Living with dementia brings unique challenges to day-to-day routines. From small changes in memory to larger cognitive changes, dementia is an extremely complex condition. It doesn’t just affect your loved one—dementia often impacts everybody involved.
Dementia can affect daily life by altering memory, decision-making, communication skills, and more. Your loved one may develop personality changes, unusual behavior, or difficulty with everyday tasks. If a loved one is diagnosed with dementia, professional care is key to maintaining their quality of life.
What Is Dementia?
When thinking of dementia, most people think it’s one condition. However, that’s not quite the case. The word “dementia” is used as a sort of umbrella term for a group of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. These underlying conditions can cause varying symptoms.
Regardless of the specific type in question, dementia damages cells and structures throughout the brain. Eventually, this leads to issues with memory, thinking, and behavior. However, dementia is a progressive problem—as it worsens, the symptoms become more severe.
As dementia progresses, it can become much more complicated. It can cause disorientation and difficulty completing familiar tasks. Your loved one may forget how to recognize hazards or act unusually, like wandering nearby areas without care. These changes aren’t just occasional slip-ups—they interfere with everyday safety and abilities.
The Early Signs Of Dementia
Eventually, dementia reaches a point where it’s dangerous for your loved one to stay independent. However, dementia is also tricky. The early signs of dementia can be subtle, but it’s important to know what to watch out for.
If your loved one shows the signs of dementia, you should seek professional support. This is key to keeping them safe. Some common early signs of dementia include:
- Forgetting recently learned information or repeating questions.
- Trouble completing familiar tasks, like cooking meals or paying bills.
- Disorientation, such as losing track of dates or forgetting where they are.
- Misplacing items and being unable to retrace steps to find them.
- Challenges with language, like struggling to find the right words.
As dementia worsens, these become more obvious. While some symptoms may seem like everyday forgetfulness, others signal that something serious is going on.
The Different Types Of Dementia
There are different types of dementia. Each has unique symptoms, causes, and effects on everyday life. Some of the common types of dementia include:
- Alzheimer’s disease. This is the most common type of dementia and is easily recognizable by memory loss and forgetfulness.
- Vascular dementia. This results from reduced blood flow to the brain, often due to stroke or injury, and causes problems with thinking, problem-solving, and senses.
- Lewy body dementia. This develops due to unusual proteins in the brain called “Lewy bodies“, and causes hallucinations, sleep disturbances, and changes in movement.
- Frontotemporal dementia. This affects the frontal and temporal lobes in the brain and causes personality changes, behavioral shifts, and difficulty in communication.
Each type of dementia progresses differently. However, they all share similar results—the symptoms worsen. It becomes dangerous for your loved one to be left alone, or risky for them to live without professional support. Eventually, these symptoms compromise your loved one’s everyday abilities and safety. So what can you do?
What Is Memory Care?
If your loved one is living with dementia, it’s time for memory care. This is a supportive approach designed to help those living with cognitive decline. Memory care creates a safe, structured environment designed to help your loved one thrive.
Memory care is a little different than other types of senior living. It specifically addresses the specific challenges of dementia. These communities create a custom care plan to meet your loved one’s needs every day.
In memory care, your loved one gains access to round-the-clock support from trained caregivers with extensive knowledge of dementia. Every day is structured to bring routine and familiarity to your loved one.
The Benefits of Memory Care
This type of care offers significant benefits to older adults in need. Memory care offers:
- Structured activities and programs to promote engagement and socialization.
- Safe and secure living environments with features like handrails and emergency call systems.
- Nutritious meals designed to meet specific dietary needs related to dementia.
- Tailored therapy sessions that aim to stimulate cognitive function and emotional well-being.
Meanwhile, memory care communities offer valuable support to the families as well. The peace of mind they provide is invaluable. It’s an amazing way to help a loved one maintain their dignity. Memory care is a lifestyle that genuinely respects them as the person they are.
How To Tell If It’s Time For Memory Care
So how can you tell if it’s time for memory care? If your loved one is dealing with cognitive decline, memory impairment, or dementia, memory care is a great way to help. Try to watch out for signs that your loved one’s condition is affecting their everyday life, such as:
- Forgetting to eat meals or take medications, leading to noticeable physical health changes.
- Wandering off or becoming lost, even in familiar places.
- Difficulty maintaining hygiene routines or keeping up with housework.
- Caregiver fatigue, where family members feel burned out or stressed from caregiving .
- Increasing safety concerns, such as frequent falls or leaving appliances unattended.
These signs all indicate that it’s time for a change. Memory care can be an excellent decision—it’s an amazing way to help maintain your loved one’s quality of life.
How To Help Someone With Dementia
Supporting a loved one with dementia requires adaptability and compassion. The decision to move to memory care is emotional, but it’s key to helping them every day. So if your loved one is living with dementia, reach out to our team at Bella Mar Delray Beach. Our team is ready to support you and your family, and we know how to help. Schedule your visit with us today!
