Memory is a fickle thing, especially for the elderly. When your loved one has Alzheimer’s or dementia, the need to provide specialized care comes out naturally. You know they require attention at all times to ensure their safety and security. And on top of that, they should be in an environment that has a set of routines that will provide them with a structured lifestyle to limit their stress from everyday life.
The knowledge that your loved one can lose the special memories you’ve had together with the family is heartbreaking. Part of the process of acceptance is looking for ways to address the illness. You can hire a caretaker, yet they may not be able to provide the care your loved one needs 24/7. You can turn to retirement homes, but not all can accommodate seniors who are suffering from memory loss.
Finding programs explicitly curated to cultivate the cognitive skills of seniors is one means of ensuring your loved one’s health physically and mentally. There are retirement homes in Ogden that offer memory care for seniors with varying degrees of Alzheimer’s and dementia. What sets them apart from a typical retirement home is that they can provide around the clock service from expert staff who are trained precisely to care for seniors with special needs.
As a guide, here is a list of activities that your loved one might encounter from the retirement home’s memory care program:
1. Physical Activities
From yoga to walking, different forms of exercise can help your loved one feel better. Exercising is beneficial for seniors regardless of their ailment in terms of keeping their hearts, joints, and muscles in good shape. Keeping the body moving instead of having them stay in bed will help them in maintaining healthy body weight and sleeping habits.
In memory care programs, the key elements usually used in physical activities are props, music, and movement. You can expect them to use music from the community’s era or music with rhythms that are easy to follow. Visually pleasing props like pom-poms, maracas, and streamers are used to stimulate movement and provide enjoyment for the seniors involved in the activity.
2. Relaxing Activities
For seniors who cannot take part in physical activities, they can still achieve relaxation through sense-centered activities. Listening to music and aromatherapy- sometimes combined- are examples of activities that help manage stress.
Memory loss is frustrating. Naturally, this will result in tension and anxiety. Your loved one will need the benefits of relaxation
3. Everyday Activities
Mundane activities include daily routines such as buttering their pancakes, watering the garden, and washing up. It also consists of the less taxing version of their past hobbies—from reading books to enjoying pictures books, from playing an instrument to listening to music, and from bowling to walking.
Your loved one will need to have a semblance of the life lived before the memory loss. Some seniors have dementia who need to re-establish their old roles to feel useful.
It’s important to note that brief activities done several times a day are more helpful. Also, the activity is more important than the outcome. Your loved one who is suffering from memory loss may not understand the activity’s goal. What matters more is how your loved one will enjoy the process of what could pass for normalcy. Choose a retirement home that can fully accommodate the needs of your loved one.
