Do you have to choose a memory care community for your loved one? If yes, it’s a challenging task. With great variation in facility staffing, amenities, and activities, you might get unsure about the type of memory care facility that your loved one requires. Here are a few ways to make an informed decision.
What are the requirements and priorities of your loved ones?
Finding the correct memory care community starts with recognizing and prioritizing the needs of your loved one. For instance, does your loved one require assistance with daily living, such as eating, bathing, or dressing? If yes, it is essential to know how the memory care staff will help them throughout the day and night. Also, if your parent has diabetes or any other chronic ailments that need daily injections and medication, you would want to know how the staff manages their health. Finally, you can start to ask some basic questions like:
- Does my parent show challenging behavior like agitation, anger, or aggression?
- Is mobility an issue? Can my parent walk without any help, or do they need assistance or a wheelchair?
- Does my parent often get lost or wander?
- Does my loved one require assistance while using the restroom?
- Does my parent need round-the-clock supervision?
- Does my parent need constant medical treatment or attention, like colostomy care, diabetes management, and dialysis?
Assessing all these questions will help you to determine which memory care community is perfect for you. To know more about this, you can check out the memory care in Worcester MA.
The features and amenities available at a memory care community
The memory care communities provide ample amenities, from meals that have specific diets to the concierge and care coordination services. You need to consider your loved one’s interests and needs to decide the essential features. Here you may address a few questions:
- What are the accommodation types available? The living arrangements can differ from shared apartments to memory care cottages.
- How many snacks and meals are offered every day?
- How do the meals get served? Are there escorts available for meals if your parents require help in eating?
- Are there wellness and fitness programs provided?
- What are the memory-enhancing and enrichment activities available?
Care for people with dementia
Dementia care is complex, and it is essential to check the history of offering this kind of care over time. It would help if you found out how staff manage dementia behaviors, such as resisting anger, care, and aggression, to decide whether a community understands dementia care. The behavioral expressions are mere responses to dementia symptoms and not stand-alone symptoms. There is usually an unfulfilled requirement for a better approach by the care partner. With the correct dementia care, you will find a minimization in responses. You can ask the way the care providers assist when a person in dementia is in distress and how complex dementia behaviors get prevented at the community. To know more, you can check out the memory care facilities Des Moines IA.
You should also ask essential questions and evaluate the community staff experience. Check for the longevity of the staff working in the community and assess whether they are interested to learn about your parent. You need to find the caregivers who look upon your loved one as an individual beyond their diseases. You will prefer a caregiver who will help your loved one thrive than mere surviving.
One of the best ways to know about the staff member’s involvement and care is to know whether they have an understanding of the person they care of. So here are a few important questions to ask and assess:
- Are the dementia care staff trained differently than the assisted living staff?
- What are dementia tactics do the staff use?
- Do the residents get assigned to the same staff daily?
- How do the staff members show care for people who are physically aggressive and have disruptive behavior?
The training needs for the memory care staff differ from one state to the other. Therefore, you need to ask the community the kind of certification and training is needed and also whether the staff will undergo ongoing training of any kind. In a few communities, all the staff members, comprising the housekeepers and kitchen employees, get dementia care training.
The safety features provided by the memory care community
Safety is an essential aspect for families who want dementia care! From the advanced motion-sensor technology in the apartments to the secured doors and windows with keypads, the memory care communities usually integrate a wide range of technology. The memory care safety initiatives and protocols are essential to avert wandering, which is a common trait for Alzheimer’s diseases. The best safety features in the communities comprise of:
- Emergency alert system
- 240hour supervised care
- Keypad entry
- Interior courtyards
- Emergency exit alarms
These are some of the essential considerations you need to look into when searching for the best memory care community for your loved one.