As your parents keep aging, keep a close watch on them to detect any early signs of cognitive impairment. Aging affects the brain functions that loses its abilities to remember that manifest in the form of dementia and has serious adverse effects on life. The problems are much more complicated for people who have Alzheimer’s disease that literally makes the brain defunct and render them into a vegetative state unable to communicate or learn or reason or remember. It is unfortunate that some seniors might have to go through this phase in life and if it befalls on some of your senior family members including your parents, you must look for some assisted senior living communities especially created for such people.
Signs of dementia / Alzheimer’s disease
It begins with memory loss which is the early sign that the brain is losing its cognitive abilities. Gradually, the disease can make it difficult for people to perform daily tasks as they have trouble doing simple things like keeping something in the right place. Decreased or poor judgment, disorientation to time and place, changes in personality, mood and behavior, loss of initiative and problems with language and communication are sure signs of Alzheimer’s disease. People suffering from the disease turn lazy as they suffer from lack of drive to do anything.
The burden for the family
Aging parents suffering from some memory disease often become a burden for the family mainly due to the difficulties in managing their condition. Whether the caregiver is from within the family or outside, the tasks of looking after them become too much stressful that creates serious complications and affects relationships. Despite more than 15 million Americans devoting their time to look after the elderly population suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, caregiving is just too difficult that can often turn quite costly. Often the tasks of caregiving are beyond the physical abilities of the family members, and it is always better to place them in some Alzheimer’s care homes near you.
What to expect from memory care home
Besides providing primary care for patients suffering from memory diseases the memory care homes ensure their overall well-being so that they feel comfortable and happy. The support helps patients to take proper care of themselves as they can move around the campus safely and confidently without the fear ofwandering away. The communities are like sanctuaries that take care of older people. You can choose a memory care facility where older adults would love to spend their lives like any other average person.
When you are searching for memory care homes, you must ask them what kind of continuing care they provide. Memory diseases aggravate with time which is typical of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Despite the best medical care and the efforts of caregivers in providing the residents with a comfortable living experience, the cognitive abilities keep reducing. Besides the activities and therapies offered as routine, you should ensure that they also provide continuing care to take care of the issues of declining cognitive abilities.
