The journey to memory care is deeply personal, often filled with questions and emotional crossroads. Yet time and again, families share how this transition brought unexpected blessings, not just for their loved one living with dementia, but for the entire family.
Keys to a Successful Move to Memory Care
“Timing and creating a familiar environment are paramount to a successful transition. Moving a loved one into memory care is a significant transition, and thoughtful planning can make the experience smoother for both the resident and their family,” explains Stephanie Stoll, Director of Sales at Montage Mason.
The best way to feel at home in Memory Care is to bring pieces of home with your loved one when they move in, creating heartfelt connection with staff and neighbors, and getting involved. Memory Care doesn’t need to be an unfamiliar space, but one that enriches daily life and bolsters joy. Here are proven approaches that help ease the move to memory care:
Create a Familiar Space
Working with families, we help personalize living spaces with cherished photos, familiar bedding, and beloved items that tell their life story. These physical items provide comfort and help residents feel at home from day one.
“We create shadow boxes with special items and photos to share residents’ life stories with staff and anyone else who may interact with them. Knowing more about each resident helps a great deal during care and creates familiarity and friendliness.” shares Jasmine Martin, Director of Memory Care at Montage Mason.
Timing is Everything—When is the best time to make the move?
As with many things in life, timing is everything. Timing a move into Memory Care can also play a crucial role in ensuring a successful transition. If possible, we suggest scheduling the move on a Monday and using the prior week to set up the apartment.
“Arriving at the start of the week allows our care team to introduce residents to their new routine gradually, without the disruptions that weekends sometimes bring,” shares Beth McCane, Director of Sales at The Patterson.
“Additionally, having the apartment fully prepared before move-in day allows families to focus on emotional support rather than logistics. Instead of unpacking and organizing, family members can be fully present, offering comfort and reassurance,” Beth explains.
Get Involved and Get Engaged
Getting residents engaged and immediately integrated into daily routines that include meals, activities, and interactions can make this life change more manageable. When individuals begin having steady and consistent schedules in their life, they tend to feel more at ease understanding what will come next, and family members will feel good about their loved one staying active and engaged.
“Structured activities, sensory experiences, and appropriate socialization also engages the brain and will help maintain abilities for as long as possible,” expresses Erika Howard, Director of Lifestyles at The Patterson.
Dementia is an isolating disease. A structured and predictable environment is the cornerstone of effective memory care programs. Repetition and familiarity reinforce cognitive pathways, which can help individuals with memory loss better navigate their day.
3 Positive Outcomes Memory Care Provides Residents
Once settled into memory care, residents and their loved ones often experience remarkable positive changes:
Enhanced Daily Structure
Memory Care gives residents a purposeful daily rhythm providing them the perfect balance of engaging activities and quiet moments. This structured yet flexible routine helps reduce anxiety and confusion while promoting better sleep patterns and overall well-being.
Renewed Social Connections
Through carefully crafted group activities and shared experiences, residents find new friendships and social connections. These interactions often spark joy and engagement, even in those who had become isolated at home.
Improved Safety and Health
Memory Care offers specially trained and appropriately designed spaces to give residents a safe space to call home. Rooms are easy to navigate and common areas are arranged with individuals with Dementia and Alzheimer’s in mind. Spatial awareness can become a difficult hurdle for Memory Care residents as the disease progress, having safe spaces with room to move around makes daily life easier.
Not only is safety immediately improved, so is the health of each individual. With consistent medication management, proper nutrition, and gentle daily movement, residents often show marked improvement in physical health and mobility. Regular monitoring helps prevent small issues from becoming larger concerns.
Rediscovering Joy in Relationships
Without the constant stress of caregiving, spouses and children can return to their primary role of loving family members. The pressure of being a round-the-clock caregiver lifts, allowing genuine connection to flourish again.
“Most family caregivers are not professionally trained; instead, they piece together a care plan based on what they believe is best, often adapting as the disease progresses. While the intention behind keeping a loved one at home—often driven by promises made in the past—is rooted in love, it may not always be in their best interest,” shares Beth.
When Memory Care is introduced, families get their relationships back, and can concentrate on being a family and not on caregiving.
“While every decision is made with love, recognizing when professional support is needed can lead to a better quality of life for both the individual with dementia and their family,” Beth explains.
From Guilt to Gratitude
“One of the most frequent comments we hear from families is that they wish they hadn’t waited so long,” reflects Erika.
Family caregivers have often spent years struggling at home, trying to manage alone, when specialized support could have improved the quality of life for their loved one. But the feeling of guilt from a promise they made to keep their mom, dad, or spouse home has them feeling they must endure.
Families often find solace and peace very quickly when they see their loved one doing so well in a space designed with them in mind.
“Guilt turns to gratitude, families see their loved one receiving the care and attention they need, which eases worry. They also feel this tremendous relief from caregiver burnout, many realize how much stress they were under only after it’s lifted. Noticing that their loved one is thriving makes all the difference,” shares Beth.
Next Steps
If you are looking to begin the process of finding the best care for a loved one, please reach out and we can discuss your situation, determine the options that might best fit your family and answer your questions. We will navigate the process with you, every step of the way.
Contact our helpful team members to learn more and schedule a tour:
Beth McCane, The Patterson—Request a tour or call 937-230-4711
Stephanie Stoll, Montage Mason—Request a tour or call 513-466-8369
Michelle Bowling, Berkeley Square—Request a tour or call 513-785-2001
