Thursday, 29 April 2021 10:34

Why You Must Vet Options For Dementia Care Near St. Louis, MO

If your loved one has dementia, there will come a time when you feel overwhelmed by their needs and care responsibilities. When that time arrives, it's in your best interest and your loved one's best interest to seek our dementia care near St. Louis, MO. However, that doesn't mean you should rush through your decision process and select any old memory care facility.

It's important to take your time, do your research, and thoroughly vet your options before enrolling your loved one in one memory care facility over another. Let's discuss a few of the top reasons to vet your options and how to properly do so.

3 Reasons To Vet Providers Of Dementia Care Near St. Louis, MO

There are hundreds of reasons to take your time and carefully vet memory care communities. However, we don't have time to go into all of them, so we'll just discuss a few of the top reasons.

1. Consider Your Loved One's Future

First and foremost, you must consider the future well-being of your loved one. Forget about pricing, distance, and all those other factors for a second and truly think about your loved one's happiness and future. As you compare communities, ask yourself questions like:

  • Are they ready to transition into a new home?
  • Will they enjoy this community?
  • Are there any therapies or amenities at the facility that they will love?
  • Will it be easy to visit your loved one on a regular basis?
  • Do you believe that they'll be happy in their new community?

2. Ensure Their Care Needs Will Be Met

There are different types of dementia and those with the condition will progress through numerous stages of cognitive decline (Healthline). Each type of dementia and each stage of the condition require different kinds of care services.

It's up to you to make sure that your loved one is receiving the type of care that they truly need. By taking time to research options near you, you'll be able to pinpoint the right communities that can provide the type of care your loved one deserves.

3. Accurately Evaluate The Location And Housing Environment

Did you know that environmental factors can contribute to the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease? The physical environment of a home or a care home may cause serious problems for people living with dementia (scie.org).

High noise levels, poor lighting, and a lack of fresh air or exercise can be distressing and disorienting for individuals with dementia, so you'll want to make sure a given memory care community accommodates those needs.

Location can play a big role in this context. St. Louis can be a bustling and noisy city, so it might be wiser to seek a community located in a quieter town just outside of The Gateway City.

How To Accurately Vet Dementia Care Communities

Fortunately, the process of vetting memory care communities is fairly straightforward. As you start to look for providers specializing in dementia care near St. Louis, MO, make sure you develop a shortlist of your preferred options.

When you're comparing providers, there are a few things you'll want to carefully consider. These include:

  • The quality of care
  • Available memory care therapies (e.g., pet therapy, aromatherapy, etc.)
  • Facility security and safety features
  • The available amenities
  • The community atmosphere
  • Additional medical care services

As you refine your shortlist, you'll also want to start making calls and scheduling in-person tours. These tours are hands-down the best way to evaluate a given memory care community. This is because tours allow you to:

  • View the community in-person and understand how it operates
  • Ask key questions that you may have concerning living costs, community policies, staffing, and more
  • Taste the food that your loved one would be eating each day
  • Evaluate the driving distance for yourself

When you finally make your decision, just remember to think about your loved one's health, happiness, and future.

Start Comparing Providers Of Dementia Care Near St. Louis, MO Today

If you're starting to compare your local options for memory care, there's no better place to start than The Creeks. We take a small house approach to memory care to create loving, nurturing, and supportive communities for individuals with dementia. Plus, the Aspen Creek of Troy is just a 25-minute drive from St. Louis, so your loved one can enjoy big-city benefits in a small-town community.

Contact The Creeks today to set up an in-person tour of our memory care facility in Troy, IL.