Trusting someone else to care for your loved one requires a lot of faith. You can make the move to a memory care community easier and safer by doing research before you choose. Ongoing vigilance also helps you monitor the safety and health of your family member once they move into memory care. Use these tips to improve the safety of memory care.
Before you visit communities, research what they offer online to ensure they prioritize safety and offer supportive programming, such as research-based therapies designed to slow the progression of dementia. Safety features to look for include secured entrances, round-the-clock staffing, emergency alert systems and regular wellness checks. The community's website gives you a starting point and should cover the basics, including its philosophy on memory care and the typical activities done with residents.
Once you feel comfortable with the environment and programming available, investigate the community using additional sources. The state's licensing department should allow you to search for the community to verify its license and look for violations. Review sites let you see how other people rate the community. You can also read reviews to understand the specifics of what it's like to live in the community.
If a community passes your rigorous online research, it's time to see it for yourself. A community tour lets you examine the safety protocols for yourself. You can see how clean the community is and watch the interactions between the staff and residents. This is also an ideal time to ask more detailed questions. As you walk around the community, see if you can imagine your loved one living there.
Observations of the staff give you an idea of how well they handle the workload. Talking to them can also help you assess if the caregivers are a good fit for your loved one. Conversations often give you a sense of how passionate and knowledgeable the staff members are about caring for people with dementia. You can also gauge how friendly they are to family members.
It's important to ask as many questions as possible while you're assessing potential memory care communities. Write down anything that comes to mind as you're researching the options. One important question to ask is about the credentials of the staff members. Look for a community that provides its team members with training in dementia care. Inquire about the credentials of the community leaders as well.
If possible, chat with family members of current residents to get their perspective. They've already experienced what it's like to interact with the staff and trust them with the care of their family members. You might run into families that are visiting as you tour the community. Another option is to ask around to see if anyone you know has a loved one in a specific memory care community in the area. This helps you get referrals and hear their perspective on the care.
Your loved one's health care provider knows them well and understands their current condition. Ask them for recommendations for communities that will meet your family member's needs. If they can't offer recommendations for specific communities, they should be able to tell you what to look for as you're researching the options. They might also suggest questions you can ask when you visit memory care communities.
Even though you're no longer caring for your loved one directly, you can still take an active part in their care. Communicate with the caregivers in the community regularly to find out how your loved one is doing. When changes happen, ensure you have a voice in how the caregivers handle the situation. You can serve as your loved one's advocate while they live in a memory care community to ensure they receive the care and support they need.
Regular visits let you see your loved one's living conditions for yourself. This can be especially important if they have advanced dementia and can't communicate well. You can watch how the staff members interact with your loved one once they're a resident. It's also a chance for you to see your loved one's physical and mental condition. Seeing them thrive shows you they're in a safe, nurturing environment.
When you can't visit, stay in touch with your family member as much as possible. If they're still able to operate a phone or tablet, video chat with them regularly. Even if they don't talk as much anymore, you can still see how they look and get a sense of what's happening around them.
Memory care communities implement many monitoring tools and procedures to keep their residents safe. However, you can add to that with your own medical alert tools. Medical alert devices cover a variety of potential issues with tools that help with fall detection, calling for help in a medical situation and GPS tracking in case of wandering. Work with the staff to determine which types of tools they already use. Then, decide if you want to implement additional strategies.
