Memory care assisted living is a senior housing setting designed specifically for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or other types of brain change.
Good Samaritan serves people with Alzheimer’s disease, dementias and other types of brain change in our long-term care locations or memory care assisted living residences.
Memory care assisted living combines the services of assisted living with the safety and special support of memory care.
Here are three ways it should help your loved one:
1. It helps with daily life
Dementia is a medical condition that disrupts the brain’s normal function; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. Characterized in earlier stages by a loss of safety awareness and difficulty accessing memories, brain changes that come with the process of dementia interfere with most aspects of daily life, making independent living impossible.
“We get a lot of robust people who are physically well, but they’re now in a stage of their progression with brain change where they’re no longer safe. They need specialized programming and care,” says Karis Gust, a nursing and clinical services consultant for Good Samaritan.
Karis says it’s important for people to be aware that their loved one’s brain changes will continue, even if their health starts to show improvement after moving to memory care assisted living. A transition to memory care is much easier for the person with brain change if done earlier rather than later in the progression.
“You may see the progression slow down, and certainly the aim of memory care is to improve the resident’s quality of life, but a person doesn’t come to memory care to get cured,” Karis says.
2. It knows no boundaries
More than providing around-the-clock assistance, memory care programs focus on the mind, body and spirit with love and compassion.
It’s about caring for the whole person. It gives hope through support and assistance to help your loved one achieve the highest possible level of independence and self-esteem.
“We want to focus on what they have left, not on what they’ve lost. Mom may have lost some abilities, but Mom can sing. Mom loves music. I think it’s really important to reframe the thinking about dementia. Activities in memory care are designed to engage residents and tap into their remaining abilities and capacities, wherever they are in the dementia progression,” says Karis.
3. It gives peace of mind
Memory care should offer a comfortable place where family and friends can take part in their loved one’s daily activities, personalize their living space, and help improve their quality of life. It should also focus on safety.
“A secure environment is really important because some of the first things that we lose when we have dementia are safety and time awareness, the ability to sequence events, and wayfinding. Memory care units are designed to make it easy for residents to find their way. For example, there’s usually a memory box outside of the resident’s room so that when they see it, it triggers deep-seated memories. Maybe they were in the military and they’ve got their medals and their flag or they have pictures of their loved ones,” says Karis.
Difference between assisted living and memory care
Assisted living environments are designed for people who are mainly independent, but need support with activities of daily living, like housekeeping, medication management and transportation.
“Maybe they can’t cook for themselves anymore because they have severe arthritis or their mobility is limited,” says Karis.
Memory care offers specialized programming, in addition to assistance with activities of daily living. Your loved one may need reminders to take medications or eat, but may not always need physical help doing those things. Or they might need assistance with daily tasks, like getting dressed.
Staff members are specially trained to offer encouragement and guidance to help your loved one in the most supportive, loving ways possible. They also help residents engage in meaningful activities that promote their social, emotional and spiritual well-being.
“Memory care has higher staffing ratios and more hands-on care to help residents at whatever stage they’re in,” Karis says.
Memory care units in long-term care include a secure environment designed to feel like home. Low noise levels, soothing colors, memory aids and comfortable furniture are common.
Staff members are trained to provide support, communicate effectively and encourage meaningful activities and interactions for your loved one.
Learn more things to consider when it comes to memory care.
When to seek memory care
If your loved one is getting lost, feeling anxious, or needs a lot of reassurance and redirection, it could be time for you to look at memory care.
“Maybe they wander and think, ‘This is my apartment,’ and go in and take a nap on somebody else’s couch. Pretty soon they may walk outside in their nightgown and it’s snowing and 20 below. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen, which is why a move to memory care is important. You may start noticing that even in their own home, they are anxious and wonder what they’re supposed to be doing,” says Karis.
Planning for the end of life
As your loved one’s dementia progresses, it’s not only good to have a plan in place but to also discuss wishes for end-of-life care.
“The focus really should be on quality of life, not quantity. Some of the more aggressive treatments can actually make the quality of life worse. I worked with a resident who had significant heart issues and he was in an advanced stage of dementia. The medication he took gave him the urge to use the bathroom frequently, and it was distressing to him. Ultimately, his wife had him start receiving palliative care rather than continue with the medication,” Karis says.
