There may come a time and situation when your ageing parent with dementia or Alzheimer’s may need higher memory care than that offered at home. Especially during the mid-stages and final stages, sometimes round the clock supervision is necessary to ensure your parents’ safety. As memory loss progresses further, 24/7 care needs become more intensive, so review a memory care directory to choose the best services.
Signs to Shift Parents to Memory Care
Below are some signs that it is time to shift your aging parents to local memory care,
- Fall in Overall Health – When your ageing parents face memory loss, they will begin to face issues driving a car, preparing food, making grocery lists, remembering to eat, or remembering daily medication. Losing track of times and days have a disastrous impact on circadian rhythms, resulting in insomnia, Sundowner’s syndrome, and other forms of sleep disorders that affect one’s the well-being and health. Physical signs comprise,
- Missed appointments and unpaid bills
- Inexplicable bruises, injuries, and/or breaks
- Sunken or hunched posture
- Neglected personal hygiene
- Evidence of medication overtaken or not taken
- Lack of food items in cabinets or fridge
- Rapid weight loss
The inability to recall how to return home or where they are going will put your ageing parents at risk for injury, becoming victims of scams, getting lost and becoming victims of potentially violent crimes. Likewise, if your parents are suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s, are more prone to getting hurt at home as well as less capable of remembering ways of seeking assistance, how to use the mobile to call 911, or forgetting to press the button “life alert.” So if you are worried about the well-being of your ageing parents regularly, shifting them to a local memory care facilities will offer peace of mind and at the same time ensure they are supported, cared for, and attended to 24/7.
Disruptive Forgetfulness
Remember, there is a vast difference between your parent not remembering most names and occasionally forgetting the name of a person. In the case of the former situation, your parents’ forgetfulness has reached a point that may negatively impact their daily lives. The problem is not only about forgetting names, but your ageing parents who are suffering from memory-related health conditions tend to forget facts that are recently learned, important calendar dates, or may also face difficulty to continue with a conversation. Often the significance of a good memory is taken for granted by the majority. Still, if your ageing parents lose their memory, they will automatically face challenges with their day to day activities. When forgetfulness interferes with your parent’s ability to live normally, get a medical diagnosis done to shift your ageing parents to a reliable local memory care facility.
Your Ageing Parent Wanders
If your parents wake up during the wee hours of the night and/or get disoriented and confused, they are likely to wander. This can be quite dangerous as your parents will keep walking without realizing whey they are and how to return home. Forgetfulness and memory loss can put your ageing parents in dangerous circumstances and leave them exposed to extreme elements in the summer or winter season. Memory care communities such as top Alzheimer’s or dementia care facilities in Massachusetts are secured and provide enclosed outdoor spaces often to keep your parents from wandering off sans a caregiver.
Safety about your Parents
No matter your ageing parents lives alone, in assisted living communities, or with you, if you are thinking about their safety always, then it a sign to shift them to a local memory care facility. These facilities have special facilities to suffice the special needs of elderly people with memory loss, and with specially trained caregivers, they can perfectly keep your parents safe 24/7.
Mood Swings and Changes in Behaviour
Often, your ageing parents with memory loss are likely to behave dramatically. They may be apprehensive regarding driving; they may decline social invitations; they may become withdrawn, or forget daily hygiene and ways to perform basic tasks. Agitation and physical & verbal aggression too can occur. It may be a tough change for you to cope with. As a result, you may feel frustrated, angry, or resentful as you manage with such disruptive outbursts. So if your ageing parents experience major changes in personality or mood, then it is time to take the help of local memory care.
Caregiver Stress
Being an untrained caregiver of your ageing parents, there may come a stage where you may get completely overwhelmed. Especially when you try to balance life responsibilities, work, and caregiving on a full-time basis, you are likely to get stressed quickly. As dementia or Alzheimer’s worsens, you are likely to take more responsibility. It can be exhausting on your part to balance between your regular duties and offering your parents full-time care. It may also take a toll on your health. So the best step will be to shift your dear parents to a reliable local memory care facility.
Apart from this, there are other signs that you need to consider local memory care for ageing parents. The symptoms are ignoring personal hygiene, missed doctor appointments, mistakes with medications, difficulty with day to day routine, fall hazards and shakiness, signs of social isolation and depression, and extreme memory loss, among others.
