What is Assisted Living?

The primary definition of assisted living is a long-term senior care option that offers supportive aid, health services, and housing. Essential services often include transportation, medical management, and 24-hour emergency care. Mom or Dad will be able to ask the staff for assistance with daily tasks.

Depending upon personal preferences, budget, and layout of the specific home, residents in assisted living may enjoy a private room or share space in an apartment. Assisted living centers should be licensed by the state in which they are situated, yet they are not federally regulated.

What is Memory Care?

A memory care facility is intended specifically for patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other memory disorders. Sometimes these homes are referred to as SCUs – special care units. Typically, memory care units provide supervised services around the clock, and they are often located on a separate floor or area of a residential center. The staff is specially trained and qualified to assist and nurture people with cognitive problems or dementia, often through customized guided activities.

A unique and necessary feature of memory care is the high level of security, which is designed to meet the specific needs of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Wandering is minimized, and the layout is usually easy for residents to navigate. Another benefit of memory care that is growing in popularity is outdoor gardens, which have been shown to enhance the lives of Alzheimer’s patients dramatically.

The state must license memory care facilities, and they are also regulated in 23 states by SCU disclosure rules, which require them to inform the public about their special services.

Which Basic Services Are Provided by Both Assisted Living and Memory Care?

• Emergency call buttons and systems
• Exercise/health programs
• Medical care access
• 24-hour staff and security
• Housekeeping and laundry
• Social programs
• Daily meals
• Transportation

Do Memory Care and Assisted Living Cost the Same?

A number of factors determine the cost of every senior care facility. The size of the rooms, shared versus private space, geographic location, and available services all play a role in the final expense. However, when comparing the price of memory care versus assisted living, there are additional considerations.

Assisted living is typically charged on a monthly basis, which includes room and board with two or three meals a day. Some of these homes provide laundry and housekeeping in the base rate, while others tack on cleaning services as an additional charge. In comparison, memory care also offers specialized nursing, which makes the cost considerably higher than assisted living. However, the final fee of both places depends upon the patient’s insurance plan or veterans’ benefits.

How to Make Your Final Decision? 

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. How Active Is Mom or Dad? 

Some seniors are very involved in social and physical activities. They regularly participate in golden-age exercise groups, games, and art classes, as well as attend lectures and cultural performances. However, when it comes to bathing, dressing or preparing food, they may not be entirely independent. Sometimes this is because their mobility is impaired due to age or they have mild dementia. In general, these individuals are well suited for assisted living.

2. Does Mom or Dad Have a Memory Problem?

If your mother or father has progressive memory impairment, their needs will typically be more complex and specialized. They may require assistance that goes way beyond help with hygiene and getting dressed, and it can be unsafe for them to live without enough supervision.  In this case, memory care may be the most appropriate living solution.

3. Does Your Loved One Wander?

It is usual for patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia to wander off at any hour of the day or night. They are often found walking the halls or streets, lost and confused. This practice increases their risk of injuries due to slips and falls. Memory care homes are designed to address this problem with advanced security systems and staff that keeps an eye on patients at all times.

What is Your Final Step?

There is no substitute for seeing things for yourself. After you contemplate and have answers to the issues above, it is advisable to visit some local facilities that satisfy your parent’s requirements. Prepare in advance by compiling a list of what you want to know; the Alzheimer’s Association has a helpful, comprehensive checklist for choosing residential care, which you can adapt to meet your needs. 

Ideally, you should first visit alone to narrow down the options, and then bring Mom or Dad for a follow-up trip. They may have their own questions and concerns that you didn’t consider. Also, you can observe how they fit in with the crowd, as well as how the staff interacts with them. These are all clues that can help you match your mother or father to the type of senior care that’s best for them.

Last, but not least, no matter which setting you select – do not feel guilty about putting your parent in assisted living or a memory care facility. This decision is challenging and filled with emotion for all children. However, it helps to keep sight of the end goal – to optimize the quality of life for your loved one by keeping them comfortable, safe, and as independent as possible. For more information and assistance with your decision, please contact our friendly and compassionate staff at Lakeside Manor.

The post Memory Care or Assisted Living? Making the Best Choice for Mom or Dad appeared first on Lakeside Manor.

However, this does not mean that you cannot enjoy your time together, or that their life need be unfulfilled. There are some strategies you can use to provide proper treatment to the dementia patient you love, with dignity and respect.

Try Not to Parent

Because you may have to provide extensive help with activities like bathing, eating, and dressing, it can be hard to remember that you are not caring for a child. Try to avoid the tone of voice and expressions you would use if you were talking to a child. You may have to encourage your loved one to eat, or help them put on their socks, just as you would with a toddler, but use the tone of voice and language you would use with an adult. Don’t be condescending.

Don’t Scold

It can be very frustrating to care for someone with memory issues, and it may be difficult to have to repeat the same thing over and over. Try to maintain your patience, and remember that the patient is doing the best they can. The disease is what is frustrating you, not your loved one, but it can sometimes be difficult to remember that.

Anyone who has ever cared for someone with memory issues has found themselves saying something like, “Don’t you remember?” or “I just told you that!” Compounding the frustration is the guilt you feel because you know it’s not your loved one’s fault. Try not to scold, but forgive yourself if you do.

Help Fill in the Missing Information

People with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia will often search for a word that doesn’t seem to come to them. While you don’t want to finish every sentence, a prompt from you may help, particularly if the person is talking to someone else they don’t see often.

Rather than asking a question outright, give the patient a little bit of help. Instead of saying, “When was the last time Mary came to see you?” you might say, “I heard your daughter Mary was here last week. Did you have a nice visit?” The patient may remember the last visit, but not the time period. By asking this leading question, you can get them talking about the visit without pressuring them to remember when it was.

A Little White Lie isn’t Always a Bad Thing

There may be times when you have to bend the truth in order to keep your loved one safe. Many people with Alzheimer’s disease think they can still do things that they can’t, like going for a walk unassisted, using household appliances, or even driving. If you find your loved one trying to figure out how to use the washing machine, it’s okay to tell them that you’ve already done all the laundry, even if it’s piling up in the laundry room.

It may also be possible to phrase your answer to a question in such a way that you’re telling some of the truth but not all of it. For example, if your 90-year-old mother asks you if you’ve seen her father lately, you don’t need to tell her that he’s been dead for 40 years if you think it will upset her. You can simply say, “No, I haven’t seen him in a long while.”

Use the Distractor Factor

Those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia may become fixated on a single subject or request, and may get upset if they feel they are not being heard. In this case, it doesn’t pay to get involved in the circular reasoning that may be a symptom of the disease. It’s often best to answer the question in a straightforward way, and then immediately change the subject to something else. For example. If your spouse is insisting on going to the beach even though it is raining, you can say, “No, we cannot go to the beach today, it’s raining. Now, what would you like for lunch? We can have soup or a sandwich.”

Try to Get Out

The weather in San Diego is so beautiful that people are used to going outside whenever they want. If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, outings can be challenging, and you may find yourself staying home much more. This can be isolating for both you and the patient, so it may help to go on an outing when you can. Some advance planning can help.

Take note of the time of day when the patient is most calm and cooperative. This is often in the morning, since confusion and anxiety may occur later in the day, which can lead to behavioral issues known as ‘sundowning.’ Plan your outing accordingly.

Try to go to a familiar place. It may stir some memories that have been dormant, which can lead to more conversation and more enjoyment of the outing.

Have a plan B. Try not to go too far from home, and have a way to make a graceful exit if it doesn’t go well. Places where you have to sit quietly for any length of time may not be the best choice, but an outdoor excursion where you can leave any time you want may be ideal.

Seek Help When You Need It | Time To Contact a San Diego Memory Facility?

Alzheimer’s disease is degenerative, and your loved one will continue to decline. There will likely come a time when they need to go into assisted living. It’s important to recognize that this day may come, and to be prepared for it so that you’re not forced into an emergency situation. Look for assisted living facilities near your home so you’ll know whom to call when the time comes.

Fortunately, Lakeside Manor is a premier San Diego Memory Care Facility. We are a renowned San Diego Dementia Assisted Living facility and we are available to help you and your loved one. Contact us for more information and schedule a tour of our charming and very welcoming facility located in Lakeside, CA. 

The post How to Properly Care for Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients appeared first on Lakeside Manor.