Memory Care vs. Assisted Living: Which is Right for Your Senior Loved One?
According to the American Psychological Association, providing care for an elderly loved one can lead to serious symptoms of burnout. In recent surveys, active caregivers reported far more mental health concerns than non-caregivers.
If you're taking care of an elderly relative who can no longer live alone, it may be time to think about professional elderly care options. Before you begin searching for communities, however, it's useful to understand the different tiers of care.
Today, we're going to talk about memory care vs. assisted living. What are the key differences, and which one is right for your loved one? Read on to find out.
Memory Care vs. Assisted Living: Basic Differences
To decide which assisted living services are right for you, it's important to start with the basic differences between memory care vs. assisted living. Read on to learn about the different levels of care, daily activities, and more.
Level of Care
The biggest difference between memory care and assisted living is the level of care staff members provide. Assisted living residents receive daily assistance with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing. They also enjoy three chef-prepared meals a day and in-house maintenance but are otherwise largely independent.
Memory care residents receive the same personal care services as assisted living residents. However, they also receive specialized care related to their unique cognitive needs. We try to maintain a higher staff-to-resident ratio to ensure that memory care residents are attended to around the clock.
Available Activities
Prairie Hills Tipton is a great community for active seniors. We schedule daily events for our assisted living residents, including arts and crafts classes and fitness programs. Our residents are free to participate as much or as little as they'd like.
We also schedule events and activities for our memory care residents. However, we take into consideration factors like complexity and time of day when building our memory care activity schedule. We also select activities that may support cognitive health and mood, such as scrapbooking and jigsaw puzzles.
Staff Training
Our assisted living staff members undergo rigorous training to provide personal care assistance. This includes practical training, such as safe ways to help seniors in and out of the shower. It also includes emotional training, such as treating seniors with respect and empathy.
To work in a memory care community, staff members require additional training. For example, staff members learn how to keep seniors calm during episodes of confusion or frustration.
Signs Your Loved One Would Benefit from Memory Care
Are you still unsure about which level of care is right for your loved one? Here are some of the top signs that seniors would do well in memory care.
Behavioral Changes
In the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer's, you may notice subtle changes in your loved one's ability to access memories. For example, they may ask the same question multiple times or express confusion about linear plans.
Behavioral changes can indicate that the disease is advancing and your loved one needs increasing care. This is especially the case when your loved one becomes more argumentative or combative, making it harder to address their daily needs.
Cognitive-Related Safety Concerns
Memory loss can also present significant safety concerns. For example, your loved one may start to:
- Wander away from home
- Forget to turn off faucets or stove burners
- Exhibit unsafe driving habits
At this point, round-the-clock care is important. Most familial caregivers aren't able to stay with their loved ones all day long. Professional caregivers can provide a safe and secure environment with limited safety hazards.
Medical Diagnoses
According to the University of Michigan, roughly one in ten seniors has dementia. However, dementia can easily go undiagnosed if a senior isn't receiving quality medical care.
If you're concerned about your loved one's cognitive changes, consider taking them in for a cognitive screening. Getting a diagnosis can make it much easier to make the decision to start looking for dementia care homes.
Signs Your Loved One Would Benefit from Assisted Living
Many seniors don't yet need significant cognitive support but would still benefit from assisted living services. Here are the top signs that it may be time for your loved one to pick a senior living community that offers assisted living.
Difficulty With Activities of Daily Living
As seniors age, they may start to lose things like range of motion and mobility. This can create difficulties when trying to complete activities of daily living (ADLs), which include (but are not limited to):
- Grooming and bathing
- Dressing
- Cooking and eating
- Cleaning
- Getting in and out of bed or chairs
- Ambulating
By working with professional caregivers, seniors can lead safe and dignified lives without sacrificing their independence.
Social Isolation
Many seniors face social isolation due to factors such as the loss of friends and family members and limited transportation options. According to the National Institute on Aging, social isolation can increase the risk of certain health problems. For example, loneliness may lead to anxiety or speed up the progression of cognitive decline.
Senior living communities foster meaningful relationships by creating opportunities to socialize. Seniors can get to know their neighbors by participating in activities, taking meals in the dining room, and more.
Physical Health Concerns
Without cognitive impairments, your loved one may feel like they are perfectly capable of living alone or with your care. However, you should take their physical health into consideration.
In addition to struggling with ADLs, many seniors struggle to manage one or more chronic conditions. Professional caregivers can assist with things like medication management to ensure better continuity of care.
Tour Prairie Hills Tipton for Elderly Care Options
Caregiver burnout can present serious physical and mental health problems while putting a strain on familial relationships. If your loved one needs increasing levels of care, it's time to look into your elderly care options.
At Prairie Hills Tipton, we're happy to talk to families about memory care vs. assisted living. Unlike many communities, we offer both levels of care within the same community, reducing the need for your loved one to relocate as their needs change.
Schedule a tour to learn more about our services and amenities.