Family caregivers can eventually find themselves at a crossroads. The desire to be the primary provider of care for a loved one or deciding that a senior living community is a better option.
Caring for a senior loved one can be rewarding, but may not be sustainable, especially if they experience Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
There are a number of aspects to consider when deciding whether a senior living community is the right step for your family. We’ve included factors to consider in terms of what is best for your loved one and yourself, as well as help with understanding memory care.
Take The Weight off of You and Your Family
The reality is that taking care of a loved one as they age is a major commitment and important responsibility. Depending on the circumstances it can mean less time with friends, giving up a career, or spending significant time away from the family you’ve created in order to properly care for your senior loved one.
These sacrifices take a toll, not just psychologically but also physically. They become an investment of your emotions and time, which can leave little space for you, the caregiver.
The level of responsibility when caring for seniors can also fall disproportionately on certain family members or friends. Redistributing the care so that everyone is able to be their best selves is important.
We may live near enough that we can check on our loved ones on a daily basis. These once or twice a day check-ins are a big commitment and not always a realistic option. This commitment will also likely increase as care needs change, especially if memory issues arise for your loved one.
If you live in another city, state, or country, visiting with any level of frequency or consistency becomes increasingly challenging. Making sure that they are in the best health and receiving the best care can be difficult from a distance.
Relying on the care of a senior living community can not only restore balance to your daily life, but it can also provide state-of-the art care for your loved one, helping them to live as independently as possible with the support of a team of professionals who provide care customized to the senior’s specific needs.
Spend More Quality Time Together
When caring for a senior there is a lot of time that centers around making sure that their basic needs are met. This can mean that there’s little time for actually enjoying one another.
Having a chance to sit and have a cup of coffee or a nice meal with your loved one can get pushed to the side when you’re trying to keep up with tasks such as laundry, groceries, appointments, and medications.
By enlisting the help of a senior living community, you can trust that your senior loved one’s day-to-day care is optimized by a team of professionals. This frees you up to focus on spending quality time with your loved one.
Choosing a senior living community that encourages social engagement, visits, meals, activities, and involvement with family and friends will provide your family with support as you learn the best ways to engage with your senior loved one, even as their health changes or memory declines.
More Comprehensive Care at Senior Living Community vs at Home
The kind of care that comes with a senior living community is likely beyond what you can create in a home environment. The staff are trained professionals in any number of specialties related to senior care.
Depending on the level of care that your loved one needs, there are licensed nurses and aids that are trained to address them. These are people that can be additional members of the medical team you’ve already created to care for your loved one.
Having medical professionals available to make assessments and gauge the physical and emotional health of your loved one can be an invaluable asset for your peace of mind and your loved one’s quality of life.
From independent living, to assisted living, to memory care, on-site services can include resources such as the following that Kensington Park offers:
- Rehabilitation
- Various forms of therapy for specific needs such as memory loss
- Programs to maintain or regain physical health
- Brain fitness
- Fall risk management
- Wellness
- Art therapy
- Brain wellness
- Massage therapy
- Personal training
Find The Right Senior Living Community For Your Loved One
Finding the right senior living community for your loved one will take a weight off of the shoulders of you and your family. It will mean more quality time spent with the people you love and a chance to ease the caregiver stress and fatigue that can come with caring for your senior loved one.
A key part of finding the right community is understanding levels of care and the transition to memory care for seniors who experience dementia. According to the CDC, approximately 40% of residential care community residents experience some form of dementia.
Being part of a community that specializes in caring for residents with memory care needs means that you can relax knowing that your loved one is surrounded by people who respect and understand them.
Levels of Care at Kensington Park
At Kensington Park we provide all levels of care. A resident could enter needing no assistance, and they could benefit from our mental and physical health offerings in independent living. As they age and they begin to need some help in completing daily activities or managing medications, for example, they can transition into assisted living.
Understanding memory care
If a senior is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, as they experience the stages of dementia, they can transition into The Kensington Club and then to our neighborhoods designed specifically for memory care.
- The Kensington Club is a bridge to the next level of care, designed to help residents when mild forgetfulness begins to interfere with daily life.
- Our neighborhoods — Connections for early stages of dementia and Haven for advanced memory loss — are each customized to meet different levels of memory care needs. Both neighborhoods are cozy, intimate, secure, and staffed by specialized professionals.
At Kensington Park we believe the best care is provided when we help residents age in place.
If it feels like caring for your loved one is becoming a challenge that is getting harder for you to meet, schedule a virtual tour of Kensington Park. See our beautiful campus and meet our loving and dedicated staff. We promise to love and care for your family as we do our own.
Reach out to us to schedule a call and we can discuss the ways in which we can support your family.
Further Reading:
To learn more about our exceptional assisted living and memory care at Kensington Park, click below or give us a call today for any questions. We promise to love and care for your family, as we do our own.