The movement into memory care is a decision that can feel difficult for many of us to make, yet it’s one so many will also face. According to the AHCA/NCAL, there are more than 800,000 Americans currently living in assisted living.
But how can we understand when to move from assisted living to memory care? Such a decision is fraught with intense sentiment and emotions, making it crucial to understand when to make the move.
If you’re curious about making this assisted living transition, we’re here to help. Read on to learn more about understanding long-term care and its relationship with memory care.
Understanding Assisted Living vs. Memory Care
To start, what’s the difference between assisted living and memory care? The best way to understand that difference is to look at the definition of each.
Here’s a quick overview of both assisted living and memory care programs.
Assisted Living
Assisted living tends to be more “hands-off.” While every community’s care is unique, many things are similar across assisted living programs.
“Assist” is the keyword for these programs. The senior retains complete autonomy to live their life as they prefer. Staff then assist with some mobility and physical tasks and provide them with what they need.
Memory Care’s Differences
Memory support programs are much more involved for staff and the seniors in question. One would enter memory care due to their cognitive abilities beginning to decline.
As this occurs, we all need a bit of extra help. Dementia care is one of the most common types of memory support programs. These programs look at helping us to manage cognitive decline while maintaining as much of our individuality and autonomy as possible.
Key Signs It’s Time to Consider Making the Change
How can you understand when to move from assisted living to memory care? It’s an intense change to have to look at, so knowing as much as possible is crucial. Here are some of the most dominant ways to know it’s time to make the change.
Seeing Changes in Behavior
One of the first things that many people will notice is changes in the behavior of the senior. According to the Memory and Aging Center, behavioral symptoms are often part of cognitive diseases or disorders. Behavioral symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Moodiness
- Apathy and ennui
- Changes in one’s personality or speech patterns
- Sudden unsocial behaviors and language
It’s important to note that the move into our elderly years and assisted living can also create changes in our behavior. Do your best to differentiate between struggling with a transition and a genuine need for memory care.
Risks of Wandering or Endangerment
As we age, our ability to gauge safety will often lessen. One of the ways this manifests is through us endangering ourselves.
Most often, this comes from a lack of acknowledging safety. According to the National Institute on Aging, our brain naturally changes to affect our cognitive functions as we age. These changes impact our learning and recognition of dangerous tasks.
Momentary lapses in memory can also make seniors forget where they are going or where they live. In a senior living community, this can lead to them going to rooms that weren’t theirs. They also may try to access amenities past their closing time.
Be on the lookout for any signs that a senior is a danger to themselves. Most times, this is one of the most important signs that it’s time to move to memory care.
Decline in Physical Health
A decline in physical health is exceptionally normal for the elderly. Leading a less active lifestyle or losing stamina both happen naturally to us as we age.
According to the Mayo Clinic, muscles tend to lose strength, endurance, and flexibility. These often can become a danger to the senior due to an increased risk of:
- Falling
- Serious injury from relatively minor events
- Worsened flexibility and reaction time
- Difficulties with mobility
As cognitive decline sets in, this often leads to a greater decline in physical health. Memory support programs often serve to bring heightened assistance to those in assisted living communities for this reason.
Notable Cognitive Decline
Notable cognitive decline is one of the main reasons someone enters dementia care or other long-term care programs. According to Healthline, these issues can heavily disrupt day-to-day living. Some signs include:
- Lapses in memory
- Difficulties with conversation and language
- General confusion throughout the day
There are also many exams that medical professionals can carry out to test cognitive decline. Consider having such an examination if you suspect these symptoms are affecting you.
How Can You Help?
Now that we understand when to move from assisted living to memory care, how can you help with the assisted living transition?
One of the greatest threats at this time is our mental state. These issues can have a sort of “snowball effect,” where one cognitive issue worsens the next.
For example, Azlheimer’s Society links depression to other cognitive issues. Depression can worsen issues with thinking and memory lapses, compounding the problems.
Staying physically active can help to ward off symptoms. While some cognitive decline is inevitable due to the natural effects of aging, a healthy body will often ensure a healthy mind.
Socializing frequently will help to keep away depression symptoms and to keep your mind sharp. Time spent with your peers or keeping your mind and body active, such as with social book clubs, will do wonders to keep these issues at bay.
Understanding When to Move From Assisted Living to Memory Care
Knowing when to move from assisted living to memory care is paramount to the safety and comfort of a senior. Understand the signs of cognitive decline so that you know when it’s time to make the assisted living transition. These memory support programs and other long-term care programs are crucial to our autonomy and dignity in our golden years.
At Discovery Village At Palm Beach Gardens, we work to provide our residents with exceptional care, security, understanding, dignity, and peace of mind. Our expert staff is dedicated to ensuring you have the best transition into your new life as possible. We invite you to browse our Memory Care services in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, to see if we can provide you with the care you deserve.
