Even in the early stages of dementia, the disease can interrupt your daily life. Early signs include forgetting where you are, having poor judgment, missing bill payments and misplacing objects. It can cause potentially dangerous mistakes, such as forgetting to lock doors, skipping doses of medications or leaving the stove on. Some people start to wander or get lost in their own neighborhood, which creates potential safety risks.
Memory care communities offer secure environments where you can move about freely without the risks of living on your own. The neighborhoods are typically secured with a layout that's easy to navigate. A 24-7 caregiving team offers support and guidance to help keep residents safe. For instance, they can provide medication management to ensure residents take their prescriptions correctly. Help is easy to access with the 24-hour emergency call system. The safety of a senior community can give you and your loved ones peace of mind.
When you move to a memory care community in the early stages of dementia, you have more involvement and control over the relocation. You can have more input on choosing a community that feels like home to you and be actively involved in packing to move. You can choose which sentimental items you want to take with you to make the space feel like home. While the transition can be emotional, it can also be comforting to feel like you're involved.
Bethesda Gardens Thornton offers both assisted living and memory care. Assisted living could be a suitable choice early in your diagnosis. You get extra support from the round-the-clock care staff while having complete freedom to do what you want. If that's the case, you'll already be living in a familiar place when you're ready to transition to the memory care neighborhood. You don't have to rush to find a memory care community once the situation becomes serious.
If your dementia progression is at a point where you're ready to go straight to memory care, the support you receive can increase to meet your changing needs. Every resident has a personal care plan that's tailored to the individual. The care team updates those plans as needed when a resident's situation changes.
The BLOOM by Bethesda approach to memory care focuses on spiritual, emotional, mental, social and physical well-being. A research-based program, BLOOM can help slow the progression of dementia. By moving to the community early in your dementia diagnosis, you might be able to hold off the effects of dementia and maintain your cognitive level longer. Waiting to enter memory care could mean you lose more of your cognitive functioning.
Memory care communities take care of maintenance, cleaning, cooking and many other chores you have to do yourself when you live on your own. It can reduce stress and create a more relaxed, carefree lifestyle to have these things done for you. Residents can dedicate more time to cognitively stimulating activities that could support their brain health.
In a memory care community, you're surrounded by others who are experiencing something similar. This can offer comfort and keep residents from feeling lonely, which can happen when living at home. Socialization also encourages conversation, which offers mental stimulation and could potentially slow the progression of dementia.
Residents engage in research-based therapies, activities and routines in memory care communities. For instance, at Bethesda Gardens Thornton, residents encounter intentional uses of touch, scent and rhythm to stimulate memories and feel soothed. Art, music and pet therapy programs are services you don't typically receive when you live at home. They can help support cognitive health and create an engaging experience.
When you live on your own, you might not have much of a routine. Having some consistency in your day when you're experiencing dementia symptoms can bring comfort and reduce stress. You know what to expect and might be able to remember things better. In a memory care community, you have consistency in mealtimes, resident activities and other parts of the schedule while still having the freedom to do what you want.
Bethesda Gardens Thornton offers a wide range of resident amenities on the campus. Residents enjoy access to a creative arts room, theater, fitness center, secure courtyard and more. Plus, we offer daily activities, such as manicures, games and crafts. Residents participate in physical activity to keep them moving and improve sleep, which can sometimes be a challenge with dementia. Living in memory care offers an engaging environment with many convenient amenities.
