Choosing the type of help and the residential care arrangements that one should select as one grows older is challenging. That is why there are many types of assisted living, like skilled nursing, home care, and memory care, among others. However, the criteria for selecting the appropriate place are given below, and thereby, it will not be a tough task. Having a good team on board makes decisions such as selecting assisted living or memory care relatively easy.
At Courtyard Luxury Senior Living, we have assisted seniors and families in making this decision. Our employed professionals assist in the selection and placement of the most appropriate care for the clients. If you're thinking about the options between assisted living and memory care, then you should continue reading. In this blog, we will be looking at five major differences that can be penned down to complete variability.
5 Key Differences Between Assisted Living and Memory Care
Assisted living and memory care communities meet the residents' basic needs through services that include the administration of medications, feeding, and bathing, among others. These help in offering private services to older people to enable them to lead normal lives in their homes. Still, memory care facilities, as part of the community, offer specific environments, protection, and personnel for dementia patients. Special care for dementia or Alzheimer's patients is also provided since memory care is given to seniors with memory disorders.
The major difference between the two is the range of services offered to residents; memory care is a subset of Assisted Living. The five main differences are:
The staff
Safety measures
Amenities
Activities and care programs in institutions,
Cost of care providers
Below, we will discuss each of the topics that we will try to address.
1. Staff: Training and Care
The two types of facilities have qualified staff, such as enrichment directors, reciprocal therapists, physical therapists, and activity therapists. The memory care team offers skilled dementia care and full-time nursing care. Due to the fact that patients who have dementia require more care, memory care typically involves a greater number of employees than patients. Caregivers in the facility managing dementia patients make sure the patients do not engage in acts such as walking aimlessly or becoming violent. At Courtyard Luxury Senior Living, our staff are supportive of the individual's endeavors towards independence and are very receptive to communication from families.
2. Safety: Security Features
Policies and measures in regard to safety are implemented in assisted living and memory care. Two of the most important services provided by assisted living are emergency call buttons, check-ins, and security, which is round the clock. A new innovation in memory care brings new features of locked entrances, keypad systems, color-coded hallways, and memory boxes for seniors' orientation. These minimize frustration and physical and psychological distress by presenting simple layouts for even those seniors with memory impairments.
3. Amenities:
Another characteristic trend relating to the product offering is the uniqueness of layouts presented by the competitors. Services change from one community to another, but some of the common ones are meal services, services for leisure, and services for recreation, among others. In Courtyard Luxury Senior Living, we provide common facilities including eating areas, a cafe, a pub, a computer café, a theater, art studios, a lounge on the top floor, a hair salon, and a waterfront. Animals or pets are generally permitted in most centers. Memory care provides other activities geared towards serving people with this illness with an emphasis on memory.
4. Activities: Therapies, Events organizing and...
Assisted living provides older adults with things that they like to do, including exercising, reading, playing, and traveling. Memory care facilities have a denser routine with such approaches as musical accompaniment, painting or drawing, and the presence of pets, which would be useful to help the residents find a way to cope with the problem of memory loss. Activities mean that all the residents need to be protected, healthy, and happy all the time.
5. Cost: Care Services and Full-Time Support
There are differences in the cost of assisted living and for those who have to be in the memory care unit. For that, assisted living is usually cheaper than memory care because it acts as a basic caregiving service compared to the specialized service that memory care requires, the staff, and the ratio of staff to the residents. Memory care also involves enhanced safety measures and other therapies that are needed to treat memory health-related issues. These enhanced services justify memory care costs, which are way more expensive than other assisted living services.
FAQs:-
What is Another Name for Memory Care?
Another name for memory care is dementia care, which is used to describe a specialized senior living community.
How Do You Know When Someone Needs Memory Care?
You can see some signs that show it’s time for memory care, such as changes in the behavior of your loved ones, no proper hygiene maintenance, or unsafe wandering.
How Long Does It Take to Adjust to Memory Care?
Around 3-6 months to adjust in memory care.
How Do You Talk to a Memory Care Patient?
Patiently and respectfully, we talk to memory care patients, and we use short and simple sentences during conversation.
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