Memory care is a specialized type of care provided to people with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. Specially trained staff closely monitor the health of their residents and offer personalized care as needed. Memory care communities offer a wide variety of services and programs to enrich the lives of their residents; they also offer secure settings to keep residents safe. The goals of memory care are to improve quality of life, reduce confusion, and prevent wandering.
About Dementia and the Need for Memory Care
People with dementia have special social, medical and safety needs. Dementia can lead to memory loss that prevents someone from living independently. The condition can also affect a person’s reasoning, judgment, and physical health.
Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia are progressive conditions, which means symptoms worsen with time. In its earliest stages, dementia can make it hard to remember words and phrases. People with early stage dementia may begin to forget names or start to misplace items more often than normal.
As it progresses, the condition can prevent them from expressing their thoughts and performing routine tasks, such as getting dressed; changes in sleep patterns cause them to doze during the day and become restless at night. Wandering and confusion become more common, which increases the individual’s risk for getting into dangerous situations. Personality changes, such as suspiciousness and delusions, may make interactions more difficult. People with mid-stage dementia may forget to eat, take their pills, brush their teeth, or perform other activities of daily living.
In its later stages, the symptoms of dementia are severe. People with late-stage dementia lose the ability to respond appropriately to their environment or carry on a conversation. They also lose the ability to control movement in ways that affect their ability to walk, sit, or even swallow. At this stage, someone with dementia requires around-the-clock care.
A memory care community provides a safe environment that includes medication management, laundry and housekeeping, nutritious meals, and help with personal care. What’s more, these communities offer memory-enhancing activities that help boost brain function.
Benefits of Memory Care
Memory care provides a wide variety of benefits to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Safety
Six in ten people with Alzheimer’s disease will wander at least once, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and many will wander repeatedly. Wandering can be dangerous or even life-threatening, as people with dementia may not be able to recognize or respond to hazardous situations. Memory care communities are safe, structured environments engineered to prevent wandering and other unsafe behaviors.
A calming and reassuring environment
Like everyone else, people with memory loss need to feel secure in their living areas – they also need to feel oriented, relaxed, comfortable and reassured. Memory care communities help residents feel well cared for in a calming and reassuring environment. They also extend these feelings of security to friends and family members, so that they can spend quality time with their loved ones during visits.
Balance between structure and flexibility
Structure helps people with memory issues move through their days with as little confusion and anxiety as possible. Flexibility allows for individual expression and the pursuit of personal interests.
Dignity and quality of life
Memory care communities offer dignity and quality of life to their residents. The care they provide allows every resident to thrive at every stage in life.
Memory care near me
Finding memory care Atlanta residents can rely on may be easier than you think. Contact King’sBridge for more information.