Moving a senior loved one into a memory care center is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Not only is this a massive change for the people in your family, it’s a huge change for your loved one who will now have to adapt to a brand new lifestyle, new people, and new routines. Memory care, however, is not a bad thing. Instead, memory care centers, like Astoria’s senior living memory care in Omaha, are there to help you as a family to give your aging loved one the specialized care and time that they need to live a happy, healthy lifestyle.
It’s important to realize, though, that not all memory care centers are created equal. While Astoria’s senior living memory care in Omaha prides itself on being among the best of the best, there are other memory care centers that may not have the same offerings that we do here. The only way you’ll learn what a center offers is by asking questions while you’re doing tours and conducting research.
When you’re looking for the perfect memory care community, here are some questions that you should ask:
1. Do you have Registered Nurses on staff, and what type of training does the staff have?
Having a staff that contains RNs or LPNs is key to ensuring that your senior loved one is going to be well taken care of throughout the course of their stay at the memory care center. RNs and LPNs are specially trained to handle medical emergencies – large and small – and having several on staff at any given time is a breath of fresh air to many worried families. Oftentimes, this skilled nursing staff will report directly to the community’s lead physicians in order to bring up any worries or concerns that they may have.
Not all staff at a memory care center are Registered Nurses, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t also have specialized training before taking a position at a memory care center. Senior adults who struggle with Alzheimer’s and dementia will often need a special hand in order to help them feel comfortable and safe, and all staff should have some training on that aspect, RN or not. When you’re touring the memory care center, ask about the training the staff has had and see if they’re well-prepared to deal with those challenges.
2. What are the daily activities like?
Memory care center or not, no one wants to stay in their room all day and just sit around watching TV! An important part of life, no matter your age, is being able to get out and socialize with people to form connections. This is harder in memory care, of course, but that doesn’t mean that the seniors shouldn’t still have the opportunity to try.
When you’re doing your research, ask the memory care community what kinds of activities are in place for the seniors. Are they able to get out and interact with the other residents daily? What kind of physical activities do they do? How do they help the senior residents to socialize? These are all important questions to know before you make any kind of final decision.
3. What are the security policies that you have in place?
Memory care comes with its own set of struggles, and that includes needing to have additional security for any wandering residents. Many memory care residents struggle with confusion and tend to wander around at night, which can lead to safety concerns. Ask any potential memory care communities what they do in order to best protect their residents at all hours of the day.
4. Is the community all-inclusive, or are there additional costs in place?
Sometimes, the biggest hurdle to choosing the right memory care center can be the cost. We understand that memory care centers are not in the budget for many families, and unexpected costs can render a family unable to place their loved one into a memory care center.
This is why it is extremely important that, when you’re doing your research and touring centers, that you get all of the information possible. Ask if the monthly prices for the center are all-inclusive, or if your family would have to pay additional costs like electric, WiFi, cable, or for any outings that the senior residents may attend.
Here at Astoria, all of our recreational trips and scenic tours for our senior residents are included with the price, so you never need to worry about a surprise additional cost being the barrier between your loved one going out and getting around. We also understand that transparency is key, and so we have all of our rates plainly listed on our website for anyone to view. For any additional questions or concerns, we always welcome inquiries through our contact form or by calling our center.
The Best Senior Living Memory Care in Omaha
Here at Astoria, we are proud to offer an incredible experience to everyone from the moment you step into the doors of our senior living memory care in Omaha. We understand that first impressions matter, and we want you to be able to see everything we have to offer right from the get-go.
Many of our employees are specially trained in memory care services, and many of them go on to become dementia care practitioners, or CDPs, who have specialized knowledge in how to best care for residents who struggle with memory concerns. We also understand that not everyone is going to age in the same way or same time frame, and that’s why we want to allow our residents to age in place for as long as possible – meaning that, for as long as we possibly can, we want our residents to say in the same place, with the same staff, and around the same people.
Here at Astoria, we will grow to love your loved one as much as you do, and we want to ensure that they’re able to lead a happy, healthy, meaningful life, regardless of the fact that they’re in memory care. If you’re interested in seeing what Astoria can offer to you, then contact us today to schedule a tour!