The time has come for your loved one to move into a memory care residence in Dauphin, AL. While it may seem the perfect solution, your loved one may be concerned about this transition. You can help them feel comfortable and safe in their new home by following these tips:
Start With An Assessment
The first step to finding the right memory care residence for your loved one is to start with a professional assessment. This will help you understand their needs and ensure they are matched with a care team, programs, and amenities that meet them.
You should also make sure that you know what you are looking for in a memory care residence. You can use this guide as a reference point as well as ask questions about their policies, activities, or daily schedules when touring different residences. An experienced team member will be able to help educate you on what makes each one unique so that you can find the best fit for your loved one’s personality and needs.
Understand The Space
Next, you’ll want to get familiar with the space. The community layout is important for many reasons: it will help you determine how your loved one feels about their new surroundings and allow you to understand how they will spend their time. A key question to ask when visiting a community is what daily activities are offered and what time they take place. You should also ask if they have an activity calendar so that you can see what’s coming up next week, month or year.
Once familiarized with the space, it’s time to learn how your loved one will communicate with other residents, team members, and medical professionals in the community. Everyone must have someone who understands their needs to feel comfortable in the new environment. Ask questions such as “How often do caregivers check on my loved one?”, “How often does someone come into our apartment?” and “How do I reach someone at night?” You should also inquire whether team members write notes on paper or electronically so family members can read them later if necessary.
Keep Things Simple
As you would expect, your loved one will be overwhelmed by the new environment and may feel anxious or confused. Try to keep things simple for them at first, including the way you communicate. If too many choices are offered for activities or meals, for example, your loved one will likely shut down entirely rather than deal with such a complex situation.
You should also refrain from offering too many rules when making changes in their life: if they feel overwhelmed by multiple steps at once (such as adding more items in the morning), they may shut down again or become more resistant. Focus on one task before moving on to another so they can get used to each step separately instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything in one go.
Give Yourself Time To Get Used To Things
Take your time with the process. It’s okay to take a bit of time to get used to things, especially if you’re moving into a new residence all together. If you’re going from a home where your loved one lived alone and had their own space, it may be difficult for them to get used to sharing that space with others.
You shouldn’t try to do everything at once, either. Try not to overwhelm yourself by trying too much at once when transitioning into a memory care residence or community; this will only make things more difficult for both yourself and your loved one.
All in all, it’s important to remember that no one move is going to be easy. Your loved one will have many things they need to adjust to, and you will need time to get used to all of this as well. The biggest thing you can do is take some time before the move to talk through all these changes with them and come up with a plan for how you’ll handle them together.
