If you or a loved one has enjoyed the benefits and comfort of Assisted Living in a Traditions Management community, but is starting to consider the future, it may be time to consider a Memory Care unit if appropriate.
Assessing the Symptoms of Memory Loss
First, you must consider whether memory care is appropriate for you or a loved one. You’ll want to work closely with your doctor to identify and address symptoms of memory loss as soon as possible. Start by looking for signs of short-term memory loss. Is your loved one forgetting their medication, doctor appointments, social engagements, birthdays, or other things they would usually recall? Are they misplacing items, like their phone, television remote, magazines, or books? Are they having difficulty communicating their needs or wants? Are they wandering? Are they experiencing Sundowning, where they confuse day and night? These may be signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s and should be addressed early.
Beyond these indicators, you may notice other signs that it is time to consider our memory care community. If a resident is trying to leave the property unscheduled, unattended, or unprepared, this is a safety concern and a possible sign of dementia. Intrusive wandering or inappropriately trying to enter neighbors’ rooms or personal spaces is another sign to look for. While not as obvious, there are other indicators to look for. These include:
- demonstrating increased anxiety
- confusion about surroundings
- repeated questions about what to do now
- trouble sleeping
- difficulty eating
- having trouble initiating tasks
These are all items that can be better addressed in a Traditions’ Memory Care community than in Assisted Living. Our team in Hilliard, Ohio, is ready to help you with this transition.
Suppose your loved one is already living in a Traditions community. In that case, our team is here to help make the transition to a memory care unit as dignified and straightforward as possible.
The Science of Socialization: The Varietas® Memory Care Program
Studies show that socialization has a positive impact on seniors and can reduce, even prevent, the symptoms of depression. So, each resident's daily routine consists of their own combination of therapeutic and positive stimulation, including expressive arts, exercise, nutrition, reminiscing, cognitive activities, and social engagement with peers, staff, and families.
The Varietas® Memory Care Program is a model of caring for individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias. The program's tenets have been proven to maximize the quality of life for individuals suffering from these disorders. Our memory care communities are smaller and more easily navigable by residents.
Psychosocial Interventions Therapies
Psychosocial interventions improve cognitive abilities, enhance emotional well-being, reduce behavioral symptoms, and promote everyday functioning. We do this through cognitive stimulation, cognitive training, reminiscence therapy, aromatherapy, and music therapy.
Psychosocial Interventions are proven to:
- Improve sleep by focusing on daily routine and circadian rhythms
- Improve appetite
- Reduce difficult behaviors
- Reduce medication usage
- Reduce falls
- Promote social engagement in activities
- Enhance resident, family, and staff interaction
The Future of Memory Care: Embracing Innovation and Purpose at Traditions
While the Varietas® Memory Care Program is already an innovative and successful approach to memory care, we continually strive to innovate and improve, deciding to select a memory care unit in a Traditions community an easy one.
We’ll soon be revamping our memory support group as the Connections Café, a way to genuinely connect with others, creating a community to share experiences, gain insights, and find encouragement in a compassionate and understanding environment.
We’ll encourage families to stay engaged and involved through fun family nights, incorporating residents and their families from all levels of care to create a sense of community.
We’re working with our comprehensive suite of services to develop a standardized assessment that accurately determines the precise level of care necessary for each resident. This will help tell the family more objectively what their loved one’s cognitive status is and what that means.
Finally, we’re focused on shifting our team’s mindset to a more purposeful, person-directed approach. Our focus will be less on taking care of an individual and living with them, and providing cognitive ramps to facilitate independence in a regular day-to-day life routine. This alone will make family members and residents more open to the move. The unit will present more alive...less "focus" on keeping them busy and more focus on helping them maintain a "normal" life. Having purpose and routine allows residents to complete tasks and feel pride and accomplishment in their daily routines.
Caring for a loved one with memory loss can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone.
Ready to begin your loved one’s transition to memory care? Schedule your tour of our beautiful, luxury memory care apartments today.
*Some amenities may vary by community
