A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be devastating for your loved one, and for your family. However, while there is no cure, there are treatment options that have proven to be effective at slowing the progress, even halting it in its tracks. Memory care, a form of Alzheimer’s care, is an option but it differs greatly from assisted living.
Understanding the Differences
Assisted living facilities are relatively well understood. Your loved one must leave their home, and move to a specially designated location. Here, they will have quarters assigned to them – most often, this is like an apartment. They can live independently, but they are not able to stay where they are most comfortable.
A memory-focused Alzheimer’s care facility is different. While there are live-in facilities available, a new breed is emerging, where your loved one can stay in his or her home and visit the memory care center during the day. Also called adult day health care centers (ADHCCs), these facilities offer all of the benefits of an assisted living facility, without requiring your loved one to give up their home.
For instance, the right facility will offer access to registered nurses, access to certified social workers, therapeutic recreation, dietary services, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, Alzheimer’s care, personal care and more.
Also, these facilities provide transportation for patients. They will pick your loved one up in the morning from your home and then return them in the evening so they can eat their evening meal and spend time with the family.
Which Is Right?
There is no one size fits all solution here. One patient might benefit more from an assisted living facility, while another might benefit from an adult day health care center. Determining which is right for your loved one can be challenging, though. However, if your loved one has someone to provide care during the evening and at night, it is usually better to go the ADHCC route, as it allows them to remain where they are most comfortable, surrounded by furnishings and other items that are familiar to them. Removing them from this environment can worsen their dementia-related symptoms.
Not sure how an ADHCC can benefit your loved one? We invite you to get in touch with us at Jersey Shore Adult Day Care to learn more about our services and programs.
