Summary: Wondering when to move to memory care? This guide helps families recognize when a loved one’s dementia has progressed beyond what can be safely managed at home. Readers will learn how to spot key warning signs and determine when professional, round-the-clock support may be the best next step.
- Memory lapses that threaten safety, like missed bills, skipped meals, or poor judgment
- Declining personal hygiene or an unsafe, neglected living environment
- Difficulty managing medications consistently and correctly
- Noticeable social withdrawal or loss of interest in once-loved activities, hobbies, programs, or interests
- Increasing need for 24/7 care that exceeds what family caregivers can provide
Whether in the early-stage or more advanced stages, any form of an older adult’s cognitive decline can be unsettling for loved ones to watch. But beyond losing the identity you have known and loved all these years, it can also be unsettling to wonder whether your loved one’s condition is putting them at risk.
Although dementia often progresses gradually, each day brings with it new challenges, realities, and, yes, considerations about whether they continue to be supported.
It’s for this reason that we recommend that the loved ones of any person living with dementia consider when it’s time for a memory care community. Ultimately, knowing when memory care is needed will vary by person, their symptoms, and their home support. But eventually, this debilitating disease will require a greater level of round-the-clock support than you are able to offer.
Here, we have collected some of the biggest signs to help you in your search for answers. Think of this as a general guide, addressing the question of when memory care is needed.
Common Signs the Disease Is Progressing
While early stage dementia may be subtle to the point of invisibility, the same cannot be said as the decline takes hold of a person’s ability to carry out their day independently. While in some cases this can lead to minor inconveniences, such as frequently misplaced objects, in other cases, the symptoms may actually put your loved one at risk.
So, when does someone need memory care as opposed to at-home palliative care? And what can you do when you determine a move may be appropriate?
Here are some of the most frequent indications your loved one’s dementia has progressed to a point you should start asking yourself if memory care is needed, along with the next steps to take.
Memory Lapses Are Putting Their Livelihood at Risk
Has your loved one lapsed on a bill payment, such as their utilities or their mortgage payment? Are they forgetting to fill their home with food, or are they foregoing mealtimes altogether? These signs and other forms of forgetfulness can indicate that your loved one is no longer able to independently manage their daily life. And any of these lapses can put the very roof over their head at risk!
Their Body and Home Have Been Neglected
As we age, proper maintenance of our homes often transitions from a chore into something more physically taxing. The same can be said for personal care, where everything from a haircut or shave to personal grooming may feel less important. However, for aging adults with dementia, daily upkeep of house and body alike becomes less of a headache and more of an entire category that is outright forgotten.
If you have noticed your loved one’s home has increasingly fallen into a state of disrepair, their personal hygiene has slipped into unhealthy territory, or worse, it may be time to consider when to move to a memory care setting.
Medication Management Has Become Irregular
As we age, medications often become an important part of maintaining health. And part of that reality is the consistency with which our prescriptions are dosed out.
However, for those with dementia, the details of which pills to take and when can become too much to bear. Made worse, many family caregivers simply aren’t able to offer the level of round-the-clock maintenance needed to ensure every pill is taken at precisely the time needed. And this can be dangerous for a senior’s continued health.
In cases like these, it’s easy to determine how to know when memory care is needed, as memory care settings offer, in addition to other benefits, consistent medication management.
Their Social Withdrawal Has Become Noticeable
Social isolation is common among older adults. But for a person with dementia, this behavior worsens as dementia symptoms settle in. And unfortunately, this isolation can have grave health effects.
Whether you have noticed your loved one saying no to more and more invitations, a lack of participation in previously enjoyed hobbies, or an outright self-removal from their established social circle, you may be well within reason to wonder when it is time for a memory care community.
Find High Quality Memory Care in Fresno
If your loved one could stand to benefit from a more professional, consistent, and compassionate level of care, Summerfield Memory Care of Fresno is here to deliver it. Our memory care community in Fresno, California, is focused on the principle of offering a well-deserved great life to our residents.
Here, residents get access to supportive and comprehensive care, convenient and engaging amenities, comfortable residences, brain-healthy nutrition, and more. Our team members, specially trained to support people living with dementia, ensures peace of mind in family members looking to offer their loved ones the best level of care and support possible.