For those that have been diagnosed with dementia, being in a supportive community where a professional team is on hand to keep eye on their whereabouts and wellbeing is immensely important. Moreover, communities that specialize in memory care can benefit affected residents by slowing down the effects of dementia overtime, as it is a progressive ailment. Your loved one may have showed early signs of dementia, but recent developments could have urged you to start considering communities that support memory care in Gulfport, MS for them. Here are some sings to look out for when making this decision.
Your Loved One Loses Their Way
A prominent sign of dementia is one’s forgetfulness, which can affect their ability to recall directions to places they’d usually be well-familiar with, as well as cause sleep disruptions in some cases.
If you notice your loved one waking up periodically at night and becoming dazed or disoriented, they may start to wander.
Wandering places your loved one at great risk of danger as they may head outside the house to areas they are not familiar with, potentially causing them to not be able to return home.
If you live in a climate that experiences harsh temperatures, or weather conditions, this can increase the susceptibility of their bodies to physical injury.
Memory care communities provide the essential element of security that prevents such incidents from happening. With a variety of outdoor amenities that are enclosed, your loved one will also be able to carry out their day-to-day life in an enjoyable and safe manner.
You’ve Noticed Your Loved One’s Weight Changing Drastically
Perhaps your loved one has gained or lost weight recently, with seemingly no apparent cause. When this happens, one possibility is that they’ve either developed a pattern of forgetting to eat, which can cause drastic weight loss, or they often forgot they’ve eaten already and thus consume more meals than usual, which causes excessive weight gain.
Keep an eye out for rapid bodily changes in your loved one, as this can be a sign of their dementia condition worsening.
Memory care communities have a dedicated team on hand that will monitor your loved one’s nutrition and eating schedule, which can help overcome this issue.
For instance, our community’s in-house chef has had years of culinary experience and can easily adhere to special meal requests as well as dietary restrictions of your loved one. Through this highly-personalized dining experience, they’ll be able to keep your loved one in good shape!
Your Loved One Has Neglected Personal Care
In a similar vein, forgetting routines can cause your loved one to start neglecting their personal care routines.
If you’ve noticed your loved one being less tidy, such as having wrinkled clothes or unkempt hair that has not been regularly washed, it may be time to start moving them into a memory care community. Such places often offer personal assistance with daily tasks like these, so that you can have a peace of mind knowing that they are well taken care of.
You’re Burnt Out
Caregiving is not an easy task, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel emotionally or physically worn out.
As much as you want to care for your loved one who has dementia, providing continual care that is best suited to their needs may be best left to professionals.
Memory care communities can be an option that is in both your best interest, allowing you to keep in touch with them while having the weight of caregiving lifted off your shoulders.
Our community offers an excellent memory care living option, with trained and dedicated medical professionals available on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to tend to your loved one. These memory care professionals will also be able to assess the daily health progress of residents with dementia to determine if the treatment they are receiving is indeed suitable for their condition, allowing them to manage their symptoms better. If you’re interested in finding out more, make sure to download our free guide to memory care.
