The initial diagnosis is heartbreaking and you may not immediately be considering dementia care. But symptoms sneak up on you and your senior loved one. At first it is just the little things that they forget, but the configuration and chemistry of the brain suffering from dementia continue to diminish over time. Their ability to remember, understand and communicate decreases gradually. It can be hard to decide when someone who has ordinarily been independent and self-sufficient is suffering from dementia and should no longer live alone. Here are a few questions to help you determine if it is time for dementia care in an assisted living community.
- Does she call you in the middle of the night for non emergency reasons?
- Have letters and phone calls slowed or stopped? Are you always calling first?
- Is he taking his medications on a proper schedule?
- Is she unresponsive to inquiries during a conversation?
- Is he losing or gaining weight without explanation?
- Does he dress appropriately for the occasion or current weather conditions?
- Is the smell of urine on his clothes?
- Has his usual grooming or clothing style changed dramatically?
- Does he stay up later and later, and not wake until much later in the day?
- Is she late for appointments or not ready when you’re picking her up to take her?
- Does she accuse you of being late when you are not?
- Is she no longer interested in old friends? Does she no longer call or write them?
- Has she quit attending activities like: grandchildren’s athletic events, church, prayer groups, and Bunco night or bridge club?
- Does she forget that you were going to stop by for a visit or to pick her up to take her to your house?
- Is she neglecting to mention or talk to her younger grandchildren or great grandchildren?
- When visiting, is the temperature in his house set too hot or too cold?
- Are there signs of pots that have been burned or forgotten food left out?
- Is his mail sitting unopened and his paper unread?
- Has he bought way too much of certain food that he can’t reasonably eat?
- Has the refrigerator been overtaken with spoiled food or is it nearly empty?
- Does the house smell slightly or overpoweringly of urine?
- Are there signs of forgotten and not cleaned spills or neglected garbage?
- Has his electricity, water other services been shut off because bills have gone unpaid?
- Have you discovered letters or answered the phone when a charity is thanking him for his contribution – and he’s not contributed to that one historically?
- Has she wandered from home or gotten lost when running a simple errand?
One or two of these signs are not an indicator that your senior loved one is no longer capable of taking care of themselves, but they can indicate a pattern. Use this list as a touch point when visiting. Run through the questions in your mind or subtly do a quick review of the list to gauge where your loved one’s capabilities still lie. When it is time to consider memory care assisted living in Tennessee and Georgia, contact Senior Solutions. We have facilities that offer independent, assisted and nursing services. Our staff truly cares for our residents and ensures that they have an enriched and safe life.
What is your biggest concern about seniors with dementia?
