Finding the right place for your aging parent or loved one with memory care needs is extremely important. You want to know they will be cared for, comfortable, and able to live with dignity regardless of their condition.
For a better understanding of what memory care at a unique senior living community like Friendship Village of South Hills can look like, read on. We’ll walk through how to know when it’s time for your loved one to consider a move to memory care and how to handle moving day as a family.
What Are Memory Care Services?
Memory care can differ from community to community, but the main goal of this specialized subset of healthcare is to create a stimulating, engaging, but comfortable environment for your loved ones with conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s. These care communities require staff to be specially and deeply trained in serving patients with memory conditions.
At Friendship Village of South Hills, we honor each resident’s unique life experiences and personal preferences. A quality memory care program works on minimizing the stress factors so your loved one can find purpose, meaning, and beauty each day.
Signs It’s Time For Memory Care
If you’re worried about your loved one’s memory but aren’t sure it’s time to make such a large move, here are some signs to look for that could indicate a greater level of care is needed.
Early Signs of Dementia
While dementia spans a full range of different memory related conditions, some early signs of Alzheimer’s can raise the flag that greater care may be needed. These warning signs can include:
- Having trouble with familiar tasks like organizing a grocery list or remembering the rules to a favorite game
- Losing track of time and facing confusion about days, weeks, seasons or even years
- Trouble following a conversation or joining in
- Difficulty concentrating that leads to extended task completion time
This list of signs is not comprehensive, but are things to look for when considering your loved one’s long term needs.
Confusion Interferes With Daily Life
It’s a natural sign of aging to face occasional confusion or forgetfulness, but when it poses a threat to physical safety, interferes with medication management, or creates challenges to accomplishing simple tasks, that is a sign it might be time to make the move.
Decline in Physical or Mental Health
When memory issues arise, you may notice it’s harder for your aging parents or loved one to consistently manage their own physical health.
Dementia is often accompanied by feelings of fear, frustration and alienation. These emotions can contribute to increased anxiety and depression, and may indicate greater cognitive decline as well. If you notice a change in their demeanor or physical wellbeing, the need for memory care may be on the horizon.
Lack of Communication or Behavioral Change
If you notice a shift in your communication frequency with your loved ones, or their behavior suddenly changes, specialized care may be needed. Any new or worsening patterns of forgetfulness are cause for concern.
Memory issues are frustrating and heartbreaking for the whole family, but breaching the topic together can make the transition less isolating. Help your loved one understand that you are only interested in doing what’s best for them long-term and are concerned about their health and wellbeing.
Research memory care communities together, and when you find the right place, work toward moving day as a team. If you choose Friendship Village of South Hills, you’ll have us on your team throughout the process as well.
Memory Care Moving Day
Moving day can be an emotional time for everyone. Remember that this move will provide a level of care that you cannot when difficult emotions arise.
Ask for Support
You aren’t in this move alone. The team at Friendship Village of South Hills is here to support you and your family throughout this transition. If you have any questions about what you can expect or what the moving day process looks like in detail, communicate with your move-in coordinator at any time.
Take Comfort in Continuity
It’s been shown that continuity in care for dementia patients leads to fewer adverse health outcomes. We provide that critical continuity of care with a dedicated memory care nurse and nursing assistant available 24/7, a family meeting room, a memory care coordinator to help guide your loved one and your family through the challenges you may face, and private suites that provide a familiar touchpoint for residents daily.
Explore Memory Care Options at Friendship Village of South Hills
Our memory care neighborhood is uniquely designed to provide maximum freedom and independence while maintaining the level of safety and security your loved one needs.
Our robust memory care services and amenities make daily life easy and safe for our residents without diminishing their independence or individuality. To learn more about our services, amenities, and community life, schedule a tour at Friendship Village of South Hills today.
