A recent article in the Mt. Vernon Sentinel highlighted one of our new memory care facilities, which operates as a wing of the Mt. Vernon GreenTree assisted living community. The facility is one of several Provision Living operates to support the efforts of its senior housing properties.
Memory care involves numerous issues including:
- improved communication with the patient
- preventing confrontational situations
- reducing stress
- improving diet and physical health
These issues affect the daily life of assisted living residents with dementia, or Alzheimer's, and require specific types of care in order to prevent an unnecessary decline in mental and physical health. While individual cases vary, caregiver efforts should be designed to move the resident from a state of possibly being ignored to one of being nurtured.
The Sentinel article cites an example of a GreenTree resident who had reached the point where she spent much of her time asleep, and was speaking mostly with a garbled voice.
After moving to the memory care side of the facility she showed improvement. According to Kim Harlan, director of well being at the GreenTree community in Mt. Vernon, the resident improved such that "by Christmas time they got her to sing with the others...and you could understand it."
It does not take to much searching these days to find more examples of seniors living with conditions of dementia and Alzheimer's, and not all examples involve bad stories, such as this one from the Lake Norman News, in Charlotte, NC. While the brain is seriously impacted by these conditions, treatment, and relationships ought to focus on the heart and spirit of the individual, which may be quite healthy.
As the baby boomer population ages the need for nurturing memory care will only grow. Successful facilities should offer both a tailored care approach based on the history of individual residents, and functional areas within the residence designed to assist in stimulating memories, while providing a sense of comfort.
GreenTree employs four "memory stations" at its memory care unit, which hold items such as typewriters, and rotary telephones. A station customized for men has a workbench with tools. Provision Living's Forget-Me-Not™ Care Model incorporates such stations as part of its mission to provide a pleasant, specially created living environment.
Many blogs and informational websites are discussing the topic of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's with an eye toward pushing for better research and increased funding for prevention. This is undoubtedly a key element of memory care treatment, since every dollar spent to prevent may save dollars needed to treat, later on.
Once the condition arises, though, it is important to reside in a facility where treatment can effectively help the patient. Families considering assisted living communities ought to look for facilities where memory care wings are in place, so they'll be prepared in the event such care is needed.
What Do You Think?
Have you considered memory care for a loved one? If so, what are the issues you've faced in the process? Please share your comments.
(Image courtesy of Tim & Selena Middleton
on Flickr)
