Home Care vs Memory Care for Those with Dementia
When a loved one is diagnosed with memory loss, it can raise a lot of questions about the best way care for them. Should you consider home care or a community that specializes in caring for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia? At South Port Square, we know you want the best for your family member, and are here to help you find the option that works best for everyone, whether that includes our memory care community or in-home care.
What is Memory Care?
This is a special kind of care for seniors with some form of dementia. Memory care communities maintain a higher staff-to-resident ratio than a typical senior living community and are trained in caring for people with dementia. Common areas are also protected with an access code to avoid wandering. At South Port Square, our team will get to know your loved one and create a personalized plan to help with activities of daily living and manage medication, provide meals, transportation, housekeeping and other social activities.
What is In-Home Care?
For many seniors, in-home care may offer practical help with activities of daily living along with peace of mind. The level of care they require will be based on your loved one’s needs. Typically care can range from a few hours a week spent preparing meals and housekeeping to round-the-clock supervision.
Key Things to Consider
Environment and safety
One of the biggest differences between memory care and home care is the environment. Memory care requires moving into a new community, while home care involves a care aide coming to your family member’s home. Because many seniors have lived in the same house for decades, moving to a new space can be an emotional process. That’s why home care might be the easier choice to start out with, but when care needs increase, home care may not be enough, or it may be too costly.
Memory care can offer security with services and features like:
- 24-hour awake staff
- Secured entrances and exits (alarmed doors, keypad entrances, etc.)
- Accessibility features, like open floor plans and low thresholds
- Emergency response systems
You can work in many of the needed safety precautions into your loved one’s home, but these modifications can be expensive:
- Alarmed doors and windows, to prevent dangers caused by wandering
- Safety modifications, such as locking cabinets, stove locks, grab bars and stair lifts
- Clear, specially designed paths that are free of clutter throughout the house for safe, unimpeded wandering
- Sensory stimulation spaces, like a room designated for touch, light and sound therapy
- Fencing for any open outdoor areas
Staff training
Both caregivers in memory care communities and home care aides have experience supporting residents on a daily basis, but communities often must follow stricter state regulations. In some states, regulations require caregiving staff to take extensive memory care classes. These classes train and certify caregivers in updated, effective strategies to manage common behaviors associated with dementia.
Amenities and activities
A key component of memory care is the activities and therapies designed to help individuals in any stage of dementia. Activities can be incorporated at home or in a community, but the major difference is that memory care communities offer specialized activity programming within a purpose-built setting.
The Importance of Having a Care Routine
Changes to the brain caused by dementia, including memory loss, can create stress, anxiety and irrational behaviors. Having the structure of a daily routine can help decrease these undesired behaviors like aggression, restlessness and agitation. By creating a series of familiar routines and activities, it allows someone with dementia to feel comforted and calm.
Choosing Between Memory Care and In-Home Care
Consider how much care and help your loved one will have available at home and how much additional support is needed. Start by making a list of the things your family member needs help with on a weekly, monthly and daily basis. Be realistic about how much support your family members and friends can provide. To help you narrow down your choices even more, here are some other factors to consider:
- Stage of dementia: If your loved one has mild or moderate dementia symptoms, in-home care can be a good option, if you can tailor caregiving tasks and responsibilities to meet their specific needs.
- Isolation: Even with caregivers coming to your home on a regular basis, your loved one can become socially isolated. For some, being with other people their own age may be more beneficial.
- Emergency planning: How will you handle an illness, medication reaction or other emergency that requires going to the doctor, hospital or urgent care? These disruptions can also be very disturbing to someone with memory loss.
Care That’s Heartfelt and Award-Winning
At South Port Square, our award-winning memory care features an innovative program called Heartfelt CONNECTIONS – A Memory Care Program®. Our holistic approach to care is here to support your entire family with resources, counseling and more. To learn more about how memory care can help your loved one, use our Community Assistant chat feature or contact us here.
