There will come a time later in life when you or your loved ones will transition to a new community and new stage of life to seek out a different lifestyle. Assisted living and memory care are lifestyle shifts you may consider.
Deciding what lifestyle is ideal comes down to your needs and the needs of your loved ones.
Let’s look at assisted living and memory care and the difference between them to assist you with choosing the right lifestyle for you or your loved one.
What Is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a lifestyle option that allows you to live life on your terms and removes some of the stressful aspects of daily living. Assisted living is a blend of support and independence, and the main focus is your support, safety, and stability.
Assisted living provides support for people who struggle with daily aspects of living, such as:
- Eating
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Toileting
- Moving
The onsite staff strives to treat you with care, compassion, and respect in your assisted living community.
Along with daily assistance, you’ll also enjoy a wide array of quality community amenities, including:
- Weekly housekeeping
- Accessibility-friendly transportation
- Linen services
- Library
Assisted living care may be a good choice for you or a loved one if you need more personal care services than you can get at home.
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is a lifestyle option for your loved ones when it becomes difficult for them to live on their own. If your loved one is dealing with the gradual loss of cognitive and memory functions due to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, memory care is a viable option.
Many older adults may find challenges with memory and other thinking abilities. That’s natural with aging, and with memory care, your loved one will be surrounded by a dedicated team and community.
Your loved ones’ comfort is essential, and memory care provides a support system with stability and safety.
Memory care allows your loved ones to experience gourmet meals throughout the day—they’ll be able to enjoy their meals in the privacy of their own room and be at ease knowing the staff will be looking out for them.
Along with comfortable meals, your loved ones will be able to participate in new and exciting events and receive a personal care and wellness plan catered to their needs.
Maintaining an active lifestyle while surrounded by a dedicated team of professionals who are there for your assistance is a key part of memory care. Safety and support for your loved one are a priority.
Some of the amenities your loved one can look forward to in memory care include:
- 24/7 onsite personal care staff and nursing staff
- Scheduled transportation
- Support groups
- Apartment-style suites
- Daily light housekeeping
- Regular health assessments
- Medication management
Your loved one will be in great hands, and the memory care community staff will value their independence and dignity.
Now that you know what each lifestyle includes, let’s look at the big difference between memory care and assisted living.
The Big Difference
On the surface, memory care and assisted living can seem very similar. The big difference is what each lifestyle focuses on.
Assisted living is for people who can manage their daily lives without assistance for the most part. The assistance they do require is support with some of the more stressful aspects of daily living. Assisted living provides an independent atmosphere to ensure that you or your loved one can live without worries and relax.
Memory care is built around creating a quality community for people with cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Your loved one can find comfort and safety within their new community, and you can rest easy knowing they’ll be treated with respect.
Finding the right lifestyle comes down to your needs and the needs of your loved ones.
Your Ideal Lifestyle
The transition to a new stage of life can be an adjustment. Knowing what each lifestyle offers and the differences is an excellent place to start. Assisted living and memory care are both customized lifestyles that consider your needs and your loved ones’ needs.
Schedule a tour with professionals to learn more about assisted living and memory care and see if it’s the right fit for you.