Assisted Living vs. Memory Care: How to Choose the Right Senior Living Option

One of the hardest moments in life is when we are stuck with the daily tasks. When we realize we can no longer do the usual tasks that once felt effortless. We feel disappointed and confused, trying to hide this and begin to isolate and stay away from family and friends’ gatherings to avoid feeling unable among others. At this moment, we should confess it is time to ask for help and support. Here comes the great role of senior living communities, offering various care levels, ensuring a supportive and engaging environment where seniors enjoy the fullest of life, surrounded by a well-trained staff, and kind friends of other residents sharing unforgettable memories and experiences.

Assisted Living or Memory Care? Which is better for me or my loved one? Is it based on our preference or assessments? How can I arrange for the next step? Choosing the right care level for our loved ones is often confusing, challenging, and mixed with uncertainty and worries, as we want to ensure their safety and overall well-being first, and that they receive the right level of care they deserve as well. So, it is important to understand the difference between them to be ready to take the next right step.

What is Assisted Living? What do Senior Communities provide for the Residents?

Assisted living is the best recommendation for seniors who need support with daily tasks while feeling independent in a secure community to ensure the residents’ safety and security. Residents receive the needed support in an engaging and supportive environment, surrounded by devoted staff and kind caregivers who are committed to providing help whenever needed.

What Assisted Living Senior communities offer:

• Support with daily activities (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, medication management, and mobility, etc.
• Social engagement: a variety of social activities, events, and outings to promote connection and social engagement and help avoid loneliness.
• Dining and housekeeping: chef-prepared meals, served in a restaurant-style in the dining area, and housekeeping services are provided, as well.
• Personalized care plans: tailored to meet each resident’s unique needs.

At Amaran Senior Living, residents have the opportunity to embrace aging in Assisted Living. Everything is designed to ensure their comfort and happiness, surrounded by friendly residents, and kind smiles of our dedicated caregivers. They enjoy large apartment sizes with modern amenities such as washer/dryers, motorized blinds, ice makers, and closet storage systems.

What is Memory Care? What do Senior Communities provide for the Residents?

Seniors with Memory care and Dementia need special support and personalized care plans to meet their needs. In this case, senior communities are recommended to provide a secure environment, especially designed to surround the residents, bring them joy, provide the needed support and engagement, and peace of mind for their families, too.

What Memory Care Senior communities offer:

• Specialized care plans for cognitive impairment: since residents with memory loss and cognitive decline have unique needs and need flexible care plans to match their specific cognitive, physical, emotional, and changing health conditions.
• A Safe & secure environment: designed with safety measures, featuring secure perimeters and monitoring systems to prevent wandering and falling, ensuring both the residents’ safety and peace of mind for their families.
• Engaging & structured activities: personalized activities and therapies designed to enhance cognitive function, engagement, and elevate the quality of life.
• Well-trained staff: sensible caregivers understand and respond to the unique challenges of caring for individuals with dementia. They are chosen carefully and have regular training courses, using the latest innovative treatment plans.

Memory Care at Amaran Senior Living offers a dynamic calendar to keep residents engaged and socially connected. Our residents have a great opportunity to benefit from our intergenerational experience, in which they engage with younger generations based on Montessori-based principles, which promote emotional well-being and cognitive stimulation through cooperation and shared everlasting moments between the seniors and the children. They feel safe, secure, and valued as they deserve.

When It’s Time for Memory Care:

It’s important to monitor and observe the changes in your loved ones’ behavior and seek professional assessments of their cognitive, mental, and physical abilities as early as possible. Don’t delay the decision out of fear of their reaction as early intervention ensures the best care for them. If you notice any of these signs such as increasing memory loss, confusion, difficulty with communication, wandering, difficulty with self-care, increased caregiver stress, etc., take the next step immediately and start thinking about having external support.

But what if your loved one is already in a senior community? Sometimes, seniors start in an assisted living community, but later on they need to move to memory care, according to the regular assessments done carefully by the staff onsite who observe the signs and start to provide the needed level of care at the right time.

Like here at Amaran Senior Living, when our devoted nurses and caregivers observe or notice any changes in our residents’ behavior, they provide customized care plans to support each resident and meet their unique needs. We also involve families to offer support by providing the needed information about the resident’s medical history, and supporting their loved ones with being close to help improve their cognitive functions and mental health.

What to Consider to Decide the Next Step:

• Talk to your loved one’s doctor or a senior living advisor to help navigate the next step.
• Evaluate your loved one’s cognitive, physical and overall well-being to decide on the right care level they need.
• Visit many communities to compare and experience the warmth there and ensure your loved one will be well-taken care of.
• Ask questions and gather the needed information about services, amenities, and care levels in each community.
• Consider the financial issues and your affordability for senior care and consult the community financial advisor to clarify the payment for your loved one’s needs, and offer customization if possible.
• Encourage your loved ones to participate in making the decision, and consider their preferences, which affects their emotions a lot.

Making the right decision is often hard, but by understanding and recognizing what you are seeking, it will be easier. Exploring different communities and checking the services and amenities provided in each will help make the right choice. Take the next step and consider your loved one’s preference and needs to be able to offer them the right care, the supporting environment, and the engagement and connection they need. Here at Amaran, we are available for you anytime. Contact us, not only to be your best choice, but also to guide you to make the right decision.