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10 Questions to Think About

Is now the right time? Is this the right choice? Your decision about your mom, dad, or other loved one is certainly difficult, complicated, and more than a little bit emotional. And while the decision is up to you and other family members, when it comes to weighing the issues, sorting through the choices, and assessing your resources, we can help.

Ask yourself these questions about your loved one:

1. Is the amount of support and assistance he or she needs more than I can offer?

What's realistic? With help from caregivers, family members, and various agencies, you can do a lot. But can you keep up with everything that's needed for your mom, dad, or other loved one to stay in his or her home or yours? Be honest. Good intentions don't necessarily equal high-quality care. Would your loved one be better served by professional care?

2. Is the help needed too expensive, inconsistent, or hard to arrange?

It's overwhelming sometimes. To provide what's required, you coordinate in-home services provided by various resources including family members. Time-consuming and costly, is it too much? Could there be a reliable single source of care that isn't you?

3. Am I (or the caregiver) fatigued, worn down, or having more than usual stress-related health problems?

Age-related dementia affects the family and care network, too. And frankly, being a son, daughter, other relative, or friend of a person with Alzheimer's or age-related dementia is challenging enough without the compromises to your health and personal life that can result from providing care. What is the true cost of giving care?

4. How is my family doing?

Caregivers like you are wonderful people, and the dedication you bring to the care you give is unlike anything anybody else can offer. As you persevere, however, you'll want to check in with your family—your partner and children—so you'll know they're still supporting you. Caring for a person with age—related dementia can consume your energy and your family's. How many sacrifices are you willing to make?

5. Do other commitments, travel arrangements, and personal schedules make it difficult for family members to provide support?

Even strong families stumble into breakdowns in scheduling, unforeseen circumstances, and miscommunications. And when a family network of caregivers is involved, dissention, disagreement, and dysfunction may be amplified—which sometimes damages relationships. How are you prepared to handle collateral damage?

6. Is the current living environment safe for a person with age-related dementia?

The typical single-family home wasn't designed as a safe haven for someone who needs memory care. Improvements are costly. How much can you afford?

7. Am I ready for an emergency?

Minimizing risks means modifying the environment and monitoring constantly. And when a person has age-related dementia, the risks rise as the months go by. What's your plan for making sure that your loved one and you (or the primary caregiver) are kept safe—with access to emergency response?

8. Can I keep my loved one healthy?

Beyond the falls and various illnesses, other health challenges lurk for a person with memory care needs. Dehydration, malnutrition, the effects of limited stimulation, and physical exercise—all can be factors in declining health. What's your program for health and wellness?

9. How do I keep my mom, dad, or other loved one from getting lost?

Sooner or later, familiar environments aren't familiar anymore. And when home becomes unfamiliar, it's also discomforting and unsafe, with eating, sleeping, and cleanliness routines thoroughly disrupted, and the tendency to be confused and lost increasing. There's a rich sentimental attachment to the idea of keeping your loved one in his or her "home," but does the sentiment outweigh the consequences?

10. Does he or she no longer recognize people, places, and things that should be familiar?

Your challenges in caregiving become even greater when the person you're caring for doesn't recognize you or know where he or she is. And it's typical for a person with Alzheimer's or age-related dementia to recognize fewer people and places over time. With this progress, it's normal to ask yourself if you can continue to provide the care that's needed. Can you? Are you willing to consider the community-based, skilled, professional care available in a memory care program? If your loved one no longer recognizes the people, places, and things that should be familiar, it's time.

When you choose Prairieview Memory Care Residences today for your mom, dad, or loved one, we’ll fold you and yours into our care.
Becoming a part of the Touchmark family means you have an advocate—an entire network of people who are deeply concerned about you and your loved one. Contact us today at 405-340-1975 or toll free at 1-888-440-4184 to let us help you make sense out of memory care.