Why Memory Care Can Prevent Hospital Visits

Deciding to move a parent from their current home that they may have lived in for decades can be one of the most difficult decisions you can make. It can be a struggle to help them understand why or it can be combative if your parent refuses to relocate. The people that have gone through that process would often like to forget the hardships that came with it. The unfortunate aspect of an aging loved one is that their relocation might not be done simply moving to an assisted living facility.

A recent study conducted by the National Library of Medicine discovered some data trends for aging seniors and memory care. The biggest takeaway that they discovered is that those living in assisted living facilities that offer memory care services reduce nursing home and hospital admissions for residents.

What are some of the reasons that your loved one suffering from Dementia/Alzheimer’s might be able to avoid a hospital stay by being in a memory care facility (rather than a generic assisted living facility)? One of the biggest theories is that memory care patients require a completely different level of care and even facility. Unless the staff at an assisted living facility have been trained in memory care, they may run into issues around proper care and handling.

Staffing at memory care specific facilities may also be a big reason for the reduction in hospital and nursing home admissions. Typically, an average assisted living facility will have fewer staff members than a memory care facility based on residents needs for care.

Finally, we have seen memory care facilities start to completely rethink the build and design of the actual facility. They have created color coded wings to help remind memory care patients where their room is located or to help navigate to where food is served.

The conclusion of the study seems to lend itself to the idea of moving a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia to a memory care facility can greatly lessen the chances of dealing with a long hospital stay. The conversation can be a difficult one to have with your loved one, but Senior Living Specialists can help make that process much easier. Utilize our experience and knowledge to help navigate those difficult times.