Making the decision to take someone out of his or her home and into some type of elderly care facility is never easy. When the person has Alzheimer's Disease or dementia, the decision is compounded by which type of living arrangement will be best for everyone involved, but mainly for the patient. Some people feel the best option is always a nursing home with medical personnel there 24/7. However, there are times when the patient can live a semi-normal life, with merely supervision, socializing, and people who understand what is going on. If you are wondering whether your parent or other elderly loved on would benefit from an assisted living community, consider the following.

Memory Care

Not every assisted living facility will have memory care in house. This is a level of care that is aimed at understanding and caring for patients who are suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, or any form of memory loss.

This type of care can include helping the patient with housekeeping chores, reminding him or her to take medications, making sure the patient knows about and attends activities, and providing extra security to ensure patients do not wander off. The staff knows how to handle the patient if he or she becomes angry, confused, scared, or even aggressive. When you are looking into assisted living facilities for someone with memory problems, be sure they offer extensive memory care.

Mobile and Able

If your loved one is able to get around on his or her own, even if it is with a walker or wheelchair, they may be better suited to an assisted living community than to a nursing home. While being mobile can present problems in patients with memory problems, being able to get to activities, or to go and visit other residents can be very therapeutic to them.

The patients are gently reminded of activities and appointments, and may be guided to the location if needed. However, they are not "taken" without consent. The patient may need help with remembering how to perform certain household tasks, and the staff will help, but the patient should be able to help as well. These routine chores, and being involved socially, help to keep the patient busy and happy, with a good quality of life.

There is no shame in getting the extra help an assisted living facility with memory care offers. Depending on the severity of the disease, your parent might be upset with the idea of putting any burden on you or feel he or she is still quite capable of doing things without help. To ensure your peace of mind that someone is there if needed, and preserve your parent's self of dignity, an assisted living community, like Gateway Living, with memory care is a very good option.