How a Memory Care Home Can Help You Navigate Dementia and Family Dynamics
A senior loved one that is diagnosed with dementia can face numerous struggles regularly. The emotional and logistical toll it can take on a family has its challenges. This not only includes managing forgetfulness and confusion, but it also includes dealing with the dynamics of care-giving and decision making. Emotional strain is never out of the question either when dealing with such situations.
However, a memory care home can be the best place for your senior loved one. We will talk about how they can help you navigate with their dementia along with understanding the unique challenges it brings. Let’s discuss what to know right now so you have peace of mind and a less difficult time navigating your senior loved one’s condition.
The Unique Challenges of Dementia: What To Know?
One thing to realize is that dementia isn’t just about memory loss. It’s a progressive condition that affects your senior loved one’s cognitive functions including their behavior, communication, and even their personality. It gets to a point where you feel like you no longer recognize them as the person you know best. Family members like yourself might be stuck on not knowing what to do next after your senior loved one’s diagnosis.
Yes, even the emotions you experience are valid. It can even spread to other relationships in your family as well, to the point where the future decisions you make based on your senior loved one become more difficult. However, one of the best decisions you can make is choosing a memory care home that will be best suited for your senior loved one’s needs.
A Professional Staff That Is Specially Trained To Handle Dementia
In a memory care setting, there are professional staff members that have undergone rigorous training to help take care of the individual needs of seniors that struggle with dementia. Not only are they trained in caring for seniors for such conditions, they are also able to understand and address the emotional needs of their loving family members. Each resident has a tailor-made care routine that is followed daily to ensure the emotional well-being of your senior loved one.
The key here is everything is centered around routine and familiarity. A senior with dementia will have their own personalized care plan based on their own needs. Everything will be followed on a routine basis to ensure less agitation and confusion. Meanwhile, the care plan can also help with social engagement with not only family members like you, but also other residents as well.
Alleviating the Family Caregiver Burden
For family members caring for a senior loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s, it can feel like a full-time job. It can get to a point where handling numerous tasks to ensure they have the best care can lead to burnout, social isolation, anxiety, and more. You’ll feel like you’re juggling so many tasks at once. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. A memory care staff can take the caregiving responsibilities so you don’t have to bear the heavy weight that comes with it.
Your best priority is to continue maintaining the loving relationship you have with your senior family member even if you notice the early warning signs. With a trained staff that handles medication management, safety monitoring, hygiene assistance, and more, a memory care home is always your best option as opposed to handling everything and trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Safety and Comfort Is Always A Priority
Memory care homes are specially designed to provide a calm and secure environment for seniors with dementia. As a family member, you want to make sure that their safety and comfort is addressed regularly. This includes finding a place for your senior loved one that features secure access points, easy spaces for navigation, and subtle reminders that residents can maintain their safety.
Everything is laid out carefully to ensure 24/7 supervision to ensure that there is less confusion, fewer instances of wandering, and maintain the dignity of each resident. Memory care homes also have special programs that can help promote sensory stimulation, cognitive engagement, and physical activity. Your senior loved one can participate in these activities as part of their daily predictable routine, whether they are in the early stages or unable to verbally communicate.
Supporting Healthy Family Dynamics
As dementia enters into your senior loved one’s life, it also becomes a part of their family’s lives as well. The family roles will begin to shift leading to roles where tough decisions need to be made. Even the spouse of someone dealing with dementia will even feel the emotional strain of what’s going on. You may have siblings that may disagree with certain ideas or decisions regarding the best interest of a senior parent with dementia.
Such changes can lead to numerous adverse situations like tension, conflict, and resentment. It’s understandable as to why there may be opposing views to how a senior loved one with dementia should be taken care of. However, it is important to note that at the end of the day, it’s all about their best interests, not the interests of one family member or another.
Working together is key when it comes to making sure their senior loved one gets the best care possible. That’s why memory care homes can assist you and other family members on how to handle the evolving dynamics of dealing with a senior loved one with dementia and working together to make sure that their needs are met, even if you may agree or disagree with the decisions that decide the best course of action.
Give Your Senior Loved One The Best Of Memory Care at Bristol Park at Cleburne
At Bristol Park at Cleburne, our memory care staff is specially trained to make sure your senior loved one’s needs are met accordingly and on a daily basis. We know that the journey is a challenge for you and other family members. Yet, we are confident in making sure we work with you regularly so that your senior loved one gets the personalized care possible. For more information on how we can help, contact us at Bristol Park at Cleburne today.