Memory care is a type of long-term care that is designed specifically for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other cognitive impairments. According to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, around 10% of older adults aged 65 and older have dementia, and around 22% of older adults have mild cognitive impairment; these percentages increase as older adults age, with around 35% of older adults aged 90 and older having dementia. In the United States, it is about 16 million people. For people living with Alzheimer’s or dementia, independence often decreases as symptoms become more severe.
Memory care facilities offer a safe and secure environment for their patients, as well as staff members who are trained to deal with the unique needs of people with memory problems. These residents live within secure areas or a special wing of assisted living or skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The skilled nursing communities are fully supervised by staff members 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In order to provide the best care options possible in senior living, memory care staff members in these communities receive specialized training on how individuals with dementia or those who are simply suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) differ from others and what their specific needs might be.
How to Know When to Consider Memory Care
Many people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can live on their own during the early stages of the disease, but there may come a time when your loved one needs more care than you feel you can provide at home. Here are some questions to help you determine if it’s the right time for a move:
- Is the person with dementia becoming unsafe in their current home?
- Is the health of the person with dementia or my health as a caregiver at risk?
- Are the person’s care needs beyond my physical abilities?
- Am I becoming a stressed, irratable caregiver?
- Am I neglecting work responsibilities, my family and myself?
- Would the structure and social interaction at a care facility benefit the person with dementia?
Source: Alzheimer’s Association