Cognitive decline, including what occurs when a person has dementia, can be challenging to live with. For some, the consequences of the condition become so severe that they need more care than what they can get at home. Those individuals may move into a memory care long-term care facility in order to obtain the support that they need.
All memory care facilities must have strategic methods in place to help keep residents safe while still encouraging them to remain physically and cognitively active. The procedures and protocols at these units must ensure that the residents maintain familiarity with their surroundings and routine while helping them to avoid anything unsafe.
Adjusting for unsafe activities
While many long-term care facilities offer a variety of amenities, such as small kitchenettes or microwaves, those aren’t safe for some people in memory care. As the memory issues and cognitive decline worsen, certain appliances become unsafe because of the risk of fire. This holds true in the kitchen, but it’s also present in other areas, such as heated hair styling tools like curling irons.
One of the critical components of memory care is having a lower resident-to-staff ratio. Memory care units are filled with residents who need intensive supervision. Ideally, the facility will have long-term staff members who are familiar faces for the residents. This can help considerably as the resident’s cognitive decline worsens.
Preventing wandering
Wandering is a primary concern for people who have dementia-related conditions. They can easily become lost or get into dangerous situations. There are many ways that memory care units can help to prevent wandering.
One of the most effective is to have locked doors around the perimeter of the unit. This can stop them from going out where it’s not safe for them. Some memory care units also add personal location devices to their program. Cameras are also common in the public areas of memory care units.
Memory care residents who aren’t being cared for properly can suffer considerable harm. In some cases, physical injury may occur. Immediate medical attention is critical for these individuals. Seeking compensation to help offset related expenses might be a viable option, so seeking legal assistance is valuable in these cases.
