Caring for a person with a cognitive impairment is often stressful and frustrating for both the caregiver and the person with the impairment. Understanding why a person with such an impairment may be stressed or confused, causes for their behavior, what the triggers for such behavior may be, and what possible reactions or solutions one can take to properly care for them, plays a very important role in their care. Learning about what happens during various stages of mental decline (mild, moderate, & severe impairment), what unmet needs they may be experiencing that they are unable to communicate, or what specific areas of the brain have been affected and related inabilities it has caused, helps tremendously with caregiving efforts, but it is still by far, no small task.

​

As a Memory Care facility, we provide services especially applicable to, or suitable for, persons with Alzheimer's or related conditions. Our increased staff to resident ratio standards are designed to limit staff member exhaustion, and related stress factors, so that each resident receives optimal care, at all times. In addition to staff members who have extensive experience in caring for persons with cognitive impairments, each of our staff members are specifically trained and participates in continuous education related to the following:

​

Understanding Alzheimer's disease and related disorders; Care Patrol, A Place For Mom, Caring.comCharacteristics of Alzheimer's disease;Communicating with residents with Alzheimer's;Family issues, concerns and communicating with family members;Resident environment needs and adaptation strategies;Ethical issues surrounding caring for such persons;Behavior Management-possible behavior causes and management strategies;Assistance with Activities of Daily Living for a person with a cognitive impairment;Stage Specific Activity Management-especially suitable for various stages of cognitive impairments;Stress Management for Caregivers- symptoms of caregiver stress and management strategiesMedication Specific Information- possible side effects, signs and symptoms to be aware of;

​

In addition to specialized staffing, we offer stage specific activities, designed to accommodate residents with mild, moderate or severe cognitive impairments. All activities are for the purpose of providing residents with a sense of purpose, reducing agitation & depression risks, stress reduction and to allow residents to maintain their independence as much as possible. We highly encourage family member participation during activities to foster memorable and meaningful time with their loved one.

​

Our physical facility features include mechanisms in place to monitor all entry and exits, as well as staff procedures to actively monitor and communicate resident whereabouts, all in an effort to ensure resident safety. In our commitment to preventing resident elopement, we actively review our facility's resident wandering and elopement policies and procedures and participate in resident elopement drills, attended by all staff members. Ensuring the safety and welfare of our residents is our top priority.

​

For more information on Alzheimer's disease or caring for a person with Alzheimer's visit: www.ALZ.org or www.AlzheimersAdvocate.com