Families shoulder the burden of ensuring their loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia receives the best memory care. It is often a stressful and challenging journey for most family members.  Many may struggle with physical, emotional, spiritual and financial concerns. As a result, families need a good partner in caring for their loved one, one who values communication.  By doing so, families receive the support they need from trained caregivers, and manage the many decisions that must be made regarding their loved one’s care.

Research on families of dementia patients indicates they struggle with a number of issues:

• Feelings of guilt over the decision to place mom or dad in a long-term dementia care home;
• Insecurity about who the primary decision-maker will be once their loved one transitions to long-term care;
• Lack of clarity about the types of decisions they will need to make over time, such as palliative treatment, hospitalization decisions, medication choices;
• Confusion about their role and the role of the long-term care providers;
• Lack of communication or understanding about end-of-life care planning and the role of hospice in their loved one’s final days.

At the heart of these issues is the need for effective, compassionate and ongoing communication between dementia care staff and family members. Furthermore, keep in mind that not all memory care communities provide caregivers trained to care for dementia or Alzheimer’s patients.

When seeking a dementia care community, make sure you’re confident in the caregiver’s training and staff’s commitment to good communication with involved family members.

Family-based Memory care

Good dementia care requires the community to join you in providing ongoing social support to you and your family. In light of this, choose a family-based care philosophy that makes you an engaged partner in decisions and daily care.

Top-quality training

Look carefully at the training caregivers receive. Does staff regularly update their knowledge with information on the latest behavioral and care-giving strategies? Does the community follow a patient-centered dementia care which puts the patient’s dignity and humanity at the core of care decisions?

Personalized care planning And Communication 

Good communication goes both ways, so it’s important that you and the staff develop a personalized care plan for your loved one. Meet the entire care team so you feel confident in their commitment to providing care specific to your loved one.

One-size-fits-all does not work with dementia patients. Tell the staff about your loved one’s likes and dislikes, favorite past hobbies, music, etc. If your mom is a “touchy-feely” person, tell the staff it’s good to hold her hand or hug her regularly.

Finding the right dementia care home gives you peace of mind.  By doing so, you can be confident that your loved one is safe, respected, and well cared for.  Additionally, you can continue to be a big part of their daily life, even when you can’t physically be at their side.

How can we help you to share the care for your loved one? Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation tour at one of our affordable communities in Tennessee and Georgia. We would love to sit down with you and your family and answer any questions you have about your loved one's care.