Caring for a loved one with dementia can be extremely rewarding, but there may be a point where you need professional care. This is why memory care exists; it offers a home where your loved one can receive around-the-clock support from a team of experienced caregivers. But it’s important to pick a community that truly offers a person-centered approach to dementia.
With a person-centered approach, memory care doesn’t just try to manage your loved one’s symptoms. Instead, the goal is to improve your loved one’s quality of life wherever possible. With a customized care plan, access to all kinds of services and amenities, and constant love and care from the teams on-site, a person-centered approach to dementia care can be an incredible way to help your loved one get the support they deserve.
What Is Dementia?
When thinking of dementia, many people imagine that it’s just one single condition. But this isn’t quite true—dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of different conditions with similar symptoms.
These conditions include:
While each of these conditions causes slightly different effects in a person’s brain, they all share similar results. This is due to how dementia causes neurodegeneration, where a person’s brain cells are damaged and begin to die off. No matter the type of dementia, the condition is progressive, and symptoms continue developing and worsening over time. Eventually, dementia leads to cognitive impairment and further symptoms.
Recognizing the Signs of Dementia
With dementia, early diagnosis is key; it lets you intervene sooner rather than later to help preserve a loved one’s cognitive abilities. By seeking professional help—like that at a memory care community—you can get your loved one proper support from a team of trained caregivers.
The common signs of early-stage dementia include:
- Memory loss that disrupts daily life
- Challenges in planning or solving problems
- Difficulty completing familiar tasks
- Confusion with time or place
- Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships
- New problems with words in speaking or writing
- Poor judgment
- Changes in mood and personality
These are all signs that a loved one is beginning to experience cognitive decline. However, if your loved one is diagnosed with dementia, don’t wait for symptoms to start. Instead, it’s time to think about memory care.
What Is Memory Care?
When a loved one is living with dementia, professional care is key. It isn’t just about relocation; it’s about providing a true home in a community that genuinely understands what your loved one is going through.
This is memory care—a place designed to meet the unique needs of older adults living with dementia. In memory care, your loved one can have access to:
- Personalized care tailored to their specific needs and preferences
- Structured daily activities designed to promote cognitive stimulation and engagement
- Special safety and security measures to ensure a safe living space
- Nutritious meals
- Unique environmental designs that make the community easy to navigate
- Assistance with daily tasks that give them difficulty
These elements can be excellent for improving your loved one’s quality of life. It offers a way for your loved one to maintain their dignity and look forward to each and every day, all in an environment where every aspect is designed to make a difference.
A Person-Centered Approach to Dementia Care
Memory care isn’t just about managing your loved one’s symptoms. It aims to put your loved one first at all times and recognize them as an individual.
Here at The Lodge at Historic Lewes, we take a person-centered approach to dementia care. We believe that your loved one isn’t just a number in memory care; they’re a unique person with a rich life. That’s why our memory care program:
- Puts your loved dignity at the center of everything we do
- Tailors programs specifically to your loved one’s cognitive strengths and abilities
- Gives your loved one a choice whenever possible—and always respects the answer
- Makes every day a chance to enjoy the things your loved one enjoys
- Values, appreciates, and respects your loved one
- Offers unique experiences to make the most of every day
This way, your loved one can celebrate life and enjoy living in a community that isn’t just a care program—it’s a true home where they can be surrounded by people who love them.
How Memory Care Can Help
If you have a loved one living with cognitive decline, our team at The Lodge at Historic Lewes can help. In our memory care community, we take a person-centered approach so your loved one can always feel loved, valued, and respected.
We’re here to help give your loved one the care they deserve in an environment tailored to meet their unique needs. So book a tour with us today, and let’s work together to give your loved one a true home.
