Choosing care for a loved one with dementia can be a journey—searching for what fits, what works and what feels right – similar to Goldilocks, the curious girl who tested every chair, tasted every bowl of porridge and finally found the bed that was just right.
You’ve noticed the signs. Your loved one isn’t thriving at home and despite your best efforts, you can’t patch the gaps that dementia leaves behind. You’ve tried creative solutions and temporary fixes that worked for a while but eventually failed. Whether you’re an adult child, spouse or friend, your loved one’s needs have become more than you can manage. Now, it’s time to find a place that’s just right.
And so, your search begins — you become Goldilocks.
The First Attempt: Independent Living
You step into a beautiful apartment, compare it to your loved one’s current home, and think he/she will like it. Then you remember that your loved one only uses three rooms of his/her house and those are becoming harder to navigate. Your loved one has forgotten how to use the stove or microwave. Food is left untouched in the fridge. While the apartment is lovely, it’s not the right fit for your loved one.
The Next Try: Assisted Living
Next, you consider assisted living. It offers a warm community, engaging activities and thoughtful care. However, by accepting your loved one’s unique needs, you realize your loved one may benefit from a more specialized environment.
The “Just Right” Solution: Memory Care
Finally, you arrive at an assisted living memory care support neighborhood — the option you ignored, thinking it was too soon. You start understanding all the benefits memory care offers, including:
- A safe environment with access to a secured outdoor area, perfect for nature lovers
- Higher staff-to-resident ratio with trained dementia care specialists, providing a higher level of skilled attention to your loved one’s needs
- Daily activities that are tailored to every stage of memory loss to, consistently engaging your loved one
Research shows individuals with dementia thrive in memory care assisted living and are less likely to be admitted into a nursing home’s long-term care.
Finding the right care is about choosing the best place for your loved one to live with dignity, safety and a sense of belonging. Memory care offers that peace of mind — the place that is “just right.”
Discover how Carroll Lutheran Villages’ memory care neighborhood may be “just right” for your loved one.
About the Author
Dr. Cate McCarty has decades of experience in dementia care with a master’s degree in thanatology and a Ph.D. in aging studies.
