Alzheimer’s takes a toll on the entire family. It often leaves adult children and spouses straining to keep a loved one safe at home. If you talk with Senior Living Specialists founder, Paul Markowitz, he will tell you it’s a situation he personally understands. At the young age of 59, his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
Paul and his family struggled to find a quality memory care program in north Texas. The struggle is what led him to found Senior Living Specialists. Paul and his locally-based team of senior care advisors have helped over 2,000 families find a senior care solution that meets the needs of a loved one.
Understanding Memory Care Options in Lewisville
The key to a successful dementia care program is a commitment to allowing residents to do as much for themselves as they are able to without putting their personal safety at risk. It is also important to find ways to help the adult with dementia maintain good nutrition and engage in life enrichment activities, and participating in wellness programs that work around their limitations.
Memory care dining programs offer food choices that make it easier for people who have difficulty using silverware because of vision problems or a loss of hand-eye coordination. Residents also benefit from:
- Supportive Physical Plant: The physical plant of a memory care community is designed with resident safety in mind. An important feature of the program is security for people who are prone to wandering. Alarms and other monitoring systems alert caregivers if a resident attempts to wander. Memory care programs also incorporate supportive measures like color coded hallways and signs with images (instead of text) to help people with memory loss navigate their way around.
- Specialty Training Programs: Caring for an older adult who has Alzheimer’s disease requires different skills than caring for older adults who have other types of medical conditions. This is why staff members who work in a dedicated memory care program receive special education. These dedicated training programs teach caregivers how to support and communicate with people who have Alzheimer’s. Training also includes learning about a variety of support strategies, such as how to reduce agitation and how to communicate with someone who has lost their verbal skills.
- Dining Services: Creating a specialized dining program often means providing adaptive silverware and serving nutritious smoothies and finger foods. You will also see some of the unique steps these communities take to help increase appetite, such as serving brightly colored foods and using aromatherapy. These measures can all help residents with Alzheimer’s maintain good nutrition and avoid unintended weight loss.
- Feeling Productive: Memory care communities offer life enrichment programs that are designed to work with a resident’s remaining abilities. Finding activities residents can engage with despite their disease can help adults with Alzheimer’s feel successful and productive. Common exercise classes include Chair Yoga, resistance training and daily walks. Reminiscence activities, arts and crafts, and music therapy all help residents with dementia live a better quality of life.
Memory care programs in and around Lewisville range in price from $3,500 a month to $7,000 a month.
Lewisville is Accessible and Home to Many Care Options
Transportation options are plentiful in the Lewisville area. Nearby Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport makes the city easy area to access for loved ones who live far away. The I-35 corridor also stretches through Lewisville, and regional bus service allows residents to connect to Dallas Area Regional Transit (DART).
Families may also appreciate the variety of transportation options that makes it easy to reach medical facilities quickly. The Medical Center of Lewisville and Baylor Regional Medical Center are both available if a loved one requires emergency care. For older adults who served in our military, it’s also important to know that the Lewisville area is home to the VA North Texas Health Care System.
Let Us Help Your Family in Your Search
With so many assisted living and memory care programs in and around Lewisville, it is easy for families to become overwhelmed with their search. Our team of local, experienced senior care advisors can help you narrow down your options and make an informed choice. Call us at 214-929-5055 to get started!
Senior Living Specialists is a free service for seniors and their families. We are compensated by a referral fee when a senior moves into a community or care home.
