Dementia: What Are My Options?

When our loved ones age and new difficulties with health arise, it is important to be honest and plan ahead.  There are a few options (how do you choose?) for our loved ones with Dementia and different people require different care to be happy and healthy.

Home Care

Many seniors find immense comfort in living in their own home where they have lived for the majority of their life. As we age, most of us plan to live out our days in the homes where we hope to raise our families, this can be a possibility for our loved ones with dementia.

There are a couple crucial factors to consider like does you love one to live alone in the house or is his/ her spouse there too? Are the living conditions of the home up to par or is there too much maintenance? And most importantly: how far has the Dementia progressed? Your loved one's doctor can also be extremely helpful. Depending on the answers to these questions you can evaluate if your loved one can live safely in their own home. Part time or live-in aid is also available. One thing to keep in mind is that Dementia will continue to progress so even if they are fit to live on their own now things may change later.

Early Stage Dementia Care

Moving your loved one into a memory care is a great option for some families. For early stages of Dementia, senior communities often have specialized units for seniors who have the beginning symptoms of Dementia. Care for initial stages will feature a more independent living situation for seniors, but will still have consistent aid with an easier lifestyle with the majority of needs taken care of. Would they be good fit for early stage Dementia care? Once again, your doctor is your best friend. One important thing about moving your loved one into an assisted living community at the signs of early dementia is that they can always be moved into a late stage unit as their disease progresses and their needs increase. This is an easier transition than that of home to late stage care.

Late Stage Dementia Care

Late stage dementia requires more care may be necessary. Many assisted living communities offer a unit for those with late stage dementia which offers a more controlled environment and around the clock care. This is a good fit for those who cannot live by themselves and need a lot of aid to be happy, safe, and healthy. Your loved one's needs can be assessed by both those who have been near them and their doctors to decide if late stage care is a right fit for them.

Whether in Barrington, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, Lake Zurich, Deer Park, Inverness, Bull Valley, Crystal Lake, Schaumberg, and Hoffman Estates, senior living communities offer many memory care options for your loved ones and you will be sure to find one that fits.