Retiring in a senior living community means you and your loved one have access to additional support and resources as needs change or new challenges arise. When you or your loved one chooses to retire in a senior living community that offers more than one type of care, the opportunity to continue to live as independently and safely as possible only increases.
At The Summit of Uptown, our community includes three senior living options including independent living, assisted living, and dementia care (or memory care). Our residents benefit from easier transitions between options as their needs change. This is especially true as residents move from assisted living to our Evergreen neighborhood, which was designed especially for seniors living with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.
How can you know if you or your loved one is ready to make the move from assisted living to dementia care? Here are a few markers that could make your decision easier.
A Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease or Another Type of Dementia
Though a new diagnosis does not necessarily mean a quick move to a specialized memory care neighborhood, it is a good reason to begin planning for the future. Because dementia is a progressive disease, it will only continue to cause new challenges or complications in daily life. When your loved one moves into a memory care neighborhood, like the Evergreen neighborhood at The Summit, they immediately begin receiving services in an environment designed especially for them.
Memory Loss That Affects Daily Life
Dementia causes confusion, memory loss, and judgment issues that will eventually affect daily life. If your loved one becomes unable to remember mealtimes in the dining room, forget to call a family member on their scheduled day, or is unable to manage bills, the Evergreen neighborhood can provide the extra support they need.
Isolating Themselves from Friends
During the early stages of dementia, many people living with the disease know they are forgetting or are not quite themselves. This acknowledgment leads to feelings of embarrassment that can keep the person from attending activities or events with friends or family. Unfortunately, this isolation can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety as well as more rapid memory loss.
Increased Feelings of Anxiety or Worry
If your loved one is feeling especially anxious in their assisted living apartment, a move to memory care could decrease those feelings of worry. Anxiety is a common part of dementia, but memory care neighborhoods feature environmental components and staff interventions that are designed to increase feelings of peace and decrease feelings of overwhelming anxiety.
Talk to the Assisted Living Staff
At The Summit, our team members love getting to know each of our residents. This dedication to relationships allows us to provide them with personalized assistance and interventions and know when they are facing new challenges. If you are concerned about your loved one and are curious about whether a move to our Evergreen memory care neighborhood could be the best decision, enlist the help of our team.
The caregivers and staff members who provide care and help in your loved one’s assisted living community will be able to tell you if they believe assisted living is too overwhelming for your loved one due to dementia or if your loved one continues to thrive there. You can use their expertise and their knowledge of your loved one to help you best plan the immediate (or future) transition to memory care.
Why Memory Care Is Important
If your loved one has a diagnosis of dementia, memory care can provide the supportive environment they need to feel safe, comfortable, and happy. Our Evergreen neighborhood features a cozy and homelike environment that allows each resident to feel at home, along with a team of caregivers and other staff members who have been trained in various aspects of the disease as well as positive interactions or approaches.
Learn more about how to choose a senior living community that suits your loved one’s current and future needs by downloading our free resource, “Finding a Safe and Comfortable Senior Living Community.” Then, call the experts at The Summit to learn more about our assisted living and memory care living solutions.
