Debbie Are you considering placing your loved one in either assisted living or memory care? Are you wondering which is the best one for you?
As your loved one ages, they may develop difficulty performing some tasks or remembering details. At this point, you might consider how to serve them best and provide them with the best quality of life. However, before choosing between assisted living or memory care, you should research the different causes of memory loss in the elderly. In their blog, Care For Family announced the signs of normal cognitive aging vs. dementia. Knowing the difference between the two can significantly impact your choice of home for your elderly loved ones.
Assisted living and memory care give you two wonderful options for your loved one’s care. Yet, many people often think they are the same thing. In reality, they offer different services.
So what are the differences between memory care and assisted living facilities, and how do you decide which one to take your loved one to? Keep reading to learn more!
Why Choose Assisted Living and Memory Care Facilities
If you have an aging loved one, you might worry about bringing them to an assisted living or memory care facility. Many families put off bringing their relatives to these locations, as they worry about them not being around their other family members.
Yet, many people who enter assisted living or memory care often end up living a high quality of life. These facilities have staff members specifically trained to help them with whatever they need. Memory care, in particular, helps them with any memory problems they may face.
In addition, seniors run the risk of falling into depression if they’re not allowed to socialize with others. When they live on their own or with their families, they may have limited social opportunities. The workers at these facilities, however, often organize social events for the people in their care, giving them the ability to make friends within their community.
The Differences Between Assisted Living and Memory Care
If you’ve Googled, “Assisted living and memory care near me,” you probably want to know the differences between the two types of senior facilities.
People tend to lump these facilities together. Yet, while some assisted living centers offer memory care units, they’re not necessarily the same thing.
So, what differentiates them? And how do people know how to decide between assisted living and memory care? Let’s go into the two categories below and explore their differences.
Assisted Living Facilities
Does your loved one need some extra help with their daily life activities but otherwise can function well?
Assisted living facilities are set up to help seniors who need help with some of the basics, such as getting dressed, bathing, and cooking, but who can otherwise lead independent lives. Usually, these facilities employ aides who come into their homes at certain times to care for them and do the things they cannot do on their own.
After seeing their aides, though, they’re generally free to do whatever they want, and that includes socializing with the other people at the facility and living full, free lives.
Often, these people live in their own homes or apartments on the assisted living facility’s property.
How These Facilities Differ from Nursing Homes
Have you ever thought of an assisted living facility and confused it for a nursing home?
If so, you’re not alone. Yet, assisted living facilities and nursing homes have some key differences.
First and foremost, assisted living facilities do not have the same level of medical care available at nursing homes. Other than hospitals, nursing homes are the most medically equipped areas, with nurses and medical staff on direct hand, usually at all times.
Assisted living facilities, on the other hand, may have a nurse on call, but they don’t have the same amount of medical staff as a nursing home. If you believe your loved one requires extensive medical care at all times, we recommend you look into a nursing home rather than an assisted living facility.
Yet, if they just need help with a few daily basics and are otherwise healthy, you should consider moving them into an assisted living facility, where they will receive basic care and be able to live a full life.
Memory Care
Does your loved one suffer from memory loss that greatly impedes their life?
Watching someone lose their memory is often a hard experience, both for the one whose memory fades and for their loved ones. Many times, people go to great lengths to make sure their relatives can remember as much as possible.
When your loved one enters a memory care facility, they will be attended to by staff members trained to slow the loss of their memories and help them keep their minds sharp. These facilities are often live-in and have rooms that have been designed for people with memory loss.
At these facilities, they will also be able to socialize with other people who, like them, have lost portions of their memories, allowing them to make friends with people who can relate to what they’re going through. This gives them a high quality of life and helps them enjoy every moment.
How to Decide Between Assisted Living and Memory Care?
So, how do you decide between sending your loved one to an assisted living or memory care facility?
First, think about what would best help them. Do they suffer from memory loss and need help retaining the details of their lives? Send them to a memory care facility. Do they just need some extra help with their lives but otherwise can have lots of autonomy? consider an assisted living facility.
If you’re still unsure what type of care would be best for your loved one, call your local facilities and find out what they offer. Speak to some families who use the facilities and ask them about the quality of care their relatives receive.
Want More Healthy Living Advice?
Sending a loved one to assisted living and memory care facilities often ensures they receive the proper care they need.
Deciding which one to go to, however, can be more difficult. To do so, consider whether or not your loved one needs their basic needs taken care of but are otherwise capable of socializing and being independent or if they need more extensive memory treatment.
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