What is Memory Care?

What is memory care? This is a term that is tossed around a bit within the senior care community. Odds are, as you conduct your own search for the care of an aging loved one, you will come across this term.

 

Memory care is senior care that helps those who suffer from dementia. It can be given within a home, or it can be done in a separate facility, such as a nursing home or an assisted living facility. The location isn’t what makes it this specific type of care, it’s the circumstances and the nature of the care that’s given. The right location for care will vary from person to person, so be sure to think about this very carefully and consult with a professional in the senior care world to help you form your decision.

 

Not all caregivers are memory care specialists. There is an extra element of training that’s needed for a caregiver to have a firm grasp on how to help those with dementia best. If you’re looking for this type of care, having a caregiver service on your side that trains their employees in this type of care, and gives them all of the tools that they need to be successful, will go a long way when it comes to helping your mom or dad live a better life.

 

Memory care will look a little differently for each person receiving it.

 

While we are talking about memory care, we should also have a firm grasp of what memory care is not. A few decades ago, memory care was very different. Those suffering from advanced forms of dementia are prone to wander, especially at night time. As you might imagine, this means that sometimes people are at risk of getting lost. Many years ago, people with dementia were prevented from doing this by the use of restraints. This is hardly ever done today, and never to prevent wandering. Restraints are only used in the most extreme of instances, and only when someone is in danger of hurting themselves. They are not a part of memory care at all. A lot of people worry about a loved one being treated inhumanely if they receive senior care , but thankfully this practice has disappeared.

 

In general, senior care has become more caring, more compassionate, and more loving over the years. Professional caregivers receive training And have far more mastery over helping others than ever before in history. Caregiving isn’t perfect, but it’s getting better constantly.

 

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease but that does not mean that the disease is not manageable. Memory care in large part focuses on alleviating symptoms and helping those with dementia to live a higher quality of life. It’s not a perfect science, but it is one that has improved quite a bit, especially as the nature of Alzheimer’s is becoming better understood. Treatment techniques like better medications, a promotion of exercise and mental activity, along with more social interaction have all helped those with Alzheimer’s to live longer and better lives. These things can be done through in-home care and various other forms of senior care. The right one depends on your family, the needs present, and the stage that the disease is in.

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