Amelia Island has a vibrant, thriving senior community with a wealth of resources that cater to local residents at every stage of their retirement years. With beautiful beaches, lush Florida landscapes, and warm weather year-round, Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach provide a welcoming environment that attracts seniors from across the country.
Families whose loved ones have dementia will find much to love about the area. Amelia Island has world-class senior living and dementia care communities that are committed to creating a fulfilling, safe, and nurturing environment for their residents.
If you are considering Amelia Island for your loved one with dementia, these are just a few of the ways that dementia care communities, like The Lakeside on Amelia Island’s, care for your family here on the Island.
We Embrace Individuality
When it comes to dementia care, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every person is an individual with a unique personality, sense of humor, and preferences.
By embracing and understanding every community member’s individuality, we can meet their personal needs and create a place where your loved one will thrive. When staff members know each resident personally, it fosters a sense of acceptance and comfort that your loved one is truly seen and cared for.
We Focus on Engagement
Every resident brings with them a lifetime of achievements, hobbies, adventures, and interests. It’s important that they have the opportunity to enjoy activities that incorporate their specific passions. Engaging residents in recreation and creative experiences that they love provides a sense of belonging.
Family members can help residents engage with their new community by encouraging them to participate in activities and social events, even going with them to help break the ice.
We Forge Meaningful Connections
Humans are social beings, and research shows that seniors who have close, meaningful connections with others are happier and healthier and experience a stronger sense of well-being. Helping your loved one connect with the staff and residents is a top priority in a dementia care setting because we want your loved one to feel welcome and accepted into the community quickly.
Whether it’s quilting, chess, reading, or art, many communities offer a range of engagement opportunities for residents to give them a place to meet others who share their interests and spend time doing things they love.
We Want the Transition to Go Well
Moving a loved one with dementia into a dementia care community can be painful and scary for everyone. A couple of tried-and-true suggestions to ease the transition are:
- Make it feel like home: Decorating your loved one’s apartment with familiar objects and furniture from home will help them feel safe and calm.
- Give the resident time to settle in: As hard as it sounds, it is often better if you don’t visit your loved one in their new home for a week or two after move-in. This will give them time to meet their new neighbors and get comfortable with the staff.
We Create a Safe Space for Family
Helping a loved one transition into a dementia care community affects everyone differently. It’s important to remember that there is no “right” way to feel. Moving a loved one into dementia care may trigger some really strong emotions in caregivers and family members. The most overwhelming of these feelings is grief.
This is completely normal, and we can help you navigate your own feelings through the transition of your loved one into dementia care with family counseling and family support groups.
It’s hard to know when it’s the right time to move a loved one into a dementia care community, and it requires thorough research and a great deal of trust to select the right dementia care provider for your family. But when the decision has been made, it will be comforting to know that your family member will be welcomed with open arms and a care plan tailored to meet their unique needs and interests.
