The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease continues to grow, but many Florida families are still unaware of the special kind of care offered by an assisted living memory care community. Add to that the fact that there are more long-term care options than ever before and the process of selecting the best care for your loved one can be downright overwhelming.

Even with groundbreaking new treatments available, there’s still much we don’t understand about Alzheimer’s disease progression. The symptoms are constantly changing and entirely unique in every individual, contributing to the confusion. For this reason, many families have more questions than answers when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease stages and care options.

At Serenades Memory Care, we’re often asked which Alzheimer’s stages we care for in our communities. Not only do we care for older adults at all stages of the disease, but we also personalize care to the individual based on where they fall in the disease progression. It is one of many features that make a memory care community unique! In fact, most people affected by dementia will benefit from a memory care community in the earliest stages of the disease.

Signs Your Loved One Will Benefit From A Memory Care Community

Moving to a memory care community at any stage of Alzheimer’s disease can provide the support you and your loved one need to thrive with memory loss. Memory care communities provide 24-hour supervision, help with activities of daily living such as bathing, eating and medication management, and a special form of care that is more personalized than other types of senior care communities.

If your loved one is experiencing any of the following symptoms, they are likely to benefit from the services of a Serenades Memory Care community:

• Confusion or cognitive impairment that may create safety concerns
• Memory loss or forgetfulness such as leaving the stove on or failing to take medication
• Mobility limitations that may lead to a fall
• Weight loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease
• Lack of hygiene
• Wandering or disorientation
• Language problems or difficulty communicating
• Cognitive and mobility decline due to degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease

Remember, cognitive impairment, memory loss, disorientation and confusion can all create unsafe conditions in the home, particularly among older adults who may live alone. These symptoms and others can be experienced at any stage of the disease progression.

Find out more about how memory care differs from assisted living in these questions and answers about memory care.

Purpose-Built For All Stages of Alzheimer’s

The features of Serenades Memory Care communities are purpose-built for older adults with memory impairment. All aspects of our specialized memory care communities are designed to minimize the unwanted symptoms and behaviors of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

The small neighborhoods, open floor plans, family-style dining and living rooms at Serenades help residents feel more at home and at ease. This design helps reduce anxiety and confusion caused by memory loss and gives residents more freedom to safely navigate their environment with confidence.

To this we add innovative programming and person-directed care while safeguarding personal security. It really is a memory care community built for all stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Personalized Programming For Early Stages

Programming at Serenades focuses on a person’s retained abilities rather than what has been lost to dementia. This key insight is the driving force behind Serenades’ award-winning approach to memory care and is significant in the earlier stages of the disease.

Emphasis on retained abilities encourages residents with dementia to maintain independence longer, even as the disease progresses and symptoms worsen.  When activities are personalized based on an individual’s abilities, the person tends to be more engaged in the activity. Guided by a personal profile, daily activities such as those offered at Montessori Mornings at Serenades help residents achieve higher levels of independence and emotional well-being.

Serenades Memory Care also honors freedom of choice in daily care. The person with progressively worsening symptoms is often aware of changes taking place in the brain. This sense of awareness in the early stages can impact a person’s self-esteem, leading to depression, anxiety and other unwanted symptoms.  Reassuring those with Alzheimer’s and dementia that they’re respected as individuals and allowing them to make decisions about their daily routine is vital to their sense of confidence, self-esteem, and happiness.

Learn more about the building blocks of person-directed care at Serenades Memory Care.

Dining Services For Middle Stages

While the personalized programming at Serenades is equally beneficial in the middle stages of disease progression, the specialized dining program is especially helpful for preventing unwanted weight loss often experienced by those with Alzheimer’s disease.

People with memory challenges struggle to get enough nutrients in their diet. Diet is especially important in those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, but managing the causes of weight loss associated with memory are challenging. That’s because the signs that signal to healthy people that it’s time to eat, i.e. a growling stomach, do not register the same way in the person with dementia. Brain cells do not make the connection between hunger and food as well as they once did. In the later stages of the disease, dementia can even affect the ability to hold utensils, chew and swallow, creating more challenges.

Caregivers at Serenades Memory Care understand the importance of nutrition in those with Alzheimer’s disease and apply a technique known as the Dementia Diet. They know how to manage nutritional challenges and can help prevent the spiraling cycle of weight loss that is often associated with the disease in the middle and late stages.

Dementia caregivers at Serenades adapt food choices and eating strategies to meet a resident’s changing needs, preferences and abilities, and offer a variety of food choices to help them maintain a healthy weight.

Whether it is providing easy access to snacks and finger foods, leveraging the aroma of food through scented towels, or creating more contrast on the plate, use of innovative dementia diet techniques in a memory care community ensures proper nutrition in those with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Advanced Caregiver Training For Late Stages

Caregivers in assisted living communities are trained to provide assistance with bathing, toileting, feeding, and dressing those who need assistance with daily living activities, but caregivers who work at Serenades Memory Care communities go above and beyond what is required with dementia care training. That’s because older adults with memory challenges often require more assistance using specialized techniques to address their unique symptoms and behaviors.

At Serenades Memory Care for example, caregivers are trained to recognize an individual’s abilities based on where they are in the disease progression and adjust their expectations and care approach accordingly. This empowers caregivers to better meet the needs of that individual at all stages.

Most assisted living memory care communities require the minimum state-mandated training of their staff, but Serenades Memory Care provides intensive, ongoing instruction using nationally recognized, research-based care practices. This enhanced training uses new and innovative research techniques based on the science behind brain disease. Training includes topics ranging from behavior management to engagement strategies to improve quality of life in those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, even in the late stages of the disease.

Memory Care Community For All Stages of Alzheimer’s

Deciding when to seek memory care support can be a difficult decision. You may even wonder if your loved one will qualify for memory care. But as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, caregiver stress can become overwhelming and eventually impact your own health.

Most families simply want their loved ones to have the highest quality of life possible and the best possible care at all stages of the disease. Serenades Memory Care in West Orange, The Villages and Longwood makes that possible.

To learn more about memory care at Serenades, schedule a visit to a community near you.