Moving mom to a Memory Care sooner rather than later?

clarkjuliea64

I had asked earlier about trying to make the right decision on when put to my mom intoa memory care facility. A lot of replies stated the sooner the better. Can someone elaborate on that? Why is sooner better? Thank you

aegilfillan

I just moved my mom into memory care 3 weeks ago. She has mild dementia, but was not doing well living alone anymore and needed more assistance. I would love perspective on this also as I am having a lot of guilt. She is the most mild of all living in the memory care and I worry she will deteriorate faster without enough stimulation there.

SDianeL

I went back and read your posts and I think the people who mentioned sooner than later meant the move out of state, not the move to Memory Care. Also many people said one move not 2 might be the best for your Mom. What most people post about Memory Care is that if you’re asking if it’s time, it’s time. Memory care provides safety because it’s locked and your LO can’t wander off plus they receive 24/7 care which is more difficult to provide at home. They usually have activities and encourage the PWD to participate.

H1235

There are I guess 4 options, independent living, assisted living, memory care and nursing home. Each of these progress from very little assistance to a lot of assistance. Independent living is not going to be appropriate for most with dementia. In assisted living they provide meals, laundry services, activities and help with medication. This type of facility is not locked and residents can come and go as they please. If your loved one is not talking about leaving, this might work. A mc facility is locked. There is no worries that a loved one will randomly decide to walk to the store. If there are other physical problems, need for help in and out of bed, help showering etc., they provide that as well ( some Al facilities may or may not). Of course there is a difference in cost and in some states neither are covered by Medicaid and would have to be paid out of pocket. A nursing home is generally not as homey and nice, but is covered by Medicaid if the requirements are met. Dementia is always progressing and of course we have no idea how quickly. Someone moved to Al may only be able to stay a year or two before they need to be moved for more care. Others are able to stay much longer. Moves can be difficult on a pwd. The change in routines from one facility to another can be very confusing. You don’t want to put your lo in a situation where they are receiving the maximum amount of care available on day one. Because they will only get worse, they will probably need to be moved to a higher level of care rather quickly. Some places do offer an Al wing and mc wing making the move less traumatic. That’s my take on it. I hope it helps.

lisn2cats

In anticipation of my mom eventually needing memory care, I moved her to a place that has both Assisted Living (where she is now) and MC on a lower level. One of the reasons I like this facility is, to the point H1235 made, the move will be smoother since the rooms are all nearly identical in layout/size. I would just need to move some of her furniture and decor to make it familiar.

sandwichone123

Often people recommend moving while the pwd dementia can still build relationships, rather than waiting. I moved my dh while he was still mostly independent with his ADLs. His verbal communication was nearly indecipherable by then, but he built great relationships with residents and staff.