35 Years of Compassionate Memory Care
35 Years of Compassionate Memory Care
Education
In order to be an effective caregiver, the family member needs to have a working understanding of dementia. Here’s some handy information to help educate you and your family on the nature of dementia.
Dementia is not so much a specific disease, as it is a loss of brain function resulting from an underlying disease such as Alzheimer’s. Dementia can result from a disease that causes a progressive deterioration of the brain that impairs the brain’s functioning. It may cause memory loss, inability to reason, personality changes, lack of insight, and loss of language skills. Some individuals with advanced dementia may experience personality and behavioral changes, delusions or vivid hallucinations.
While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss alone does not mean your loved one has dementia. Everyone develops a certain amount of memory loss as they advance in age. For a person to be clinically diagnosed as having dementia, they must exhibit impairment of two or more brain functions, some of these include: memory loss, language skills, reasoning, or perception.
At Autumn Leaves every member of our staff has received training in memory care and knows how to provide the sort of patient, compassionate care for someone facing dementia problems. We are here to provide your loved one 24-hour care and to free you to be an adult child, spouse or friend instead of being their primary caregiver.
Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia in people over 65. Although the disease usually does not appear until after 60, because it is linked to a specific genetic defect, symptoms can show up as early as in someone’s 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 patients begin to have difficulty performing activities of daily living.
Once a loved one reaches this stage, regular tasks like remembering to take your pills or remembering that you already took your pills become problematic. At this stage, the family can either move the loved one into the family’s home, hire full-time care or investigate assisted living communities like Autumn Leaves.
Dealing with the onset of dementia is challenging for even the closest of families. If you find that you and your loved one cannot handle this challenge alone, do not to hesitate to speak to one of our representatives. We understand what you are going through. We are here for you.
Call 888-662-8886 today to speak with an Autumn Leaves representative or to schedule a tour.