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The Savings to Be Found in Shared Memory Care
While family members may feel like only a private room will do for their loved one in a memory care community, they soon discover that a shared memory care setting can provide a higher quality of life for their loved one. Fortunately, in addition to the numerous benefits that shared memory care accommodations offer, there’s another clear advantage: shared living usually costs less — at times significantly less — than a private apartment.
In fact, depending on where a resident lives, a shared space might save you thousands of dollars each year on rent and care costs.
Shared memory care: dollars saved is just the beginning
Look past the dollars and think about it: what do we human being value most? Companionship.
And that’s what a shared memory care room offers: the presence of another. A friendly, familiar face. A feeling of being part of a family.
That’s important because a person dealing with cognitive issues does not benefit from sitting alone in a room. In fact, isolation can be quite harmful to harmful adults in terms of physical, mental, and emotional health issues. Also, having cognitive issues also tends to make a person withdraw; to want to pull away and be alone.
And just as important to remember is that a room is meant to be where a person sleeps—not where they spend their day.
In shared memory care, your loved is not left alone in a room
Instead, caregivers and fellow residents provide encouragement to get up and get involved. Mom’s roommate is getting ready to go to breakfast; Mom would like to do that as well. Dad sees his roommate joining an activity, which makes him want to do the same. Shared memory care is designed to break the cycle of isolation, of being withdrawn and lonely.
What if Mom or Dad have always valued their privacy?
Shared memory care does not mean a loss of privacy. Caregivers make sure to help each resident individually with dressing and grooming while their roommate is elsewhere.
Sometimes the issue of privacy is something that concerns family members because of how they would feel about having a roommate. For example, you might find it hard to imagine yourself rooming with a person you have only recently met. But you are most likely still active and involved, and a self-starter.
Mom used to be that way, but now needs some cueing to get up and about her day. It’s vital for her to leave her bedroom and participate in activities that provide stimulation and socialization, and that won’t happen if she’s sitting in a private room all day.
Here are other ways shared memory care means more value for your family and your loved one:
- More eyes on your loved one. Because Mom isn’t sitting alone in a private room, you will have more staff keeping an eye on her, monitoring her eating, hydration, her mood, her bathroom habits and her daily routine.
- Your visits with your loved one will be more pleasant. Since she’s not sitting alone feeling forgotten, Mom will most likely be in a much better mood.
- Better sleep and less wandering. Residents in shared memory care tend to rest more comfortably at night. Having a roommate also lessens the possibility of sundowning and anxiety when the day comes to a close.
Bottom line: your older loved one isn’t missing out; they are actually getting more
At Assured Senior Living, we’ve seen the benefits of shared memory care for our residents—more restful sleeping, a stronger sense of purpose, less wandering, more engagement. In our residential assisted living memory care communities, our memory care community members never want for personalized attention and connection with friendly faces they know and trust.
As you research lifestyle options for your loved one, be sure to consider the many benefits—and possibly tremendous savings—of shared memory care. At Assured Senior Living, we’ll care for your loved one as a member of our own family, in a setting that feels like home and supports their independence, connection, and fulfillment.
Dementia isn’t the end. It’s just another chapter in life’s rich, beautiful story. Contact us today, or download our free Family Decision Toolkit guide for more information.
