Choosing a Memory Care Home in 2020

Choosing a Memory Care Home in 2020

It takes a lot of planning and coordination to successfully move a parent or grandparent into a memory care home. Maybe you ask friends or other family members if they know of any excellent facilities. You might also begin by searching online for websites, or you start looking directly for honest memory care reviews on trusted sites. What is certain is that it requires your ideas to come together, so the move runs smoothly.

Moving your loved one to an assisted living, memory care, or other skilled nursing facility is one the most difficult decisions someone has to make.

Know What Type of Dementia Your Love One Has

Knowing the type of dementia, your loved one is dealing with is vital to be able to understand and to help you plan and make educated decisions. Alzheimer’s, Lewy bodies, Frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia and others, have different symptoms and often require a different approach to care. Once you have a diagnosis, you can plan the strategy of care that is in the best interest of your loved one.

Is Memory Care What Mom and Dad Want?

Don’t make your decisions on where to move based solely on your personal preferences. Instead, check with your elderly loved ones to see that they like it, too.

The reality is that when it is time for many seniors to move to long term assisted living care or memory care, they are not mentally capable of making their own decisions. In those cases, it’s up to family members to make the right choices and decide what is in the best interest of their mom or dad.

There will be times when other family members don’t agree on which type of care is needed. Some siblings might live out of state, and others just might not come to terms on the level of care your parent might need. However, there is one aspect that might have some agreement, and that is that your loved one can no longer take care of themself, and your family cannot provide 24-hour care, either.

When is it Time to Talk About Moving Your Loved One to a Memory Care Home?

Probably one of the biggest reasons to move your loved one to memory care or an assisted living home is safety. Are they doing things that make it not safe for them anymore? Do they wander the streets or still have the keys to their car and they are getting lost, or driving hundreds or thousands of miles away and not knowing why they left?

Also, if you don’t have family, friends, or other professional help to watch your loved one around the clock, it will become a safety issue.