The Main Different Options for Loved Ones as Their Dementia Progresses
Memory-based illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and most other forms of dementia are progressive for the vast majority of people afflicted.
It may well be that your friend, parent, or other loved one has been living independently for some time, but you are now seeing signs of this progression.
If this is the case, here are some different options for loved ones as their dementia progresses.
Memory Care Facilities
Perhaps one of the more popular decisions taken by older people experiencing the onset of dementia, or indeed their close family members who make the decisions for them in their best interests, is to move into special memory care facilities.
Essentially designed in a similar way to an assisted living community, except for more medical professionals and a higher intensity of treatment and care, prestigious memory care facilities are a fantastic choice to enable your loved one to live a high quality of life for as long as possible.
Moving in with You
Many adult sons and daughters feel they do not want to, cannot afford to, or simply could not fathom the idea of moving their loved ones to a memory care facility or other assisted living facility and instead make the decision to have their elderly parent with dementia come live with them.
However, if you yourself choose to make this decision, this does not mean that you necessarily have to stay at home, give up your job, or implement other life changes that you either do not or cannot make. Instead, contact fully-trained and compassionate home dementia care in St. Louis carers who will come to your home and conduct an entirely free and comprehensive initial assessment and suggest at-home care to suit you and your parent.
Community Care Options
The importance of community is no more highlighted than when a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, especially in the latter stages, and there may well be more help ‘out there’ than you have previously thought.
There are many ways to find out the levels and different forms of community care that are available in your local area, which may include the following:
- Speaking to a medical doctor or other medical professional
- Searching online
- Asking community colleges
- Contacting the Area Agency on Aging or the Alzheimer’s Association
Professional Companions
Your loved one may well be in the fortunate position of having a strong support network around them consisting of neighbors, family members, close friends, and a partner, in which case, you may believe there is no real need for or benefit to professional companions.
However, even if they are suffering from advanced dementia and tend not to recognize who you are, they are still exactly the same person underneath and should be treated as such.
Professional companions, while being entirely compassionate, of course, in any and all situations, provide a different level of support than people who know your loved one can and are, therefore, certainly worth considering.
