In summary:
Loved ones in San Francisco suffering from memory issues need a secure memory care community with personalized routines and ongoing support to ensure they do not suffer from confusion or frustration. However, it can often take a lot of work to seek Alzheimer's and dementia care to ensure people get this 24/7, especially with 7 million Americans currently affected by Alzheimer's, for example, according to reports by the Alzheimer's Association.
We work with families throughout the creation of a care plan, scheduling touchpoints to offer beneficial care. Such a program is nuanced and focuses on meaningfully engaging with a senior so that they can both enjoy their daily life and have a dignified senior life.
As part of our cognitive support in San Francisco, we offer a specialized environment with a dedicated care team that helps seniors maintain regular routines. Doing this helps our community members avoid agitation and worry.
We can also support Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as bathing and eating, when required. Through this, we ensure that residents maintain their health and hygiene and that their dignity is not something they need to worry about.
Our staff also receive training to help those with us maintain their emotional wellbeing through validation or redirection when necessary. Through these methods, we offer comfort and soothe challenging times in senior years.
We also remain on the lookout for signs that someone is suffering from issues related to the typical Alzheimer's behavior of wandering or searching for exits, helping residents stay safe if they do.
When you have confirmed that the staff have dedicated training related to supporting those with dementia, you can start asking specific questions surrounding:
Consider whether the location keeps up to date with the latest dementia research, ensuring they maintain modern care standards.
We have designed our entire community around helping seniors who may have issues with memory and cognition. For example, we offer wayfinding cues, including clear signage, to help people move around at all times.
We also create a mealtime environment that supports healthy, nutritious eating, with chef-prepared meals that ensure seniors get the nutrition they need.
Our full range of amenities goes much further, and it may be beneficial for you and your family to review them to get a better idea of what life in our community looks like.
If you notice that a loved one is having safety issues at home, such as leaving a stove on or missing their meds, you may need to look after them more. If you do not have the time or money to do so, it is normal to start considering whether you need an external service.
At the same time, seniors do need to look after themselves to some extent. If they are skipping daily tasks or even hygiene steps, and you have to do them yourself, it could put extra work on you that you didn't expect. As such, in such a situation, it is normal to consider whether finding a community with trained staff would be a better choice.
In the first few weeks, consider frequent visits to help someone settle. Doing this helps with teething issues after moving in, establishing routines, and ensuring people feel like you are still around.
Over time, you might reduce your visits as is realistic, but make sure you try to visit when your loved one's energy is at its highest. For example, it is common for people to visit shortly before or after lunchtime in many seniors, so that you can have the best experience. Using lunchtime as a bookend also helps with greetings and farewells, making them more natural and helping a loved one switch tasks more easily.
While nursing homes meet a senior's complex medical needs or even provide rehabilitation following an incident, a memory care community instead focuses on secure living, supportive senior care, and ADL assistance. As such, you will often find that nursing homes have trained nursing staff who can handle wound care, IVs, and other medical issues.
Memory care communities do not offer treatment, but they can help with medication management, such as reminding seniors to take their medication at designated times.
The costs of what both offer also differ. As nursing has a more niche focus, that of medical support, it can often cost significantly more, whereas memory care is a more affordable option for families.
If you want to learn more about what we offer, schedule a tour to see Sagebrook's memory care for seniors in person. Here, you can ask questions about our routines and safety measures to ensure your loved one receives a personalized experience that meets their needs.
Sagebrook Senior Living at San Francisco's Generations Memory Care community has on-site care experts available 24/7 to ensure your loved one enjoys a dignified experience in a convenient environment. Alongside our exclusive amenities, such as our Elevate® Dining experience and activities, we can give them something that offers purpose and contentment. Contact us to book your tour today.