Do you have an older citizen at home and are wondering when the right time for someone with dementia to move into care homes is? Well, dementia has posed a great deal of concern to older people and their relatives.
Dementia Care Homes Gloucester is open to new residents and welcomes family visits. As a young adult with an older friend or parent, you must have the right information about dementia care to know when to move your loved ones into the home.
This article will discuss the benefits of moving dementia patients into care homes, the early signs of dementia, the best time to move into care homes, and tips to help someone with dementia live happier and healthier.
Benefits of Moving Dementia Patients into Care Homes
1. Less Stressful
As a young adult with an active lifestyle, caring for your loved ones with dementia is quite stressful and tiring. As time passes, it is necessary to move your family member with dementia to a care home to reduce the stress you go through daily. As you reduce the work of caring for your loved ones, you can instead spend more quality time with them to relieve their memorable moments.
2. Adequate and Timely Care
If you move your loved one to a care home, they will receive adequate and timely care, which will help prolong their lives. Even more important, professionals and well-trained medical personnel will seek adequate and timely care for your loved ones.
Some of these tending to nonmedical persons cannot do. Hence, you will need to move your family member with dementia to a nursing home for proper and all-around care.
3. Increased Socialization Among Peers
If you move your aged loved ones to a nursing home, there is a possibility that it will improve their quality of life as they socialize more with folks their age. They can share past memorable moments and significant historical periods of their lives together.
Early Signs of Dementia
Here are the early signs associated with dementia:
- Difficulty in remembering times and dates
- Anxiety, depression, and mood swings
- Difficulty in handling easy tasks
- Misplacing objects and items
- Reduced concentration
- Visual hallucinations
Right Time to Move into Care Homes
1. You can move your aged loved ones into nursing homes when their medical and emotional needs are not met at home. Caring for adults with dementia can be a handful and emotionally draining. Once you find it difficult to meet your loved ones’ medical and emotional needs, it is the right time to move them into a care home.
2. It is time to move your aged loved one into a nursing home when the person’s health condition worsens. Once dementia sets in, it becomes worse over time. And as the physical, mental, and emotional health of your loved ones worsens, then it is the right time to move them into a nursing home.
3. Move your loved one into a care home once their safety is threatened. You must move family members into an older adult’s home as they grow old. Most times, when aged loved ones stay alone, their safety and security become a top priority. They must move into nursing homes to discourage them from wandering and putting themselves in harm’s way.
4. It is advisable to move your loved ones into a nursing home when caring for them takes a toll on you. Caring for adults who have dementia is tasking, especially if you have a day job and you maintain an active lifestyle. When things are no longer bearable, it is the right time to move them into an old people’s home.
Tips to Help Someone with Dementia Live a Healthier and Happier Lifestyle
Follow these tips to help your family member with dementia live a more meaningful life.
Set Up a Colorful and Well-Lit Room
Generally, staying in a colorful and well-lit room can greatly improve your mood even when you are bored. In the same way, you can set up a colorful and well-lit room for your aged family members to improve their mood. The room should be painted bright colors and decorated with pictures of family and friends.
1. Play Games, Especially Board Games
Playing games has been connected to improved cognitive health, especially in old age. To improve the health of your older family members, ensure they play more games in their free time. Board games like scrabble, sudoku, ludo, monopoly, and chess can help improve their mental health and mood. Encouraging them to play these games can create more bonding between the two of you.
2. Watch Family Memorabilia
Watching family pictures and videos can help stimulate the minds of people who have dementia to recall family events and activities that give them joy. This can help them connect better with their family members and friends.
3. Watch Funny Videos and Pictures
Watching funny videos and pictures has been connected to relieving stress and anxiety. You can create a compilation of funny videos and photos to make your loved ones laugh. This will help improve their moods and boost their mental health.
4. Spend Quality Time with Family Members
As your family members age, encourage them to spend more time with family and friends. As they discuss with family and friends, it becomes easier for them to make connections, and they might remember some important dates and moments in their lives, which can help improve their mood.
Help Your Loved Ones Live Longer by Moving Them into a Care Home at the Right Time!
Dementia is a natural occurrence in older citizens. It is a stage of life that is inevitable. But with the proper care, your loved ones can live healthier and happier lifestyles if they move into care homes at the right time.
Once dementia sets in, there are some recognizable signs you’ll notice that will help in caring for your family and friends with dementia better.
Reference
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-support/help-dementia-care/care-homes-decision
https://lottie.org/care-guides/when-should-someone-with-dementia-go-into-a-care-home/
