The Four Best Practices for Effective Memory Care
Every year, at least 10 million people around the world are diagnosed with dementia. The life-changing and debilitating condition that affects memory, cognition and even the ability to perform simple activities is affecting more than 50 million people. Plus, with the elderly population growing, these numbers are expected to increase immensely over the next few years.
Memory care is now one of the most important pillars of the medical world. The practice that deals with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other dementias focus on improving their quality of life by slowing down disease progression, preserving memory and offering independence through the following four best practices.
Practices
1. Promoting proper nutrition
Studies have proven that a lack of proper nutrition and the inadequate consumption of food and fluids could easily speed up the progression of the disease due the decline in the patient’s overall wellbeing.
Therefore, a good memory care facility always conducts screenings to assess the patient’s nutritional needs for the healthcare team to plan the appropriate care depending on the patient’s life circumstances and preferences. Mealtimes are also used as a form of socialization where patients can interact with other people while enjoying their food.
2. Creating meaningful activities
Throughout the day, patients are given the opportunity to enjoy different activities that will not only allow them to functional normally but also help deal with their condition more effectively.
Memory care staff always promotes independence by allowing patients to make their own bed, tidy their room, water the plants, and perform self-care activities so they still feel a sense of purpose despite their inability to remember things. This will make them feel more empowered as they tackle their disease and ensure that they continue to live a good quality of life.
3. Ensuring socialization
Socialization and interaction are very important parts of memory care because they help patients keep the functional abilities, promote better self-esteem and enhance their quality of life.
Healthcare teams usually plan activities that allow patients to enjoy great conversations and share experiences with their carers, family members and the staff. But memory care also respects the need for space and alone time of some of its patients.
4. Keeping things simple and attainable
Patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia have difficulties coping up with their condition and it can get extremely frustrating for them to not be able to do activities that they used to be capable of.
That is why it’s very important for memory care staff to keep routines, schedules and approaches as simple as possible. This means focusing only on what makes an activity successful and getting rid of non-essential things that can only cause worry and frustration.
As the medical world still works on finding a cure for dementia and Alzheimer’s, memory care plays a very crucial role in ensuring that everyone suffering from these medical conditions are not only properly cared for but also allowed to enjoy the best years of their life despite the limitations posed by the disease.
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