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Time for Memory Care

Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (52)

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@trishaanderson

My husband is 84 and in good shape. He likes to be active and go places with me. Even though he's older, I'm concerned he may be higher functioning than the average resident. But his confusion and agitation are the reason I must make this decision.

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Replies to "My husband is 84 and in good shape. He likes to be active and go places..."

Hi Trisha - The only way to find out if a Memory Care facility is a good fit for your loved one is to visit and observe. My daughter had many visitors like you as a Memory Care nurse. Often they chose her facility because it was a little larger, and was able to "group" residents with others of a similar level of function for meals, activities, etc. The great thing about having multi-level care was that nobody needed to move again - they were just transitioned as needed to more care and less socialization.
Just make sure they are adequately staffed in the evenings and overnight to care for those whose confusion and agitation increase in the evenings and at night. Ideally there are circular routes for pacing without getting "stuck" in a corner or dead end, and that the nurses' station is positioned to have the best possible view of the floor, especially the dining and dayrooms where residents gather, so they can be alert to any potential clashes.

Finally, ask about their medication practices - make sure they call you before their "on call" doc to ask if meds are ok. And ask to see his med orders (and his med drawer or tray) to make sure there are not calming, anti-anxiety or sedating meds that have been ordered "just in case" that they are allowed to dispense "as needed" (PRN) without your knowledge.

I am sharing these tips from long experience with family in Memory Care and what I learned from my daughter's 10 years as an alder care/memory care nurse. There are excellent facilities ,but it takes some detective work (as well as asking others near you) to be sure you find one.