Memory Care Resources
Connection. Education. Supporting families on their dementia journey is part of Grand Brook’s mission.
What exactly is dementia?
Dementia is not a specific disease. It is instead a condition that causes a progressive deterioration of the brain’s functioning. Dementia may cause memory loss, inability to reason, personality changes, lack of insight, or loss of language skills. Some individuals with advanced dementia may experience personality and behavioral changes, delusions or even vivid hallucinations.
Dementia is more than simple memory loss
Everyone develops a certain amount of memory loss as they advance in age. While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss alone does not mean your loved one has dementia. For a person to be clinically diagnosed as having dementia, they must exhibit impairment of two or more brain functions. Some of these may include memory loss, language skills, reasoning or perception.
The more we understand dementia, the more we can do
At Grand Brook every member of our staff has received training in memory care and how to provide the sort of patient, compassionate care for someone with dementia. We are here to provide your loved one with 24-hour care and free you to be an adult child, spouse or friend instead of a primary caregiver.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in people over 65. Although the disease usually does not appear until after 60, symptoms can show up as early as in the 30s. In the early stages of AD, a loved one may experience memory impairment, lapses of judgment and subtle changes in personality. As the disorder progresses, memory and language problems worsen and individuals begin to have difficulty performing the activities of daily living.
When is full-time memory care necessary?
Once a loved one reaches the stage described above, regular tasks like remembering to take medication or remembering that you already took your pills, become challenging. At this stage, the family can either move the loved one into their home, hire full-time care or investigate assisted living communities like Grand Brook.
Dealing with a dementia diagnosis is challenging for even the closest of families, but you do not have to face this challenge alone. We understand how dementia can affect families and can help develop a plan to get the care that your loved one needs. Do not hesitate to speak with one of our team members. We are pleased to help educate families on their options, empower them to make informed decisions about their loved ones, and get them connected to the resources they need now and in the future. Many of our communities host support groups, which can be a tremendous help to caregivers.
You need a plan
Developing a plan for your loved one is the first proactive step to take. Providing care for a loved one with dementia is an experience that poses many challenges. While always rewarding, it is not always as fulfilling as we expect. Grand Brook wants to provide you with resources that will assist you in coping with and caring for your loved one, your family and yourself.
More Dementia Care Resources
We recommend the following books to our Grand Brook families
The 36 hour day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer’s Disease, Related Dementias and Memory Loss / Nancy L. Mace MA and Peter V. Rabins MD MPH
Subject: Dementia Guide
Description:
Through five editions, The 36-Hour Day has been an essential resource for families who love and care for people with Alzheimer disease. The 36-Hour Day will help family members and caregivers address these challenges and simultaneously cope with their own emotions and needs.
Creating Moments of Joy Along the Alzheimer’s Journey / Joelene Brackey
Subject: Dementia Guide
Description:
The beloved best seller has been revised and expanded for the fifth edition. The new edition of Creating Moments of Joy is filled with more practical advice sprinkled with hope, encouragement, new stories, and generous helpings of humor. In this volume, Brackey reveals that our greatest teacher is having cared for and loved someone with Alzheimer’s and that often what we have most to learn about is ourselves.
Loving Someone with Dementia / Pauline Boss PhD
Subject: Caregiving
Description:
Loving Someone Who Has Dementia is a new kind of caregiving book. The book is for caregivers, family members, friends, neighbors as well as educators and professionals—anyone touched by the epidemic of dementia. Dr. Boss helps caregivers find hope in “ambiguous loss”—having a loved one both here and not here, physically present but psychologically absent.
videos
Understanding Dementia Teepa Snow (18:13)
Why Activities Matter Teepa
Snow (5:49)
Caring for Someone Who has Dementia Teepa Snow (3:17)
Jami M. – Grand Brook family member
“There is no place I would rather have (mom) be. Thank you Grand Brook, you are truly angels on earth!!”