As the Silent Generation continues to age and the first of the Baby Boomers are officially seniors, the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease continues to rise. Anyone caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s knows firsthand how important senior memory care is in maintaining a comfortable and safe environment.
A safe environment
It is quite common for people with dementia to become disoriented. Over 60 percent of individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s become confused when they stand up from where they are sitting.
Retirement communities design memory care areas with this question in mind. And the answer is something they call “safe environments”.
One of the hardest parts of being in a memory care community is saying goodbye to visitors. Senior memory care areas often have hidden-in-plain-sight vestibules between the living space and the exit to make the farewells less traumatic for both the resident and their family members. Wall murals or sensory walls are also incorporated to promote a calm feeling for residents who feel restless or confused.
In addition to the physical environment, the team members in senior memory care areas are also crucially important. Living Branches trains team members to understand how dementia and Alzheimer’s affects people, what a good day or a bad day may look like, and how to comfort a resident who is sad, agitated, or disoriented.
As they work in the senior Memory Care communities at Living Branches, they begin to develop relationships with the residents and their families. They know their food preferences, favorite music, life history, and how to avoid potential triggers that may upset them.
Mental stimulation
Senior memory care communities understand the importance of learning the latest research findings, as much work is being done to understand dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Living Branches is certified to offer the Music & Memory program, which supplies personalized playlists to residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s in an effort to reverse some of the effects of the disease. Creativity is stored in scattered areas throughout the brain, as opposed to facts and figures that are often stored in one area. Stimulating the brain’s creative centers can help awaken areas throughout the brain – even in the later stages of dementia.
Living Branches also offers Creative Arts Therapy to residents in Memory Care. Music therapy connects individuals with dementia to memories associated with music, and uses the compassionate skilled support of a therapeutic relationship to help them process any emotional reactions that may come. Our certified creative arts therapists offer group and one-to-one sessions in art, music, and dance. Residents listen, hum, sing, move, and play along – and there’s no way to do it wrong.
Give them the best possible care
Living Branches offer residential care programs for individuals with dementia-related conditions. We provide 24-hour care and expert staff for our residents in various locations in southeast Pennsylvania.
If you have concerns about providing senior memory care services for a family member, please call Living Branches at 215-368-4438.