The Benefits of Aging in Place for Individuals with Dementia

If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia, you're now facing some big decisions. The biggest decision is where the patient should live. There are full-time memory care facilities, and many families choose that route. A facility isn't the only choice, though. More and more, families are finding aging in place to be the better option for those with dementia. Familiarity, personalized care, and family involvement are just a few reasons aging in place is best for people with dementia.

Reduce Confusion/Anxiety

With dementia comes confusion. Often, the confusion comes from short-term memory loss. Those with dementia have issues with short-term memory before long-term memory. They may remember a birthday from 10 years ago, but forget what they did yesterday.

Those with short-term memory issues are most comfortable in a home they have lived in for years. A senior who has lived in the same house for decades has an automatic knowledge of it. They can find the bathroom without thinking about it. They automatically gravitate toward their favorite lounge chair. The silverware is in the same drawer it was in five years ago. This internal map serves as a familiar anchor when memory makes things fuzzy.

There is a phenomenon called "transfer trauma." Caregivers note this reaction when dementia patients are moved into an unfamiliar facility. The shock causes a spike in confusion and agitation. It can even cause a physical decline. Aging in place avoids that situation by keeping the person somewhere familiar.

Personalized Care

At care facilities, nurses and caregivers are responsible for numerous patients. One-on-one care is inconsistent. Plus, there is a rotating staff, so patients often encounter several new faces a week.

While aging in place, care is provided by one caregiver or a small personal group of caregivers. All services are centered on that one client. All staff are well-informed of the patient's history, preferences, and triggers. Schedules can revolve around the person's own rhythms. For example, if your Mom prefers lunch at 11 AM, she can have it at 11 AM. In a facility, meal times are set and the same for everyone. The course of the senior's day doesn't have to be disturbed at home.

This familiarity is comforting, but it's also medically beneficial. Studies have found personalized care can lead to slower cognitive and emotional decline.

Lower Risk of Infection/Illness

Medical facilities of any kind, whether it be a hospital or a long-term memory care facility, mean germs. This is an unfortunate fact, true even for the best-maintained places. The revolving door of staff and visitors means more exposure. At home, a smaller group of caregivers reduces the threat.

This is especially important for those with dementia. Such individuals are high-risk for transmissible disease, due to inconsistent hygiene (i.e., forgetting to wash hands) and preexisting conditions (i.e., diabetes, heart disease, cancer). It's impossible to avoid all illness, and would be tiresome to try to, but any reduction of risk is worth noting.

Cost Considerations

There's no way around it: long-term facilities are pricey. In Maryland, the average cost for memory care ranges from $7,800 to $9,000. Most people find themselves shelling out over $100,000 a year. Standard assisted living is still about $7,000 a month - unless you want a semi-private room. Privacy can be about $12,000 a month. Other variables come into play as well, such as location and add-on pricing.

If your loved one doesn't need 24/7 care, part-time home healthcare is much easier on the wallet. Even on the higher end, home healthcare is several thousand dollars cheaper a month than a facility. Of course, that doesn't include the non-monetary value of the familiarity of home.

Homecare or Facility?

We cannot tell you whether your loved one would be best suited for home healthcare. It's a personal and individual decision. Circumstances can always change as well. Even with the best efforts to stay home, some seniors may have to turn to a facility as the dementia progresses. Still, studies show so many benefit from aging in place. It's an option you want to seriously consider.

We can help you with your choice. Schedule a free home visit with us. Call Seniors Fix at 240-744-0674.