Caring for a beloved family member suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia can be incredibly rewarding, but there may come a time when it just isn’t practical to continue providing care at home. Few family caregivers take the idea of moving a loved one to a memory care unit lightly, but sometimes it really is the most compassionate and responsible choice. Read on to find out what to consider before making that difficult call to determine whether the time is right and how to proceed.
A Decline in Overall Health
Watching a loved one’s health decline is always sad. Few family caregivers are prepared either practically or emotionally to offer the level of support required when major medical issues come up and this makes it difficult to keep dementia patients safe.
Dementia patients can’t always tell their caregivers when something is wrong, so it’s important to keep an eye out for visible signs of change. These may include rapid weight loss, unexplained bruises or injuries, neglected personal hygiene, and problems with medications.
Many health problems can leave patients suffering from long-term consequences such as mobility impairments, chronic pain, and balance issues. Memory care units are equipped with trained staff and everything they need to keep loved ones safe and provide ongoing comprehensive medical care. Those who are concerned about their loved ones’ health can go look at parcprovence.com to find one facility that can help.
Declining Social Life
People with dementia often retreat inward, but ongoing socialization is essential for maintaining function and quality of living. Even if the patient lives with a spouse, adult child, or beloved family friend, he or she may start to retreat inwards and stop engaging with caregivers, which can lead to a worsening of dementia symptoms.
Most family caregivers have their own lives to live, which further complicates the situation. They must choose between leaving loved ones at home, where they could be at risk of wandering off, hurting themselves, or getting into other forms of trouble and shelling out a small fortune for in-home care. If this situation is coming up frequently, it may be worth considering a move to a memory care unit where the dementia patient will experience plenty of positive social interactions and get the supervision he or she needs to stay safe.
Frequent Falls
Just like declines in overall health, frequent falls can be a sign that it’s time to move a loved one to a more structured, supervised environment. Not only are elderly dementia patients more likely to experience frequent falls, but they’re also more likely to become severely injured than younger people.
There are a few reasons that fall injuries are more common in elderly dementia patients. They include physical weakness, gait changes, balance issues, visual-spatial impairment, poor judgment, medication side effects, and memory impairment. It’s difficult for family caregivers to mitigate some of these risks because just telling a dementia patient not to get up without help won’t have much of an effect, but workers on memory care units are trained in fall prevention.
Frequent Wandering
Dementia patients are prone to wandering, which can put them in dangerous situations. That’s why it’s never a good idea to leave an elderly dementia patient at home alone, even for a short period of time. He or she may become confused or overwhelmed and wander out of the house to look for help, losing track of time and getting lost.
There are some products designed for home care that can help such as door alarms. Family caregivers can also use strategies like placing locks in unexpected locations such as the very top or bottom of a door to prevent wandering outside the home. It’s important to prioritize the safety of aging loved ones, though, so if a dementia patient is frequently wandering either at night or during the day or has developed a habit of leaving the house alone, it’s worth looking into a locked memory care unit.
Caregiver Fatigue
Not all of the changes that precipitate a move to a memory care unit involve changes in the physical or cognitive state of a parent or loved one. Sometimes, family caregivers just reach a point where they are no longer emotionally capable of providing adequate care. Caregiver fatigue is a very real phenomenon that has a dramatic negative impact on the lives of live-in caregivers.
Unfortunately, caregiver fatigue can become a vicious cycle. Even those who believe they are effectively hiding their stress from their loved ones typically experience changes in mood or behavior. Those changes can lead their charges to act out, which further increases stress. It’s a vicious cycle.
No matter how much caregivers want to continue helping their beloved family members or friends live at home, they can’t just ignore their own needs. Look for symptoms of fatigue like mood changes, difficulty sleeping, or ignoring otherwise simple daily tasks. It’s better to find a high-quality memory care unit than it is to risk the health and safety of everyone involved by allowing caregiver fatigue to prevent a loved one from getting adequate care.
Making the Call
It’s rare for dementia patients to actively want to move to a memory care unit. The impairments in judgment, memory, and cognition that are hallmarks of this category of diseases make it difficult for them to see the benefits of moving to a new place. Family caregivers should listen to their charges’ concerns but should participate actively in making the decision about when the time is right to move to a dedicated memory care unit.
The Bottom Line
Whether a loved one with dementia has suffered a sudden decline in health, has begun to experience frequent falls, or just doesn’t seem happy at home anymore, looking into memory care units might be the right solution for everyone involved. Find a facility that specializes in working with dementia patients and has a reputation for treating all residents with respect and dignity. Visit often and enjoy the time left with loved ones in a safe, comfortable environment.
