Memory Care Provides Comfort and Safety to Alzheimer’s Patients

In honor of Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health Awareness Month, we at Bridgeway Senior Living would like to raise awareness about a little-known type of long-term care. We’re talking about memory care; specialized skilled nursing care for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.

Dementia Patients Require Different Care

Seniors with dementia may be able to live at home with a caregiver for a while. Moving to an assisted living facility may also allow them to live semi-independently longer. However, people with dementia often need more. Assisted living communities offer too much independence and too little structure for dementia patients who need routine. Long-term skilled nursing care is often too clinical, focusing on symptoms instead of slowing the disease’s progression. And living at home with a caregiver becomes more and more difficult as the patient’s condition worsens.

Memory Care: the Solution for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Many people, if they’ve even heard of memory care, assume it’s just another term for assisted living. The two are actually very different, even though—like Bridgeway Senior Living—many assisted living communities do have memory care units as well. Memory care is long-term nursing formulated specifically for patients with memory problems. This can be Alzheimer’s disease or any other form of dementia.

The goal of memory care is to slow the disease’s progression while maintaining the resident’s quality of life. A senior with dementia can still enjoy life and nurture a sense of purpose. That’s what memory care offers. This form of specialized care provides many benefits to patients who’ve received a dementia diagnosis. Some of these benefits include:

• Improved Safety

  Many dementia patients are prone to wandering, which is a big safety concern. At Bridgeway, we’ve turned our unit into safe havens where there are no risks of wandering or other potentially dangerous situations.

• Social environment 

  It’s harder for a senior with dementia to retreat into himself when he’s part of a vibrant and warm social community. The activities and social engagement, besides for boosting memory and cognition, help our residents feel less alone.

• Personalized care plan and support

  In memory care, our care providers work out a plan to preserve each patient’s memory and mental function for as long as possible.

• Recreational activities

  As part of the care plan, we incorporate each resident’s interests and hobbies into their daily activity program. This helps them maintain their sense of identity in their increasingly cloudy world.

• Feels like home

  With personalized living spaces, assistance with hygiene and grooming, and other services, we provide a sense of home to our residents. They feel comfortable and secure, preserving their peace of mind and dignity.

To learn more about our memory care unit, contact us here.