When most family members are diagnosed with dementia, the symptoms are mild to moderate. Spouses, children, grandchildren, and other family might step in to help support the overall safety and health of the loved one at that point. But there might also come a time when the dementia diagnosis is so serious that it requires outside memory care. Advanced memory care can be provided in a formal setting like an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Making this decision to move someone into an assisted living facility with memory care or a nursing home is never an easy one, especially when there is another spouse in the home who might want to take on all the caregiving responsibility. As the disease advances, even a loving spouse can be put under too much pressure to provide round the clock care or the kinds of advanced needs necessary for memory care.
In these circumstances, it’s time to at least open the conversation about putting a loved one with dementia in Massachusetts in a nursing home or other facility with memory care. While every situation is unique, consider the following factors when making a determination about what’s in the best interest of your loved one at this time:
- Does your loved one have mobility issues or are they unable to accomplish at least two activities of daily living (such as bathing, toileting, or eating) on their own?
- How many hours per day of care are required, and does anyone in the current caregiving schedule have to put in odd hours like time overnight? In these cases, a facility with constant care might be a better solution.
- How many medications does your family member need? A facility could be more organized to administer these on a regular basis.
- Are there concerns about the loved one wandering off and getting into very dangerous situations outside the home? For some dementia patients, this risk increases significantly the more advanced the dementia gets.
If this raises questions about planning for Medicaid in Massachusetts and you’re curious about next steps, set aside a time to place a call to a MA elder lawyer.
