Elizabeth Thompson is a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP), Certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP), Positive Approach to Care Trainer (PAC), Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer (CADDCT).
Assisted living memory care is a place that is secure with trained staff that engage with the residents. In a day at an Arrow Senior Living memory care, you’ll find Care Partners assisting residents with their morning grooming, followed by a nice, homemade breakfast. There are scheduled engagements throughout the day, utilizing all the residents’ senses. Family-style dining for lunch and dinner offer time together and socialization. The schedule includes intentional times of rest, along with exercise, music, crafts, cognitive games, and snacks and hydration three times a day. Evening brings family time for the neighborhood, as things settle and residents ready for bed.
As a caregiver of a loved one with dementia, you may wonder when it’s time to move them into a memory care neighborhood. Some factors to consider:
1) Is the person with dementia safe? You don’t want to wait until something tragic happens.
2) Are you to the point that something must change. Is your marriage in jeopardy? Are you becoming less and less patient with your loved one? Are you sacrificing your own health?
3) Are you, as the caregiver, ready to go back to your original relationship?
4) Do you have trust in the staff at the memory care to care for your loved one?
According to Elizabeth Thompson, caretakers often feel guilty because they can’t do it all – maintain a marriage, a job, and a family of their own. “It’s not expected for one or even two people to take care of someone with dementia. It takes a village,” Thompson commented. “The only reason a memory care neighborhood can do it is because they have staff that is on shifts. They get eight hours on, then their off, they get a break.” Family member caregivers are normally on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, without a break.
It’s just hard, making the move to memory care. Give yourself grace. You’re not expected to do it all. Home health agencies can give you some time while you are looking for the right location.
Start looking sooner than later, before something tragic happens – wandering off in the middle of the night or a debilitating fall.
“Memory Care is not what a lot of people think it is. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a great place where people who have cognitive challenges can live and thrive,” said Thompson. “When people with dementia are living in a memory care community, they’re using that social connection, engaging spiritually, physically, and cognitively. They’re places of joy.”
