How Being in a Memory Care Community Can Help Slow Dementia
Life changes for families once an older loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. This degenerative cognitive disease slowly takes away one’s memory and ability to perform daily tasks over time.
As the disease progresses, the older adult might become harder to handle, prompting the family to seek alternate care options that will care for their loved one properly and keep them safe.
Memory Care is one such option. As part of specialized Assisted Living senior communities, Memory Care facilities are places where people with dementia or other degenerative cognitive conditions can move in full-time for treatment.
One of the most essential aspects of Memory Care programming is engagement. With the right strategies, active engagement can help the older adult function and slow the progression of the disease.
Here are the 7 ways that Memory Care staff engage with older adults
1. Physical activities
Movement is directly correlated to improved cognition in everyone, including older adults with dementia. Getting Memory Care residents moving around, even if they’re participating from a wheelchair, can improve engagement and provide better overall health and well-being.
2. Music therapy
Music is a crucial part of dementia care. Music memories are stored in a different part of the brain than the disease is attacking, so older adults with dementia respond particularly well to music, whether they’re just listening, singing or tapping along, or dancing, which can get them up to move around.
3. Arts and crafts
Artistic activities are among the most popular things to do in Memory Care as they offer older people a chance to express how they’re feeling, exercise their brain and hand connection, and participate in something fun and interactive. Painting, coloring, scrapbooking, crocheting, knitting, and more are crafty ways to stimulate and increase engagement.
4. Continued learning
Another great way to promote brain activity in people with dementia is to provide mentally stimulating learning opportunities. Many Memory Care communities offer lessons in computers, technology, art, and photography, as well as lectures about history, travel, and other exciting subjects.
5. Games nights
Interactivity is the secret to success in Memory Care, and playing games is the perfect way to create valuable engagement. Board games, puzzles, and scavenger hunts all provide a level of fun while stimulating brain activity and building relationships with others.
6. Movie nights
Whether introducing a new film to the residents or replaying an old favorite, movie nights bring an air of excitement to Memory Care. It also gives the residents a chance to be engaged with the plot, characters, and storyline to give their brain function a good workout.
7. Online visitation
Although families of older adults in Memory Care are encouraged to visit as much as possible, staff understand that they can be there as much as possible. That’s why many Memory Care facilities have tablets available for residents to chat with loved ones over Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, or other video chat platforms. These visits will keep the older adult from becoming bored and keep them engaged.
Memory Care communities offer these services so families can have more enjoyable engagements with their older loved ones instead of just playing a caregiver role. These facilities provide their residents with regular access to Memory Care services to accentuate their strengths, help them feel their best, and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia to preserve their well-being.
Help with choosing Memory Care facilities on Long Island
Selecting the best Memory Care facility for an older adult is an important but often difficult process, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Assisted Living Locators of Long Island specializes in helping to match your loved one with the most suitable senior living community, whether your loved one needs Memory Care, Assisted Living, Independent Living, or other senior living options. Our team will do all the research based on your loved one’s needs, present a list of best-suited facilities in the Long Island area, and accompany you on the community tour to ensure all your questions and concerns are answered.
Assisted Living Locators of Long Island is your trusted advisor in making the most informed choice on where your older loved one will live during their vintage years. Contact Mike McClernon of Assisted Living Locators of Long Island at 516-254-9481 or mikem@assistedlivinglocators.com when you’re ready to explore senior living community options for the older person in your life. We’re always happy to help.