When is the Right Time to Transition from Assisted Living to Memory Care?
With just the right amount of support for health and safety, assisted living is the perfect way of life for many older adults. However, for loved ones who require assistance with daily tasks like bathing and dressing, you need to recognize that their needs may evolve with time.
Over time, their cognitive health is bound to take a dip, and they eventually will require a higher level of care to support their well-being. So, how would you know if your senior loved one’s cognitive health is declining and they need to transition from assisted living to memory care?
Well, there will be signs to watch out for! In this post, we’ll discuss five early signs of cognitive decline that you need to look for in your loved one.
5 Key Signs That Indicate It’s Time to Transition from Assisted Living to Memory Care
If your loved one shows the following signs of cognitive decline, know that it is time to move them from assisted living to memory care.
1. Declining Personal Hygiene
With a decline in cognitive function, it will get difficult for your loved one to remember their basic personal hygiene. If your loved one is starting to lose interest in grooming or taking care of their hygiene, it’s a subtle yet huge sign of cognitive decline.
Maintaining personal hygiene is essential for your loved one’s dignity and health. Poor personal hygiene can lead to serious medical conditions, including chronic diarrhea, dental caries, skin diseases, and ringworm. So, if you see your loved one not taking care of their personal hygiene, it’s time to move them to memory care where they’ll receive appropriate care.
2. Wandering
Wandering is one of the major signs of memory-related diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6 out of every 10 people with dementia wander at least once in their lifetime. Wandering is a serious safety concern for senior adults, particularly if they regularly seek an exit and wander outside of the assisted living community.
If your loved one wanders or forgets their way back to their room, it’s best to take that as a sign and promptly move them to dementia care.
Memory care communities are specifically designed in a way that prevents wandering and ensures a safe and secure environment. Additionally, most memory care communities have safety features like screened porches and secured courtyards to prevent dangerous exits.
3. Frequent Forgetfulness
We all can forget some things from time to time, like where you kept the TV remote or the name of someone you just met. However, there’s a slight distinction between normal forgetfulness and the signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
If your loved one frequently forgets important details of their life, struggles to remember their daily routine, or faces trouble participating in scheduled activities, they’re likely experiencing dementia. Thus, you need to transition them from assisted living to memory care to help support their well-being.
4. A Decline in Social Life
Older adults with dementia and Alzheimer’s often struggle with maintaining a healthy social life, leading to isolation and loneliness. While a decline in social life is not only exclusive to memory-related issues, you can still take it as one of the subtle signs to move your loved one to a memory care community.
In memory care communities, your loved one will have access to various socializing activities tailored to their needs and interests. With hundreds of activities focused on stimulation, celebration, and positive recognition, memory care communities ensure their residents enjoy a full social calendar.
5. Unexpected Health Changes
If your loved one experiences significant health changes, such as losing weight or having unexplained injuries, you may want to consider changing their living environment. When there’s a decline in cognitive functions, your loved one will forget to eat or not eat enough in community dining.
Moreover, if they start showing unexpected aggression, it’s a sign that your loved one requires a higher level of care. You can consider a memory care community for them.
Looking for the Safety & Comfort of Your Senior Loved One: Explore Lyndale Abilene Memory Care Today!
All in all, subtle behavior changes may make it difficult for you to identify if your loved one is on the path to requiring memory care. However, as you observe any or all of the above signs of cognitive decline, know that it is the right time to transition your loved one from assisted living to memory care.
Memory care communities such as Lyndale Abilene in Abilene, Texas, provide round-the-clock care that is personalized to your loved one’s needs. In addition to that, we offer ample socializing opportunities that are fun, immersive, engaging, and therapeutic.
If you want to learn more about our amenities and services and how we take care of your loved ones, schedule a tour for a great learning experience.
