Staying connected to a loved one residing in a memory care community in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, isn’t always easy. It’s normal for all family members involved to find it difficult to adjust to this new lifestyle. However, one of the benefits of choosing a top local memory care community is that experienced caregivers will help you spend quality time and stay close with your loved one, even if you aren’t living in the same building or city.Here, we’ll explore four ways to help you stay engaged with your loved one residing in a Basking Ridge memory care community, so that the both of you can enjoy meaningful time together for years to come.
1. Plan Your Visits with Thoughtfulness
With thoughtful planning and help from senior care professionals, you can have a meaningful and engaging visit with your loved one in a memory care community. When planning a visit, consider what time of day and which activities are best for your loved one. Many individuals with dementia feel their best in the morning, making a late morning visit the most engaging. You might also notice that they grow tired more easily than they did previously. Think about if there’s a visit length that works best for both of you. The quality of your time together will be more meaningful for many than the quantity of visits.
2. Join Community Activities
When you’re planning to visit your loved one in a Basking Ridge, NJ memory care community, take advantage of the services and amenities that the community has to offer. Check out the activity calendar to see what programs you could join and enjoy with them. Many communities have frequent social gatherings, games, music programs, and more. At a community like Arbor Terrace Basking Ridge, you can plan to enjoy a meal together in the restaurant-style dining room, or visit in one of the beautifully designed common spaces or courtyards.
If there are activities that you both previously enjoyed together, try to incorporate those into your visit. Baking favorite recipes, playing familiar games, crafting, or even reminiscing over photo albums are meaningful ways to spend time together. While you may need to make adjustments to fit your loved one’s abilities, a familiar activity is a great way to spend quality time together.
3. Keep In Touch
Modern technology makes it easier to stay engaged with your loved one in between in-person visits. While residents of a memory care community may or may not have a cell phone, the community will have cutting-edge resources that families can use to connect.
Video chatting is another great way to stay connected, especially if you’re providing support from a distance. If the senior in your life does not have their own phone or tablet, the community may have a device that can be used. Talk with their compassionate care team to see if regular video chats can be incorporated into your loved one’s schedule.
Another way to stay engaged through technology is with electronic picture frames. These frames allow family members to upload photos from their own mobile phones. This allows their loved one in memory care to stay involved in the day to day events of the family.
Technology isn’t the only way to keep in touch and stay engaged. Many residents enjoy receiving handwritten letters, photos, and postcards from friends and family members. This is a great way to brighten a residents’ day, even without visiting in person.
4. Manage Your Expectations
Dementia can be a difficult condition to navigate. People living with cognitive decline often have fluctuations in their moods and abilities, which can’t always be predicted. Staying engaged takes flexibility and patience. Not every visit or interaction will go as planned, and you may need to adjust more often than not.
You may find that as your loved one’s condition progresses certain adjustments need to be made. For example, some residents may enjoy outings to the great Basking Ridge community, but as their abilities change it may become unsafe or challenging to leave the community. Instead, you might pivot to bringing take out from a favorite restaurant to enjoy together.
Keeping close contact with the team at the memory care community can help you to monitor your loved one’s day to day and make a plan for an engaging and meaningful visit.
While relationships are often impacted by a transition to a memory care community, there are always ways to stay connected and engaged with one another. Whether you’re nearby and can visit for a meal or program or you find a video call to be most beneficial, you can continue to have a deeply meaningful relationship with your loved one that they will cherish for years to come..
If you’re concerned about staying engaged with a loved one after moving to a Basking Ridge memory care community, schedule a tour at Arbor Terrace Basking Ridge to talk with one of our memory care specialists. Our experienced and dedicated professionals are here to provide your loved one with the support they need, so you can focus on what matters most - enjoying precious time together.
