Tips for Transitioning Your Loved One into Residential Memory Care

By: Justin Bennett

If you’re caring for a senior in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, there may come a point when their care needs exceed your ability to provide assistance. It can be tough to accept that a loved one needs residential memory care. However, moving intoBrookfield Assisted Living and Memory Care offers several benefits to seniors with dementia, including greater physical safety, independence, and mental engagement. As you navigate this tough decision, here are some important things to keep in mind.

Paying for Memory Care

Watching your loved one's memory decline is not only emotionally taxing but financially stressful as well. Memory care is often more expensive than traditional long-term care because it is more intensive and specialized. On top of this, seniors with Alzheimer’s require pricey prescription medications that can add several hundred dollars to the monthly bill.

Fortunately, you have several options when it comes to funding your loved one’s memory care. Certain life insurance policies—such as combination policies and policies with accelerated death benefits—can help cover the costs of long-term care.Another option is to sell your loved one’s home and use some of the proceeds to pay for memory care. Even if your loved one doesn’t need memory care just yet, it’s important to get those funding issues out of the way as soon as possible.

How to Know It’s Time

While you may be prepared to pay for memory care right now, is it the right time for your loved one to make this transition? The diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s may be reason enough to start touring memory care facilities. Movingsooner rather than later may help boost your loved one’s quality of life and prevent them from getting hurt, especially if they tend to wander away from home. If you’re on the fence about this decision, watch for signs that your loved one may need memory care in the near future.

Somesignals that memory loss is taking a toll on your loved one’s physical health include a lack of food in the pantry, evidence of medication mismanagement, rapid weight loss, neglected personal hygiene, and household injuries. You can also look for signs that your loved one is having troublemanaging their finances by checking around the house for unopened mail or unpaid bills. Finally, keep an eye out for indicators that your loved one is experiencing loneliness and isolation.

Remember to consider your own health and well-being as well. One of the main indicators that it’s time to move your loved one into long-term care is that your own well is running dry. If you’re feeling chronic stress over providing care, seek outside help to protect your health and mental well-being. If you keep pushing through, you may be driving yourself towardburnout.

Smoothing the Transition

Transitioning into memory care can be very challenging for seniors with dementia. Give your loved one plenty of time to think about the move by having a sensitive conversation about your concerns as soon as possible. Involving them in these decisions will also help them feel more in control of the changes that are taking place. Of course,communicating with someone who has dementia can be a challenge. Use clear, concise language, don’t interrogate your loved one with endless questions, and avoid talking down to them like they’re a child. Being patient and friendly will help you have a productive conversation with your loved one and their care options.

Start the moving process as early as possible so you’ll have plenty of time to go through your senior’s belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or give to family. It’s never too early to start interviewing potential moving companies as well. Search for “movers near me” and look over customer ratings and detailed reviews. It’s always wise to get at least three estimates and to never accept estimates over the phone. 

Few things are harder than watching your loved one’s memory decline. Even if their well-being seems stable right now, it’s best to plan for their future care needs instead of waiting for an emergency to prompt a rushed move into memory care. By being attentive to the needs of your loved one and doing your homework into care options and funding solutions, you will be prepared to give your loved one the smoothest possible transition when the time comes.

The highly trained and supportive staff atBrookfield Assisted Living and Memory Care can help your senior loved one live an active lifestyle in a warm and friendly environment. Schedule a tour today!