in daily care and life. They can assist staff in development care plans, enjoy meals, and support activities.
Beyond family participation, other benefits of memory care include creating a community in which personal preferences, likes and dislikes are well known and respected. In addition to good care, residents can benefit from a more relaxed and casual lifestyle. Their days can be filled with great meals, favorite movies and music, hobbies and activities, visits from friends and family, and even some type of work if they wish to engage in it.
Final Words on Memory Care
The gray wave is building and will soon crest over our nation. A changing demographic with larger numbers of seniors means more cases of dementia brought on by many diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Special care will be needed that focuses not only on physical or medical care, but person-centered memory care.
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