Mistakes People make in choosing a memory care option

 Aging is never an easy experience. It’s quite unsettling for both the victim and the caregiver/Loved one.

When it’s memory related, it’s almost a horror movie for a loved one to have to watch.

While the patient may not fully comprehend what is going on sometimes, the loved one understands it perfectly and that can be hard to come to terms with sometimes. 

It would surprise you that in some cases, caregivers tend to suffer more than the patient.

For a loved one, the emotional trauma, physical demand, and mental stress can be overwhelming.

Even so, loved ones will always find it hard to accept this reality and start looking into alternatives.

When they eventually get to the point of making that decision, they tend to make all the wrong ones.

In this article, we look at 5 things Not to do when choosing a memory care option for a loved one.

Delay

The first and easiest mistake to make when you realize the need for memory care is Delay.

Most loved ones find out early enough but don’t do something early enough.

The reality of having to “let go” of the loved one prevents them from taking prompt action.

Memory decline is progressive in its deterioration. It never happens all at once and what people don’t grasp is that it can be managed if it’s fully understood and identified on time.

In the early stages, there’s a lot you can do to manage the decline and improve the health of both the caregiver and patient. Turning a blind eye to it or wishing t away is never the answer.

No matter how much you ignore it, it’ll keep knocking on the door. So when you notice some signs, talk to a health official. Get advice and get early treatment. You’d be doing yourself a world of good.

Making excuses due to Cost

In all honesty, the quality of health you forgo today for the sake of little extra savings; will end up biting back at you tomorrow with even much more bills.

One of our articles on the Real Cost of Memory care shed some light on the current cost of Memory care and why we should think carefully before using money as an excuse.

There’s never been a time when health care was exactly affordable but that hasn’t stopped us from seeking it.

So it wouldn’t be reasonable to let it be an excuse when a loved one is needed.

Memory care plans and programs differ in many ways and they are fairly flexible.

In most memory care facilities, there are specialized care units for patients with advanced memory care needs.

This will make it easier and cheaper to move the loved one depending on the stage and intensity of the decline.

Communities like Reliable Oaks have a system that’s devoted to giving its residents an excellent environment to live in and also an easy system of transition depending on the stage of the illness.

It’s not exactly the cheapest decision but it’s understandable when you think of what your loved one will stand to gain from such a facility.

Don’t let cost be an excuse to look after a loved one the way they deserve.

Ignoring the layout of the facility

Sometimes, loved ones don’t know that the stage of the illness will have a big impact on what type of things to expect in the facility.

At a basic level, you want to ensure that the facilities have an adequate supply of electricity and backup plans in times of a power outage.

You also want to look at the floor plan, in terms of ease of access, color coding on the walls, keypad entries, doorbells, Green spaces for relaxation and interaction, and check for mobility features for residents who might use wheelchairs.

Is the facility “Fall proof” i.e does it prevent situations that may cause residents to fall?

Are there unique landmarks around the house to help residents navigate easily? If your loved one will be living, you’ll have to pay close attention to the nature of the facility.

Not Visiting

One easy mistake some folks do is as simple as visiting less or not visiting at all.

As much as Memory care is a miracle and will certainly help you and you’re loved one.

Don’t disappear into thin air. Memory decline is a result of weak brain cells and their reduced ability to retain information. So seeing loved ones From time to time can be very useful for that resident’s treatment.

Ignoring the staff of that Facility

The type of nurses you hand your loved one over to is crucial to the quality to the quality of care your loved one is set to receive. Loved ones don’t take enough time into inquiring about the staff in that facility.

Do they understand the intricacies that come with looking after residents with peculiar memory loss symptoms? Are there proven messages!!!!?? even testimonials of happy residents.

You also should pay close attention to the quality and qualification of the nurses.

Your loved one will spend the majority of the time in the hands of the caregiver. Bad caregiver poor care.

One way of getting concrete information about how these facilities treat their residents is by simply asking. Ask the family members of the residents what their experiences have been like.

This should help you make better decisions. You can also visit www.ltcombudsman.org to find your state’s long-term-care ombudsman, who can tell you about any problems with the quality of care or management of a facility. 

You can also visit medicare.gov to check for facilities and the number of star ratings they have before making your final decision.