Memory care communities vs assisted living communities – they share many similar key features, such as 24-hour professional care, senior-specific wellness programs, housekeeping and maintenance, and more. The key difference that set memory care communities apart is that it offers more specialized and differentiated services provided for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other forms of memory deficiency disease. If you are looking for a retirement community, find out which living option suits you more.
Team Members
Both communities feature 24-hour care from team members and professionally trained nurses. These team members are skilled in helping their residents with their daily routine, such as mealtimes, personal hygiene, and wound care if required. Memory care team members are usually equipped with additional training with more experience as individuals with memory deficiencies can face more issues with wandering, anxiety, and swallowing difficulties. They are also familiar with additional strategies to help residents cope with distress and provide comfort.
Specialized Activities
Both communities offer a wide range of enriching and engaging activities to help their residents live an eventful life in their golden years. Assisted living communities place more emphasis on providing entertainment, as their residents are mostly independent and just require some extra assistance with their daily routine. They focus on optimizing wellness and “living” with activities such as book clubs, games night, exercise classes, and outings.
On the other hand, memory care communities focus on individual and group dementia-specific activities designed to fit the unique cognitive needs of individuals coping with varying degrees of dementia. Most of the activities are aimed to help individuals maintain cognitive skills, slow cognitive decline and help them reminisce important memories through therapies.
Specialized Environment
Both communities have cozy apartment-living styles and are equipped with a variety of stylish amenities, such as multifunction game rooms, a library, an outdoor courtyard, and a community garden. Memory care communities go the extra mile to provide additional security and safety measures for those with memory and judgment issues. As their residents suffer from memory deficiencies, they might have trouble navigating around the community, which can be unsafe and cause anxiety and stress. The additional safety features include door alarms, simple building layouts, motion-sensored lights, and color-coded corridors for simple navigation.
Which Living Option Suits You?
When making a decision, it is important to consider different factors of your well-being. If you are not suffering from dementia, the engaging and entertaining key features of assisted living communities are more suitable for you. Individuals with early dementia and mild memory deficiencies may still be able to thrive in assisted living communities too. If you suffer from more serious forms of memory deficiencies that severely affect your daily functioning or need more support, you may want to consider memory care communities.
If you are still unsure of which living option suits you, it might be best to consult professionals for advice.
Memory Care Vs. Assisted Living at TerraBella Little Avenue
TerraBella Little Avenue offers two senior living options in one dynamic setting – Memory Care and Assisted Living. Our flexible lifestyle options allow for change and adaptation should ever their residents’ needs shift. We’ve carefully designed each living option to bring enriching experiences for your loved one, such as senior-specific health and wellness programs, chef-prepared dining, concierge services, daily activities, and more.
To find out more, visit our website or contact us at 704-448-5760.
