According to the World Health Organization, nearly 10 million new cases of dementia are reported each year. As it appears in many forms, it also affects each individual differently.
Dementia is a term generally used to describe memory loss, reasoning, judgment, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities. It can affect the person's functional abilities to focus, pay attention, use language, and visualize. Some dementia symptoms are mild that the person is still more than capable of living independently. In contrast, other symptoms are severe that the person needs to depend on others for specialized care.
Reversible Dementias are conditions associated with behavioral or cognitive symptoms that improve or are treated if discovered early. Examples of conditions that can cause reversible dementias are:
Irreversible Dementias are degenerative disorders. A person's health condition gets worse over time, and available treatments can only help as much as easing symptoms. Examples are:
People with early-stage dementia develop mild symptoms. They can still perform tasks independently. However, they may help in managing medications and monitoring their safety
People with middle-stage or moderate dementia require a greater level of care. This stage usually lasts for many years, and symptoms are more pronounced. People tend to have trouble with bowels or controlling their bladder. They also tend to wander and exhibit personality and behavioral changes that are difficult for families to handle. Due to the growing need for care, an assisted living community can be a good option.
People with late-stage dementia demonstrate severe symptoms. They need round-the-clock support with personal care. A memory care community where they can receive specialized care is the best for them.
Memory care living options are available for people with dementia depending on the condition or stage of dementia and level of care needs.
Not all memory care communities can handle all types of dementia. Unfortunately, most communities today are focused on Alzheimer’s and hardly pay equal attention to address the needs of people with other types of dementia, such as Parkinson’s, Lewy body, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and more. This makes it challenging to find the most suitable memory care community because only a handful offers specialized care for specific types of dementia.
Are you frustrated by the lack of suitable memory care communities for non-Alzheimer's dementia? Do you need help with identifying which memory care community is ideal for your condition?
Most senior individuals prefer to age in a place where they are close to their families and are cared for by them. However, for people with dementia, the possibility of aging in place decreases as the condition progresses. For families who've been living with their senior loved ones for many years, letting them go and moving them to a place where they receive their much-needed care is one of the hardest things to do.
The first challenge that the family encounters is choosing the most appropriate memory care living community. There are various types of memory care options, just as there are different types of dementia. It's normal to feel overwhelmed at first. So, how do you know if a particular memory care community is a good fit for a loved one?
Senex Memory Advisors will evaluate your condition and situation, and explain why a particular option is the best for you or a loved one.
Got questions. Need more information. Reach out to us today.