Assisted living and memory care
are both types of senior care services. While people assume these terms mean
the same thing, there are some important differences between them. Here is some
insight from our assisted
living community in Gloucester County.
What is Assisted Living?
As we get older, we will all slowly start to
require some extra help to manage our daily lives. These are known as assisted
living services. Assisted living communities are designed to provide all of
these under one roof. The following are included in these services:
- Rooms or apartment homes are wheelchair and walker-friendly and have safety measures in place to help prevent falls;
- Manageable-sized housing, which is maintained by building services;
- Transport to shops, events, and scheduled appointments;
- Trained staff to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), like eating, bathing, dressing, medication management, and mobility; and
- Additional services that support senior
health, like a calendar of social events, clubs, senior classes, outings,
fitness centers, communal dining, libraries, computer centers, and
wellness therapies.
There are different levels of care within
assisted living that scale according to a resident’s needs. For example,
independent seniors may only need housekeeping, transportation, and
companionship, while older less robust seniors may need help with physical
therapy, pain management, or grooming.
What is Memory Care?
This senior care service is available at many
assisted living communities. It is specifically tailored to the everyday needs
of residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia conditions. These residents need
specific care only available from trained and experienced staff who understand
the needs of residents with cognitive decline. This assistance is designed to
ensure comfort, dignity, and the highest possible quality of life. These
services can include the following:
- Cognitive therapies and wellness programs;
- Assistance with ADLs;
- Management of doctor’s appointments, medication, and transport;
- Social events suitable for dementia patients;
- Additional safety measures and trained associates to ensure residents don’t become disoriented or wander off;
- Life Enrichment Team Specialist (LETS) experts lend companionship, hands-on assistance, strategic intervention, and more; and
- Highly trained LETS associates understand not
only the challenges of working with dementia patients, but also their
needs.
Your loved one’s cognitive health primarily
determines the choice between memory care and assisted living. If he or she has
not been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, then assisted living should be
a good fit. If your loved one has a diagnosis, however, you can rest assured
that memory care will ensure all their needs are expertly met.
Compassionate Memory Care and Independent Assisted Living at Pitman, NJ
Pitman is an assisted living community in
Gloucester County, NJ, offering high-quality scalable assisted living services
in a comfortable, well-supported, and beautiful environment. As part of the
United Methodist Communities network, we also offer rehabilitation, access to
therapists, hospice care, respite, and Tapestries®
Memory Care, and support services. We welcome seniors from all faith
backgrounds.
To find out more about our assisted living
community, please visit our website at https://pitman.umcommunities.org/
contact us today or book a personal tour.
