Does your aging parent seem more and more forgetful these days? If so, you may want to consider whether your parent needs memory care. Memory care is a type of assisted living for seniors that focuses on providing specialized care and activities for people with memory issues. If your parent has received an Alzheimer’s or dementia-related diagnosis, you should consult with his or her doctor regarding if and when memory care will be needed. Even if your parent has not received a diagnosis, however, he or she may be struggling with memory loss and it can be important to understand some key signs of when memory care may be necessary.
One very important sign that memory care should be considered can be if your parent is having trouble with normal daily activities. These include eating, bathing, and dressing. Additionally, if your parent is getting disoriented or lost in places or on routes where he or she is normally familiar, that can be another sign that your parent may need memory care.
Another important sign can be a change in your parent’s behavior. Does your parent seem more aggressive or more easily agitated? Is your parent withdrawn from his or her family and friends? Is your parent nervous to leave the house? These could all be signs of memory issues requiring your loved one to get memory care.
If you notice these signs in your aging parent, make sure you consult with a doctor so that your parent can be evaluated for memory issues and obtain the best care for his or her condition. If you believe memory care is needed now, or will be needed in the near future, you should also consult with an elder law attorney to ensure that a plan is in place to enable your loved one to afford memory care when it is needed. An experienced elder law attorney can also help make sure that your parent executes the necessary estate planning documents that will help make sure assets are managed in the way they would want if the time comes that they are unable to manage those assets themselves. For more assistance with these and related matters, please reach out to our office to schedule an appointment.