Memory care is an approach to senior living that focuses on meeting seniors’ intellectual and social needs. It provides a safe, secure environment with an interdisciplinary team of caregivers who tailor their services to meet the needs of each resident.
Instead of just assisting with daily activities, memory care services are tailored to help seniors maintain their independence for as long as possible by preventing unnecessary cognitive decline.
Whether you are currently looking into senior living options for yourself or a loved one, learning about memory care can be helpful. Moreover, the demand for memory care continues to grow as more people enter this phase of life.
What Is Memory Care?
There is no official definition of memory care, but based on the term’s use in the industry, it can be defined as a type of senior living focusing on the intellectual and social needs of those with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
It provides a safe, secure environment with an interdisciplinary team of caregivers who tailor their services to meet the needs of each resident.
Here’s what you need to know about memory care near me and how senior living facilities use it.
How Does Memory Care Help Seniors?
Since there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, there are steps that can be taken to help slow the progression of the disease.
Cognitive decline can be slowed or stopped and, in some cases, even reversed. These include:
- Adequate nutrition and hydration: Providing seniors with a nutritious diet and the fluids they need can go a long way toward preventing and/or slowing cognitive decline.
- Mental stimulation: Engaging your brain regularly can help prevent mental decline and even help reverse some of the damage already done.
- Sleep: Sleep is essential for maintaining good mental health, and sleep deprivation can cause cognitive decline.
- Socialization: Studies show that socially active seniors are less likely to develop cognitive decline than their more solitary peers.
Which Supports Are Offered in Memory Care?
Activities
In addition to providing plenty of nutritious meals and snacks, activities like games, music, and crafts can help stimulate the brain’s production of dopamine and serotonin, which are essential for emotional and cognitive health.
Medication Reminders
Many seniors struggle with proper medication use, especially if they have Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia. Medication reminders can help seniors take their medications correctly and on time, which is essential for preventing further cognitive decline.
Medical Monitoring
The interdisciplinary team of medical professionals who work at senior living facilities can help seniors stay on track with their medical regimens, which can slow and even reverse cognitive decline.
In Conclusion
Memory care is a focused effort to help people with memory loss retain their skills and connections to the world around them. These interventions are usually necessary when someone begins struggling with daily tasks and routines, no longer able to manage on their own.
Remember that assisting with daily activities is only one aspect of memory care. The goal of memory care near me is to help seniors maintain their independence for as long as possible by preventing unnecessary cognitive decline.
