If you’re aging or a senior citizen and looking for a senior-friendly independent living community, the good news is there are plenty of options. The bad news is that you must sort through them all to find the one that’s right for you. That’s why we’ve put together this list of signs of great memory care facilities near Slidell, LA. These signs will help guide your decision-making process in choosing a senior living community where your loved one can thrive.
Residents Are Encouraged To Engage In Activities
In order to keep your brain healthy, you need to engage in activities that stimulate you mentally. Engaging in stimulating pursuits will help prevent cognitive decline and memory loss. That’s why it’s so important that great memory care communities include activities that require mental effort and attention.
These can be as simple as reading, writing letters, or participating in a board game with other residents. The key is that residents are encouraged to do something they find interesting regularly.
Mental stimulation isn’t the only significant form of stimulation – physical, social, emotional, and spiritual stimulation play an equally critical role in maintaining healthful brain function over time. The best senior-friendly independent living communities will make sure their residents get plenty of exercise (both physically and mentally) by encouraging them to play games together or participate in group activities like yoga classes or dance workshops!
There Is A Clear Daily Schedule Of Activities
A daily schedule of activities is an essential component of memory care, as it helps residents maintain a sense of normalcy and structure. Establishing a routine can also help prevent social isolation, which can be particularly harmful in this population as it’s associated with negative health outcomes like depression and anxiety.
If you’re visiting a prospective memory care community to evaluate their programs, ask how the daily schedules are structured. Ask about different types of activities—how often they happen, whether there are options for different levels of physical activity or participation from residents based on their cognitive abilities, and so forth. Find out if the schedule is updated regularly (for example: weekly versus monthly). Finally, ask about how frequently staff reviews the schedule with each resident and family member who may visit them during the week or on weekends when you’re not around to check in yourself!
The Facility Has Open Visitation Policies
It’s important to keep family and friends involved in the lives of those who have memory loss. Open visitation policies allow residents and their families to visit whenever they need it, allowing them to maintain a connection with loved ones. Visitation rules should be clearly communicated on the website or at admissions, so everyone can access this information before signing up for care services.
The Staff Interacts With Residents In A Respectful Manner
The way to tell if the care team is respectful is by observing how they talk to the residents and their family members. The goal is for them to be friendly, not stern or harsh. The same goes for any interaction with other staff members: a respectful tone should always be used, even when correcting errors or giving directions. If you visit and notice that the staff are constantly arguing with one another—or worse, yelling at each other—this could indicate deeper issues within your facility’s culture.
Residents Can Engage With Their Favorite Hobbies And Interests
For many people, engaging in their favorite hobbies and interests is a basic necessity for daily happiness. This can be a great way to help residents remember things as well. If they love cooking, they might be able to recall recipes more easily than if they don’t enjoy food preparation. If they are passionate about singing or dancing, the memory of performing may be easier to call back.
Hobbies and interests can also help keep residents active and engaged with others in the community—healthier minds and bodies overall! Additionally, hobbies are an important part of feeling at home for many people; when you don’t feel at home somewhere else (like when you’re staying at an assisted living facility), it can make your life harder as well as affect your health negatively over time.
