Addressing Forgetfulness of the Elderly in Assisted Living Communities

Our human experience involves spending our years feeling, observing and cherishing the many amazing moments that get to happen to us. Being able to meet the countless people along our paths, visiting places we could only dream of seeing or accomplishing the many goals we put our minds to. It is the inevitable journey of life and one we can happily choose to enjoy and treasure for as long as we can.

Along with these special moments, we also have the fated circumstance of needing to deal with the different health issues that can arise with age. While not all doom and gloom, being aware of the signs and options you have can bring some peace of mind knowing your loved one, family or friend will be very well taken care of. We can help ourselves and those around us by removing the fear and taking on a proactive approach. Here at Huntington Manor, a Zeal Senior Living Community, we want to help you understand and know the knowledge around what your options are and what you can do when you need to place your special someone in the best possible position.

Forgetfulness in Elders

Forgetfulness is a normal age-related change in memory. Everyone gets older and many changes happen in our body and that does not exclude changes that can happen to the brain. But forgetfulness is not always due to Alzheimer’s. Even if we mention some 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s to look out for, it’s best to rely on the medical professionals to diagnose this properly.

Forgetfulness is a normal part of aging and as we get older, the more we may need assistance from others and this is what assisted living communities are all about when it deals with common aging challenges.

What is Important About a Community Focused on Forgetfulness in Elders?

When a community can be aware and focused on those with forgetfulness, they can support the resident in so many more ways as we observe physical abilities alter during their time in the community. This not only leads to the need for constant care, but staff can see what changes are occurring and can report what is happening on a week to week basis. Our staff members are trained to handle any situation that may arise with our residents quickly and efficiently. Helping you feel comfortable and secure in the fact that your special person is in safe hands.

What is the Difference Between an Assisted Living Community and a Memory Care Community?

When it comes to senior living communities, there are a few options available. The most common we hear of is a nursing home or assisted living, however, there are many alternative options that can be more tailored to each individual need. In this case, the assisted living community and memory care community are becoming a fast-growing option for senior living.

Assisted living community: a type of residence for seniors who need some help with day-to-day activities. Assisted living facilities are designed to provide on-site or on-call health care services, housekeeping services, and social activities. Some assisted living communities are geared toward people who require more independence, while others are geared toward those who need more help with their daily lives.

Memory care community: a residence for seniors with Alzheimer’s that provides supervision and treatment around the clock. This kind of community provides 24-hour skilled nursing care and support from staff, along with social and recreational activities.

While you are going to have your options available to you, know that many assisted living communities have memory care units in place . And this is not only for those suffering with Alzheimer’s but assistance to all that are experiencing forgetfulness.

Should Forgetfulness Be a Sign to Move into an Assisted Living Community?

Forgetfulness is something important to address, but there are many other reasons to move into an assisted living community aside from forgetfulness. Such as having trouble with daily living activities, any type of safety concerns, or when the primary caregiver is no longer capable to care for the elderly are all signs that an assisted living community may be needed. But probably one of the main signs related to forgetfulness is if your elders are wanderers, where they may wander too far and forget their way back, or maybe they do know their way back, but they forgot why they were wandering around in the first place which might be getting them away from other daily living activities they needed to do.

Family Involvement

Forgetfulness can sometimes lead to frustrations in communication. Your love ones may want to communicate to others in the assisted living community but cannot seem to remember what to communicate. Being the living family member of your elders, share with the staff information your elders need to remember, like what they like doing, talking about, types of food, scheduled medications, your contact information.

Forgetfulness is not always about Alzheimer’s disease, but even if it is a normal part of aging, it should still be addressed and considered in the life of the elderly. Being the family member of your love ones, communicate well with assisted living communities on things that are important to remember for the elderly so they can properly take care of them.