While many individuals with early-onset dementia may live alone or with the support of family members, folks with more advanced cognitive impairment may require the assistance of memory care experts. Nonetheless, because dementia symptoms can change between stages, it’s difficult to know when it’s appropriate to seek memory care. When discussing memory care or another type of living situation, you may want to focus on the person’s capacity to do daily tasks and their safety. Here are the key signs someone needs memory care.
Wandering
Wandering is a typical signal that it’s time to consider memory care. The elderly may get lost or confused and stray outside of home grounds, unsure of where they are or how to return. This can put them in perilous circumstances, such as crossing congested roadways or getting caught in extremely cold weather.
Aggressiveness
Dementia can create frustration and irritability in older adults, which might lead to hostility. Caregivers may be kicked, punched, or bitten. Abuse and emotional insults are also likely to occur. In fact, friends and relatives may be accused of stealing too.
When family members begin to talk about dementia, you may also find them frequently becoming irritated or combative. Furthermore, when an elder with dementia is attended to by an older partner, aggressiveness can be more harmful, leading to family violence. Owing to sundown syndrome, tension can appear more prevalent in the evening.
Caregiver Exhaustion
Physical and emotional toll wear on people who offer care to a family member, making any sort of caregiving hard. Expanding the tasks on a packed to-do list, from extra duties to frequent transit, may be burdensome. Because of the emotional responsibilities, providing for your parents with dementia is considerably more difficult.
You should not dismiss any fatigue even if you believe it is minimal. If it isn’t remedied, it can have a severe impact on your overall health, exacerbating the condition. Receiving aid as a caregiver is the greatest option if this involves getting outside support. Memory care experts have received specific training to tackle the unique challenges of caring for people with dementia and may be of great assistance for you and your family members.
Behavior and Physical Health Changes
Lastly, some folks suffering from dementia may begin to act in unexpected ways. Those who are normally self-reliant may feel worried about driving and even refuse social engagements. They may have been fussy about their image in the past, but have suddenly forgotten regular grooming or how to perform simple duties such as showering and hairstyling, and are too ashamed to seek assistance.
Furthermore, when someone develops dementia or Alzheimer’s, bodily changes are frequently the first obvious abnormalities. If a person gets skinny or fragile, it might indicate that he or she is neglecting to go grocery shopping or take prescriptions as instructed. Some dementia patients may even end up taking more pills than they should.
If you’ve seen one or more of the abovementioned key signs, remember that transitioning to memory care may be a good venture. Transferring your parents to memory care could be a turning point for everyone. Discuss the various benefits of memory care and clarify your family member’s queries as much as possible to offer the assurance that they will be in safe hands.
