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Welcome back to our blog page for our Winder-area assisted living and our Winder memory care community.

In our previous blog post, we presented some facts about Alzheimer’s disease that hopefully helped you feel a bit better about your ongoing journey as a home care provider. Today, we offer some tips on transitioning your Alzheimer’s loved one to professional memory care like ours here at Winder’s Gateway Gardens Assisted Living and Memory Care.

The transition period can be difficult for everyone, especially an Alzheimer’s patient. Even though every situation is unique, these tips can provide some guidance on how to transition an Alzheimer’s patient to memory care:

Address Their Concerns

A loved one with Alzheimer’s may feel confused, sad, or apprehensive. Address their fears, questions, or concerns with understanding and be sensitive to their emotions.

If they are still able to communicate, involve them in the conversation. Assure your loved one that the memory care community is a safe place where they will be cared for while doing the things they love.

Visit Our Memory Care Community

Take a tour of our memory care community and see for yourself the loving professionalism and care being provided here. Feel free to visit as many times as you like before moving so your loved one can get familiar with the new environment, staff, and amenities.

Pack for Them

To avoid stressing and overwhelming your loved one, pack their belongings. Take care of donating or selling unwanted items and arrange to have their belongings in their new place of residence.

Having their most valued possessions, such as photos or a favorite piece of furniture, will create familiarity and feelings of home, comfort, and safety.

Don’t Rush the Move

Take the day off on moving day and have someone with you for support. Schedule the move at a time that your loved one is most comfortable.

Speak to staff in advance to share information about your loved one’s needs and preferences and maybe even coping strategies. Avoid rushing the process. Allow your loved one time to settle.

Visit Often

Despite all your efforts to make the transition easy, there can still be challenges. Speak to the memory support staff about your loved one’s progress and what you can do to help.

Your loved one may complain and ask to go home. It’s natural to feel anger, frustration, or sadness in the first few weeks when adjusting. Reassure them how much you care.

Visit often and try to understand some of their concerns. When they become agitated, redirect them to something positive and partake in activities with them.

Sometimes visits can trigger negative emotions. In this case, you can ask the staff for advice on how often to visit. Visits and calls from other family members or friends can help in these instances, keep them connected, and not feel forgotten.

We hope you benefit, are encouraged, educated, and enjoy our blogging efforts. When the time comes for you to seek a consult regarding caring for your loved one’s professional assisted living or professional memory care services, please know that Gateway Gardens Assisted Living & Memory Care in Winder stands ready to improve the quality of both you and your loved one’s lives. Call us!