Memory Care Assisted Living

Picking the right memory care assisted living facility for your loved one.

Making the choice to put a loved one into assisted living is difficult. Especially when your loved one has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. But when family members need more attention than caregivers can offer at home, it’s time to assess the living situation. Consider if your loved one is safe at home, getting the proper care they need and engaging in meaningful activities, advises Mary Sullivan, director of sales and marketing at Ohio Living Rockynol. Caregivers should also determine if their own well-being is at risk.

“In the case of a spouse, often their health declines because they are taking care of a loved one,” says Sullivan.

If any of these needs aren’t being met, assisted living can offer peace of mind in knowing that your loved one is getting the safe, around-the-clock care he or she needs.

Finding the right facility for your family member is a challenge. We offer tips on what to look for to make it a smooth transition from the home into memory care assisted living.

A Secure Environment

Since there can be several safety concerns associated with memory impairments, it’s vital to look for a facility that emphasizes security. A common feature that can ease minds is secure entryways. Rockynol, located on 15 parklike acres on West Market Street in Akron, protects its memory care unit with a locked door that requires a code to get in and out of its two floors of 17 studio apartments. While residents maintain freedom with in-and-out access to their rooms and common areas, nurses are available in memory care units 24 hours a day to assist residents as needed with getting in and out of the unit, or with daily tasks such as bathing and cooking.

It’s also important to seek a facility that monitors wandering, since six in 10 people with dementia wander, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. At Rockynol, very mobile residents can wear a wander-alert bracelet to help the staff keep track of their whereabouts.

“It will alarm if they are near an exit or elevator,” says Sullivan.

Greenwood Assisted Living at Laurel Lake’s expansive 150-acre campus in Hudson uses wander-alert bracelets to monitor at-risk residents. The bracelets alert staff members’ cellphones if a resident has left the area. Since staff members are in the assisted living area 24 hours a day, they can immediately attend to residents. To determine if residents need a bracelet, their cognitive abilities and safety awareness are assessed upon move in and every six months.

“If we deem someone unsafe to walk out of the unit, they can have a safety measure put in place,” says Stephanie Covas, director of health care services at Laurel Lake.

In addition, the ability to personalize a resident’s living area is integral to easing anxiety often faced by a person with memory impairment.

Greenwood and Rockynol invite residents to bring their own furniture to make their rooms more familiar. Greenwood, which offers studio and one- and two-bedroom units, also helps residents customize their entryways with memory boxes. The displays might feature a piece of art that’s important to the resident.

Sullivan suggests furnishing the room with items that residents have an emotional attachment to: a special chair where they read their favorite books or an artwork they had hanging on their bedroom wall.

“We want it to feel a little more like home,” Sullivan says.

An Active Lifestyle

Seeking a facility with plenty of activities is key. Numerous studies have shown that strong social connections and staying mentally active may lower risks of Alzheimer’s or cognitive decline.

While home life can be fluid and difficult to maintain a daily schedule on top of other caregiver responsibilities, assisted living means that someone is always available to get your loved one going. At Rockynol, residents can socialize with peers during group activities, such as birthday parties or off-campus lunches. Smaller group activities allow residents to engage their minds by reading the newspaper and discussing current events or reminiscing about something that happened 20 years ago.

A resident-centered care approach that tailors the living situation to residents’ specific needs can also help stimulate their minds. Greenwood staff base the activities on residents’ abilities, so residents needing memory support might play memory games, such as buzz, a number game in which residents count and the next person continues. Another fun option is a weekly brain fitness session, such as discussing facts about states.

Researchers have also found exercise to be beneficial in lowering the risk of vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s. At Laurel Lake, the fitness center, pool and even a par-3 golf course help residents stay active year-round.

Residents who come from home scenarios often find that once they get on a regular schedule with meals and activities, they are less stressed and anxious. While the decision to move to assisted living is challenging, the results offer welcome relief.

“They settle into a routine quite nicely,” Sullivan observes. “Both families and the residents are relieved by the care provided.”