Every 3 seconds, someone in the world develops dementia. These diagnoses can trigger a cascade of questions and uncertainty about what the future will look like for your loved one.
Dementia is more than just memory issues. It changes the way a person’s brain works, causing challenges such as hallucinations, personality changes, and physical symptoms and issues. The brain is the body’s control center, and any disease that attacks the brain is unpredictable. One person living with dementia might remain healthy for years, whereas another may struggle with symptoms shortly after diagnosis.
If your loved one is living with dementia, memory care services can restore a sense of balance to their life, ensuring they are safe and supported no matter what the future brings.
So what is memory care? Memory care centers on the notion that, although dementia changes how a person’s brain behaves, it doesn’t have to compromise their quality of life. Memory care in a WesleyLife community focuses on the unique needs of people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. We believe that while dementia is life-changing, it is not the end of a meaningful life.
What Is Memory Care?
A changing brain means changing needs. The person who once read a book a day might now be more comfortable listening to a book on tape. Some people with dementia feel compelled to explore and walk many miles a day. Others feel anxious in new surroundings, or struggle to recognize loved ones.
No matter what symptoms your loved one is living with, memory care can help. Our communities provide engaging programming and compassionate support that cater to the specific challenges of living with dementia. At WesleyLife communities, memory care looks nothing like the clinical setting you would see in a hospital. Residents live in comfortable, home-like neighborhoods with open-concept kitchens and attractive amenities. Each household ensures residents can socialize, rest, and enjoy their days in a safe environment. We believe in dementia with dignity.
How Memory Care Supports Caregivers
Caregiver burnout is very real and very dangerous. Caregiving for a loved one living with dementia can lead to anxiety, depression, and even chronic health issues. If you can’t care for yourself, you can’t care for your loved one. And no caregiver can realistically do it all. This is where memory support comes in.
Some of the benefits for caregivers include:
- Exceptional care quality: Finding memory-care resources to meet your loved one's needs at home can be difficult, and such services are often cost-prohibitive. Memory care in a WesleyLife community offers everything your loved one needs in a safe and enriching environment.
- Improved relationship with your loved one: Without the daily challenges of caregiving, you may find that your relationship with your loved one becomes easier, more balanced, and more joyful.
- Reduced caregiver burnout: Days being spent worrying whether you’re doing enough, answering questions from family members, dealing with critical friends, and never having time for yourself can take a toll. Your needs matter, too.
The Benefits of Memory Care for People Living With Dementia
The difficult reality of dementia is that it will change how your loved one functions in the world. But this change doesn’t have to be bad. Memory care meets your loved one where they are and offers numerous benefits, including:
- Respect for their dignity, wishes, and needs.
- A chance for them to remain as active, engaged, and social as possible.
- Enriching programming tailored to their desires and abilities.
- Dementia-informed care from experts. For example, research shows that memories of music may live on in the brains of people with dementia, so music therapy can help ease anxiety and agitation.
How WesleyLife Does Memory Care
At Wesley Life, memory care is person-centric and focused on optimizing day-to-day life. Your loved one will benefit from attentive support 24/7. And your family will receive support, too. We offer a wide range of family programs to help you navigate the ups and downs of loving someone with dementia.
Perhaps most importantly of all, we are deeply committed to understanding how dementia affects your loved one. We want to reduce the anxiety that can cause changes in behavior and help your loved one live their best life.
If you’re ready to reduce stress and find the compassionate care your loved one and family deserve, learn more about our memory care communities.
