Signs Your Loved One Could Now Benefit From Entering A Memory Care Facility

Caring for your elderly loved one at home can be very rewarding. But there may come a time when you, alone, are no able to provide the care your loved one needs and deserves. This is especially true when your elderly loved one suffers from dementia or Alzheimers. So how do you know the time has come for them to move out of your home and into a memory care facility? Keep an eye out for these signs.

You're having trouble satisfying your loved one's health care needs.

Maybe your loved one needs several medications, but you're having trouble getting them to take those meds. Perhaps they are supposed to have injections once a day, but they've begun fighting you when you try to administer them. These are just a few examples. The underlying message is that when your loved one's memory disorder starts making it too hard for you to meet their medical needs, they are ready to enter a memory care facility. The doctors and staff at these facilities are trained to deal with situations like this and can ensure your loved one gets the healthcare they need in spite of their personality changes.

Their behavior is unsafe.

Leaving the stove on, forgetting to lock the door, wandering down the street, and not knowing how to get home — these behaviors tend to increase as dementia or Alzheimers worsens. You can deal with an incident here or there, but when these behaviors start occurring on a monthly or weekly basis, your loved one is no longer safe at home. Sure, you can make changes like putting safety knobs on the stove, but this only works for so long.

Hygiene has become a struggle.

As memory condition worsens, you have to do more and more to care for your loved one's hygiene needs. Eventually, doing things like brushing their teeth and bathing them becomes a struggle. Your loved one may be uncomfortable with you doing this for them, so they may not allow you to do so. At a memory care facility, caregivers are specially trained to satisfy these needs.

You're exhausted.

It's not all about your loved one, either. Caring for them can be really, really hard, and draining. If you're feeling exhausted and other aspects of your life are being neglected, then putting them into a memory care facility may be best for everyone. You can then spend your time with them having fun.

At a certain stage, putting your loved one in a memory care facility is the best thing you can do for them. Keep an eye out for signs that time has come.