How to Choose When Memory Care Is Right for Your Senior
Making the decision to move your loved one to a memory care facility is a difficult one that takes a lot of discussion, planning, and maybe tears. It’s a rough time of your life, realizing that your loved one’s mind simply isn’t as strong as it used to be, and experiencing firsthand how devastating cognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s can be.
Not only can this be stressful for your senior loved one, having to care for your loved one can put a toll on you, as well. Caregivers often struggle with things like compassion fatigue, exhaustion, and just a massive amount of stress from the sheer mental burden caring for a loved one who needs memory care. We love our loved ones, and we want to do what’s best for them, but sometimes that means doing things that were outside of our original game plan and exploring new options.
Our Carlsbad retirement community is perfect for families who are looking to find a memory care facility that ticks off all of the boxes on their list. However, if you’re not in the Carlsbad area or want to explore some of your other options, here are four questions that you should definitely ask:
1.) What kind of training has the staff received?
Having a properly trained staff is imperative to the health and safety of your senior loved one. It takes a lot of training and a kind and patient personality to work with those who suffer from Alzheimer’s and dementia. If the staff of the memory care facility that you’re looking at hasn’t had proper training, it can put the health and safety of your loved one at risk.
It’s also important to ask if this training is something that the caregivers need to regularly participate in, and if they have any kind of continuing education program. As the study of diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s progress, so does the treatment for them, and so the staff need to have that continuing education to make sure that they know the most up-to-date way to care for your loved one.
Bayshire Carlsbad is proud to say that our staff at our Carlsbad retirement community are all well-trained and ready to make your senior’s stay in our memory care facility the best that it can be.
2.) How is the memory care facility secured?
Having a secured facility for memory care residents and patients is absolutely vital to their health and well-being. Alzheimer’s and dementia can make even the most calm and even-tempered senior confused, angry, and upset, and oftentimes, seniors will try to leave the facility and attempt to go somewhere more familiar. It’s not their fault, of course; you’d want to leave too if you suddenly didn’t recognize where you were!
This is why having good security is paramount at a memory care facility. When you’re looking at different memory care services, make sure that you ask about what measures they take to keep their residents safe and, if you’re able, go and tour the facility to see for yourself.
3.) What kind of special therapy is there for your memory care residents? Do they have activities?
No one likes being confined to their room or bed twenty-four hours a day, seven-days a week, and memory care patients are no different. When you’re looking at different memory care facilities for your loved one, make sure to inquire about what kind of activities and events that have to get them up and moving. Do they have painting or exercise classes, or dinners, or other social events that your loved one can participate in?
Having communication and interaction with those around them is more important than ever for seniors with dementia and Alzheimer’s. It will take some patience, but getting them up and out of their room is extremely important.
4.) How does the staff communicate with the family about their senior loved one’s needs?
One of the biggest fears that people have about moving their loved one into a senior care facility is the communication. If something happens with their loved one, will they be contacted right away? How will they be contacted? Is there someone that they can contact specifically to ask about their loved one’s care?
These are vitally important questions, because one of the worst feelings is the feeling of just not knowing. It’s important to establish that you expect good communication from the outset.
Bayshire Carlsbad’s retirement community does just that. With our Sagely app integration, we keep you up to date on everything that’s happening in your senior’s life. By taking just a glance at your smartphone, you’ve got everything you need right at your fingertips. Sagely allows you to constantly stay connected to your senior, at any time – day or night – with just a glance down at your phone.
How Bayshire Carlsbad Can Meet Your Needs
Moving your senior loved one into memory care is one of the most difficult and challenging decisions that you can make. Then, once you’ve made that decision, finding the facility that’s best for you can be even more difficult of an undertaking.
Our Carlsbad retirement community wants to make the process as easy as possible for you and your loved one. Our well-trained staff strives to make your senior feel as happy and comfortable here in our facility as they would be in their own home, and we encourage communication from loved ones with our Sagely app. We know the trust that you’ve placed in us for the care of your loved one, and we want to make sure that we do not take that task lightly.
If you’re considering moving your senior into memory care, we encourage you to come and take a look at our community. Please contact us and schedule a tour today!
