Why Memory Care Assisted Living Facilities Are So Important For People With Severe Cognitive Conditions

There are many diseases and debilitating conditions that can affect your mind as you get older. Often these don't display themselves until the person is well into their 60s and 70s, which is also when their body is at its most frail. Conditions like dementia and Alzheimers combined with an ever-aging body can be a dangerous combination, and many people that don't get the treatment they need can die prematurely and without dignity. That is why a memory care assisted living facility is so vital for those who suffer from these horrible cognitive conditions. Here is why they are different from regular retirement homes.

More Attention

While freedom and privacy are certainly important even as you get older, the level at which a person with dementia or Alzheimers can be left alone is much lower than other, elderly residents. This means that the care a normal retirement home gives people with these conditions is often not enough to make sure they stay safe from themselves. In a memory care facility, they are continuously monitored so that they do not accidentally harm themselves or work themselves up to the point of having a panic attack. The caregivers there are much better equipped to handle these sorts of situations as well.

Specifically Catered Facilities

People with these advanced cognitive conditions require a very strict regimen so that they can develop good habits even in their current state. If they are allowed to choose when to eat on their own or when to go for exercise, then often they never will and can get angry and confused at why they then feel so awful. A memory care unit provides that stability by making sure they tick all the boxes that they should in a day to still provide a good quality of life for their residents. 

More Frequent Medical Check-Ups

Cognitive decline, especially with conditions as fierce as the ones mentioned above, can happen quite quickly and so, it is important that people in memory care facilities get the medical attention they need. In a normal retirement home, they might not get that face time they need with a doctor or mental health expert, but in a memory care facility, they will. This allows them to adjust their medication, suggest a different, more comfortable routine, and otherwise check that no other aspects of their health are getting much worse. This makes the twilight years of someone with even severe mental health conditions much more dignified, which is something everyone wants for their loved one. 

Contact a local memory care facility to learn more.