Some families wait too long before moving loved ones into a memory care community like the neighborhoods at Episcopal Church Home. That’s unfortunate because people with mild memory impairment can significantly benefit from living with and befriending others who are living with dementia.
Families’ hesitation to place loved ones in Memory Care is happening for more than one reason, says Beverly Edwards, vice president of residential healthcare at Episcopal Retirement Services.
Delaying moving in
Oftentimes, families don’t realize their loved one has dementia, because they’re with them every day, and their family member is able to follow a daily routine. Edwards cautions, “It is important to determine if your loved one is functioning because that’s a routine. Just because a person is following a routine doesn’t mean that they don’t have dementia. Some residents with dementia do have those routines, but they’re not able to remember short-term information.”
Other families delay for different reasons. Sometimes, families delay because they don’t think their loved ones have significant memory issues. For those families, Edwards recommends free assessments involving the families and their loved ones, which can be arranged to coincide with tours of the Episcopal Church Home campus.
When families finally realize, ‘OK, Mom does have dementia,’ and bring her in to a care community, often times, “they may no longer be appropriate for assisted living memory care. They may need skilled nursing. Then, it may be too late to receive the benefits of living in the community.”
“I think it’s important to see someone who’s like you and who understands you,” Edwards said about the ability to live with other residents with memory impairments. “When we have a neighborhood full of people that can do their activities of daily living (such as grooming, bathing, dressing and feeding themselves), and also have memory impairment, they don’t feel singled out – because their neighbor also has similar challenges.” An assisted living community for memory care residents can create a sense of community with opportunities for residents to get together.
Exercises for bodies and minds
Residents exercise both their minds and bodies. They gather for physical exercises daily at 10:30 a.m. They also participate in ‘Bingo-cise.’ Bingo-cise is similar to the usual game, but there are breaks for exercises, so residents are not only filling out their Bingo cards. They’re also getting muscle stimulation. Thanks to a partnership with The Thrive Center in Louisville, that organization, which promotes healthy aging, is providing music therapy for residents.
There's so much to enjoy and engage in with neighbors just beyond their studio apartment.
That program stimulates memories, because the instructor plays music from younger days in the lives of residents.
“For example, if the instructor is playing Crosby, our residents can connect that with, ‘I can remember when I was younger, and I used to love Crosby’ Edwards said. “It starts the conversation, which helps with their memory. Sometimes, they need a cue to remember. A certain smell, or maybe a certain food.”
Episcopal Church Home offers several activities throughout the day, and we make sure our activities have memory stimulation. When seniors have memory issues and stay at home alone, with family, or in households that are not designed for memory care needs, they can miss out on important elements of care. Socialization and mental and physical exercise can be helpful to those with cognitive loss. Edwards said, “They could be missing activities that strengthen their minds and bodies.”
Memory Care levels
ECH offers two levels of memory care: assisted living and nursing care. The difference between the two levels of care is primarily related to what the resident can still do for himself or herself. In ECH’s Memory Care Assisted Living neighborhood, residents can do most of their activities of daily living (ADLs) on their own; however, they may need curing, such as ‘It’s time to come to supper,’ even if they need to have to be reminded five minutes later. Conversely, residents requiring memory care nursing care may need help remembering they need to eat or being assisted by feeding them meals.
ECH has a household that provides 24-hour skilled nursing care for residents with advanced cognitive decline and increasing physical needs. Residents have the freedom to stroll around their neighborhood but aren’t able to wander away for safety reasons.
Less stress for families
When a spouse or adult child has been caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, that can cause immense stress and burnout for the care partner.
When a loved one is cared for at a quality facility, “You get to be a child again. You don’t have to be a caregiver.,” Edwards said. ECH team members can also help coordinate nursing and medical care for residents. They may be able to provide transportation to doctors – even providing someone to accompany them on the appointment when the family is unable. Some residents switch medical services to ECH’s medical director, who works on-site. That can further alleviate stress for families.
“We’re here to be the caregivers,” Edwards said. “That’s what we’re here for. We want you to be family.”
Recent changes at Episcopal Church Home
“Oftentimes, people reach out to us when they’re in a state of emergency, but I would encourage them to explore care communities earlier, and I would also encourage them to, in addition to taking the tour, consider coming and participating in activities that we offer within the communities so they can get a feel for what life is like within our memory-support communities.”
Our neighborhoods at ECH are “designed for socialization. Our common areas are inviting, and we encourage our residents to engage in life-enrichment activities to get to know their neighbors. All of the resident rooms are private and have their own baths; they are designed much like the homes that we live in day-to-day.”
As with a traditional home, once you leave your bedroom, “you’re able to have a conversation or engage in activities in common areas,” she said. “You’re also able to dine in the neighborhood or the dining area (Grille 75’s restaurant-style dining), if you prefer to do so.”
ECH also has “versatile workers” who care for residents. The versatile care model is helpful for people who need memory support because the same team members who help with their personal-care needs and also help them with life enrichment activities, dining, and housekeeping.
“Our versatile workers become extremely familiar with the residents in the memory-support area and are able to help them in all facets of their life,” she said. The familiarity of working with fewer team members is comforting for the residents.
Related Blog: How Versatile Workers Help ECH Enrich the Lives of Older Adults in Louisville
Edwards believes those who visit will see, “We provide great care for our residents here at Episcopal Church Home. But we want to make sure that our home, and our care model, is right for the individuals because that’s what it’s about.”
“Our community, or other communities, become that resident’s home, and we want them to be comfortable within their surroundings, but also with the individuals who are caring for them,” she said. “Here at Episcopal Church Home, we focus on developing relationships, which is why we have the versatile-worker model.”
Tours and assessments, often on the same day
Memory care assessments are free and typically take 60-90 minutes, giving the nursing director a chance to talk with family members. At the same time, a social worker assesses the resident. Then they switch, and family members talk with the social worker, while the resident talks with the director of nursing. They have an assessment form that they go over, and families typically receive the results that day.
“We use a nationally recognized assessment for memory care, which level of care the resident will be most successful,” shared Edwards. “Our goal is to match the resident’s needs with the right level of care and service.” Sometimes, if a person moves to assisted living, for example, when they need skilled nursing, they will have to move shortly after moving in. This can cause stress on the resident and family members. “It is best for all to move to the appropriate level of care.”
To set up a tour and assessment, contact Elizabeth Pace at (502) 273-5481 or epace@ERSlife.org.
