We all have good and bad days. We all have moments where we feel full of life and others where things feel a little dull. The same can be said for seniors experiencing memory loss or other memory related conditions.
Because no one can truly predict when those feelings of strength or clarity will come around or for how long their will stay, it is important to recognize that memory care includes assistance and agency throughout every peak and each valley.
At Foxtail, we like to ensure that our residents feel every bit as supported as they would be by their our family. Our memory care facilities are centered around personalization, meaningful interactions, and holistic experiences.
Social Interaction is Key to Memory Care
Studies have been linking social interaction to preventative measures for memory care since 2008. There is also strong support from the Alzheimer’s Association on person-centered care. This style of care focuses on individualized support for memory care patients, as outlined in the Alzheimer Association’s Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for 2018.
Communication and Understanding
In addition to finding consistent, compassionate care, it is also important to adjust communication styles. Every experience is unique and requires a certain level of understanding in order to live out a comfortable lifestyle. For example, many families find it easier to redirect conversations away from painful or difficult memories in order to keep their loved ones from rehashing the related upsetting emotions. Again, every situation is different but utilizing empathetic communication skills to maintain peace of mind and a sense of security for your loved ones is always a priority, especially in cases of explicit memory care.
Person-Centered Care
Additionally, UCSF’s Memory and Aging Center, UCBerkeley’s Department of Integrative Biology, and the University of San Paolo’s Brazilian Biobank for Aging Studies joined to work on related conditions within memory care patients. This team found that the majority of individuals requiring memory care also experience anxiety and agitation.
So, knowing that individuals diagnosed with a degenerative memory condition are also likely to experience heightened frustration and anxiety, it is hard to see how care could be effective without person-centered care and reality-framing communication. Anxiety can feel all-consuming at times so providing holistic, personalized, and considerate medical treatment as well as social support is vital to overcoming any feelings of disconcert or unrest.
This may all seem overwhelming, at first. However, there are trusted and accomplished professionals dedicating their lives to providing the best senior living experience. It may take a period of adjustment, but memory care facilities have proved the test of time in surpassing the level of care once offered for memory care patients.
