Whether out of a reluctance to change or a misunderstanding of elder care, many families may find themselves or their loved ones hesitant to begin memory care when the time comes. On the other hand, maybe they’re just not sure when the symptoms of dementia become severe enough to warrant beginning memory care. Are you in a similar situation?
Do you know when it’s time for memory care to begin? Here are the most common signs that it’s time to start #memorycare as quickly as possible. Share on X
Time for Memory Care
Memory loss is an unfortunate fact of life for many people as they age, requiring extensive treatments and care for the patients. While no cure has been identified yet, if memory care begins at an early stage, your elderly loved ones will enjoy their memory and cognitive awareness a while longer. Here’s how to know that it’s time to begin memory care:
- Overall decline in health
- Declining social life
- Stress on others
- Dementia diagnosis
1) Overall Decline in Health
A decline in cognitive capabilities leads to a decline in overall health and wellness. Signs of this occurring may include:
- Poor hygiene
- Missing deadlines: bills, appointments, etc.
- Significant weight loss or gain
These and other signs indicate that your loved one’s mental health is struggling. Memory care provides security for both of you, ensuring that your loved one gets the help they need in a safe environment tailored to their habits.
2) Declining Social Life
You may notice your loved one spending less and less time with their friends or even with members of their own family. This contributes to feelings of isolation, which only allows their mental state to continue deteriorating. This is yet another symptom of deteriorating cognitive capability.
3) Stress on Others
As long as your loved one still lives at home, you and your family are their primary caregivers. This may not be difficult while they can still take care of themselves in several ways, but as dementia progresses and their self-care routine becomes harder to maintain, you as the sole caregivers will have to step up more and more. This takes a huge toll on you and your family members, which can contribute to a lower quality of care for your loved one. Transitioning to memory care helps everyone if this is the case.
Pro Tip: Caring for an elderly loved one will always cause some levels of stress. But if that stress becomes unbearable for you and your loved one, it’s time to look into assisted living or memory care.
4) Dementia Diagnosis
Finally, a definite diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or dementia in general is a sure-fire sign that it’s time to begin memory care. Aside from professional intervention, there isn’t much that can be done for dementia treatment. Your best option is to find a trustworthy memory care facility and let the treatment begin.
Beginning Memory Care
As difficult as the transition into memory care may be, both for the patient and any family members involved, it’s important to remember that this is a good thing. Your elderly loved one will receive specialized treatment and care to help them retain their independence and memories for a healthy life. Beginning memory care is the best decision you could possibly make for your senior family member struggling with dementia.
Connect with us to learn more about memory care and how to ease the transition.
