Millions of families throughout the United States are dealing with Alzheimer's disease or some type of dementia. When a loved one has one of these conditions, they often are fearful, confused and depressed and sometimes angry. It can be very challenging to provide care for your loved one in this situation, and many families turn to a community for assisted living in San Diego that specializes in memory care. For those caring for a loved one at home, here are some strategies that might be helpful.
Stress is something that many people do not handle well, and that is definitely the case if a person also has some kind of dementia. Many things can cause stress, such as crowded situations and lots of noise or trying to have a person accomplish too many tasks during the day. Keeping things simple and quiet can help. Remove clutter from the home and set things up so that it is easy for your loved one to find clothes, fix a snack or perhaps find the TV controls. It can help to write down a daily schedule for your loved one, so they remember various tasks and know how the day will go. When you opt for assisted living in San Diego, the day will be somewhat scheduled, as well, and apartments will be designed with memory care residents in mind.
It's unlikely that a person with a type of dementia can continue with a regular job and sometimes it's tough for them to handle paying bills or maintaining a home. However, there are plenty of tasks that your loved one can still handle and it's a good idea to provide a few daily jobs. A person can help sort and fold laundry, help prepare part of lunch or dinner, create a beautiful table setting, read to a grandchild, brush the dog or even head outside and sweep, rake leaves or pull weeds. People enjoy being useful, and a person with dementia needs both encouragement and praise. Activity also can lessen stress and improve cognitive focus. At an assisted living home in San Diego there will be specially designed activities that keep residents engaged and focused and entertained.
While it's true that losing memories can be very painful for the person with dementia and his or her loved ones, it's often the personality changes that are the hardest issues to handle. Sometimes people with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia are verbally abusive or even physically abusive to their caregivers and loved ones. When this occurs, it is best to try to either distract the person's attention or use a calm and soothing voice. This can be difficult, but if possible, keep in mind that it's truly not personal but rather a symptom of this disease. Still, often this is a big reason why you might consider assisted living in San Diego. The staff at a memory care facility is trained to deal with the difficult behavior common to some people with dementia.
For many families, the main reason why they choose assisted living in San Diego is because they are worried about safety. They worry that their loved one might wander away from home or perhaps fall and become hurt when no one is home. Memory care facilities aren't on lockdown of course, and residents can sometimes wander off, but the chances are much less likely simply because there are always staff members in the facility. If someone is hurt or becomes ill, a staff member quickly can summon help.
If you do need to start looking for an assisted living facility that specializes in memory care, it is best to visit several facilities. Try to find one where the residents and the staff seem happy. Find a facility that offers activities that you think would be of interest to your loved one. An eldercare placement service can build a list of suitable facilities for you and your loved one to consider. Moving into assisted living can be hard and scary, so be sure to bring some favorite mementos from home and perhaps a favorite chair or a few other familiar pieces of furniture to make the new apartment seem a bit more like home.
Stress is something that many people do not handle well, and that is definitely the case if a person also has some kind of dementia. Many things can cause stress, such as crowded situations and lots of noise or trying to have a person accomplish too many tasks during the day. Keeping things simple and quiet can help. Remove clutter from the home and set things up so that it is easy for your loved one to find clothes, fix a snack or perhaps find the TV controls. It can help to write down a daily schedule for your loved one, so they remember various tasks and know how the day will go. When you opt for assisted living in San Diego, the day will be somewhat scheduled, as well, and apartments will be designed with memory care residents in mind.
It's unlikely that a person with a type of dementia can continue with a regular job and sometimes it's tough for them to handle paying bills or maintaining a home. However, there are plenty of tasks that your loved one can still handle and it's a good idea to provide a few daily jobs. A person can help sort and fold laundry, help prepare part of lunch or dinner, create a beautiful table setting, read to a grandchild, brush the dog or even head outside and sweep, rake leaves or pull weeds. People enjoy being useful, and a person with dementia needs both encouragement and praise. Activity also can lessen stress and improve cognitive focus. At an assisted living home in San Diego there will be specially designed activities that keep residents engaged and focused and entertained.
While it's true that losing memories can be very painful for the person with dementia and his or her loved ones, it's often the personality changes that are the hardest issues to handle. Sometimes people with Alzheimer's or another type of dementia are verbally abusive or even physically abusive to their caregivers and loved ones. When this occurs, it is best to try to either distract the person's attention or use a calm and soothing voice. This can be difficult, but if possible, keep in mind that it's truly not personal but rather a symptom of this disease. Still, often this is a big reason why you might consider assisted living in San Diego. The staff at a memory care facility is trained to deal with the difficult behavior common to some people with dementia.
For many families, the main reason why they choose assisted living in San Diego is because they are worried about safety. They worry that their loved one might wander away from home or perhaps fall and become hurt when no one is home. Memory care facilities aren't on lockdown of course, and residents can sometimes wander off, but the chances are much less likely simply because there are always staff members in the facility. If someone is hurt or becomes ill, a staff member quickly can summon help.
If you do need to start looking for an assisted living facility that specializes in memory care, it is best to visit several facilities. Try to find one where the residents and the staff seem happy. Find a facility that offers activities that you think would be of interest to your loved one. An eldercare placement service can build a list of suitable facilities for you and your loved one to consider. Moving into assisted living can be hard and scary, so be sure to bring some favorite mementos from home and perhaps a favorite chair or a few other familiar pieces of furniture to make the new apartment seem a bit more like home.
About the Author:
Rue Nichols loves reading home health care blogs. For more information about assisted living facilities in San Diego or to find places to help with board and care Costa Mesa, please visit the CarePlacement.com site today.
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