If you live in Texas, your loved ones can choose from various long-term care programs based on their requirements. These include nursing facilities, independent living, assisted living, and memory care, all under the “senior living” roof.
The necessity of senior living may become apparent at times. Perhaps your loved one has fallen and been injured. Perhaps they were in a near-miss or fender-bender on the road. Maybe their spouse passed away, and they now require the support and strength of a community.
However, the issue becomes more challenging when there is no emergency or obvious, immediate requirement. The memory care facility near Colleyville, TX, and in most of the United States, recommends you first understand why your loved ones with cognitive decline need a care facility.
Cognitive Decline of Your Loved Ones
If a loved one is exhibiting signs of cognitive decline or has been diagnosed with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment, the situation can become complicated. They may still be able to perform many daily tasks and thus hesitate to contemplate assisted living or memory care.
However, the effects of cognitive decline will persist. It is critical to have open discussions with your loved one about their requirements and how they can be best supported.
Here are a few things to keep an eye out for that could indicate it’s time for them to transition into senior living:
Financial Management Is Getting Difficult
Balancing a checkbook is difficult with the mortgage, insurance, groceries, internet, gas, and all the other expenses we all have. However, someone with cognitive decline faces a greater struggle. They might have trouble paying their bills numerous times or not at all. Of course, they are more vulnerable to fraud.
Maintaining Medical Records
Many older adults have weekly pill trackers, which are small boxes in which they keep all the medications they need each day of the week. As cognitive decline sets in, it becomes more difficult to organize those recommendations.
Which pills do you take once a day versus numerous times a day? Which are do they take regularly, and which do they need to spread out? What do they take in the morning and what do they take before going to bed? Many older adults have numerous prescriptions, and failing to follow the instructions can have serious consequences.
Housework Inside and Outside the Home
Keeping up with house and yard labor can be difficult for anyone, but it is especially difficult for those suffering from cognitive decline. And as the to-do list grows, it can become overwhelming for someone who struggles to remember details to handle everything that goes into home and yard maintenance. And if someone falls behind on housekeeping, it can lead to a buildup of clutter, which can lead to stumbling and falling.
Driving Is Challenging
Memory loss can cause a loved one to become disoriented, even on familiar routes. Furthermore, they are more readily distracted, and their judgment isn’t what it used to be. They may be a danger to themselves and others, and while you may realize that it is time for your loved ones to stop driving, they may not. It produces a delicate situation to handle carefully.
Memory care facilities encourage you to find the community closest to you and plan a tour. That way, the team can learn about the challenges you’re facing and show you how to help your loved one thrive and live each day with joy and satisfaction.
