The Arbor Company Senior Living Blog

Caring for a senior loved one can be emotionally taxing and even physically draining. Family Caregiver Alliance reports that family caregivers can suffer from increased risks of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as an increased risk of heart disease and other serious illnesses. Even family members who live far away but still participate in coordinating care for loved ones who live at home alone report mental and physical symptoms of stress.

Virginia memory care supports seniors with dementia and other cognitive issues to live dignified lives filled with meaning and joy. Caring for a person with dementia requires a unique approach tailored to the needs and challenges of each senior who has it. The best Virginia memory care communities offer this personalized approach, helping seniors to achieve greater independence and a better life. Here’s what you need to know about choosing the perfect memory care community for the senior you love.

A few generations ago, seniors contemplating retirement had frustratingly few options. They could live at home, move in with their kids, or roll the dice and move into a nursing home, uncertain about the type of care they would receive. Today’s seniors have already changed society a lot. From protesting injustices to demanding greater equality for all groups, they’ve now turned their attention to revolutionizing the aging process. They want better senior living solutions, and increasingly, they’re getting them. Seniors retiring in Georgia now have a number of great options for senior living.

Senior living can be life-changing. In an era when web advertising brands everything from toothpaste to stationery as “life-altering,” that might seem like hyperbole. It’s not. Seniors lead better, healthier, happier lives in senior living communities. So although caregivers may worry that moving a loved one to senior living means downgrading their quality of life, the truth is that assisted living can offer care and hope that even the best home-based caregivers cannot match. Here’s how assisted living can help your loved one live a better life.

In the popular imagination, senior living is a last resort for seniors whose loved ones can’t care for them. In reality, it’s an amazing option for seniors who need a little help, but who still want to maintain their independence. The assisted living community of today is nothing like the nursing home of yesteryear. Assisted senior living supports seniors of all ability levels to reach their goals, live lives of purpose, and remain as healthy as possible for years to come.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in three seniors dies with some type of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. Both Alzheimer's and dementia remain somewhat mysterious. Doctors don’t fully understand what causes dementia, and people who don’t know someone with dementia may have little understanding of how dementia progresses. Some people mistakenly believe Alzheimer’s is the only type of dementia.

Love is a powerful force, especially when it motivates you to provide loving care for a senior loved one. Love can motivate you to keep going when you’re exhausted, be patient when you’re overwhelmed, and give up once-beloved hobbies to care for a loved one. More than 30 million Americans are driven by love and concern to provide unpaid care to an ailing loved one. And while their sacrifice is laudable, love isn’t always enough. Love can’t build more hours into the day, or eliminate the need to sleep. It can’t free you of your own need for downtime and loving human connection. Assisted living and memory care, however, can help bridge the gap between what you want to do for your loved one and what you’re able to offer.

Memory loss, personality changes, depression, and confusion in a loved one can be frightening. Prompt treatment for signs of dementia can help your family develop a plan for supporting your loved one.

Companion-style living is a unique approach to senior care in memory care communities. It saves money, but more importantly, it can help seniors feel less isolated and more connected to their community. For caregivers who feel anxious about transitioning a loved one to memory care, companion-style living offers reassurance that a loved one won’t be making the transition alone. Here are five key benefits of companion-style living in memory care.