The average age of retirement in the United States is 63 years old. According to a recent study, nearly 70% of all Americans 65 years or older will need a long-term care facility at some point. This means that many Americans are going to spend the majority of their retirement years in some type of assisted living or nursing home.
The different levels of care facilities depend on the level of day-to-day care needed. For some the need is going to be significantly greater than others. Over five million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease. The majority of these people are being cared for by unpaid caregivers; primarily family members.
Memory care nursing homes offer specialized care designed for patients with dementia. This includes 24-hour supervised care for all residents in the care facility. This is needed since Alzheimer’s patients are known to wonder off.
Caring for someone with dementia is a tremendous undertaking and not one that can be taken lightly. Unpaid caregivers provide an estimated 18.2 billion hours of care a year due tot he unrelenting nature of the disease. Even when the patient is sleeping, most family caretakers are unable to rest due to the stress and fear of not waking up if their loved one were to wake up and wonder off.
Stress related health problems and conditions are common among caregivers. While it may feel like a personally failure to place a family member in a care facility, facilities that specialize in memory loss can provide a rich life for someone suffering from dementia. They have the care and security needed and most offer programs to engage and entertain the patients. The nurses and staff are specially training in dementia and understand the needs of the patients.
Memory care facilities are typically locked for the protection of the residents. Residents may have access to outdoor areas that enable them to not realize they are locked in. They often provide church services, salon appointments, musicians, and other services right into the facility to make it as easy as possible or the residents to get what they need.
While not yet available in the United States, there are European countries experiencing with dementia villages where residents will actually live in a mock town with a grocery store, library, parks, and more. They will each have their own cottage to live in and all the staff will be part of the town. This will provide the feeling of a normal life in their own home while still providing around the clock care and security.