By Jaime Joshi Elder
This month celebrates National Senior Citizens Day (August 21).
We all know and love a senior citizen – a parent, a partner, a neighbor, a friend – and as our loved ones grow older, we want to know how to best support them, both physically, mentally and emotionally.
In addition to being an engaged part of their lives, it helps to be diligent about changes and knowing what is considered “normal” and when you should seek medical attention.
Memory loss is a common occurrence as we age due to the shrinking of the hippocampus – a complicated structure located in the brain’s temporal lobe. It is most associated with memory, learning and emotion and as it shrinks, so does its capacity to maintain these functions.
Forgetfulness is a normal part of the aging process and can be influenced by a variety of factors ranging from sleep deprivation to stress and there is a wide gulf between common memory issues and serious memory problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
For example, forgetting which word to use is a common memory issue but being unable to recall the word even after receiving context cues may be indicative of a more serious memory issue.
“General forgetfulness such as going into a room and forgetting why you went in there, occasionally having trouble finding the right word, or forgetting where you put your car keys/purse is common as we age,” said Holly Hines, Dementia Care Coordinator at Liberty Senior Living, operators of Wellington Bay – a luxury senior living community in Wellington. “Dementia is not.”
When the conversation arises about assisted living or memory care, there are numerous factors to consider.
“There are many stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia and people need support at different levels,” said Wendy Paige, sales and marketing director of Wellington Bay. “In assisted living, we help with activities of daily living with no medical needs. Tasks like bathing, grooming, meals, driving to appointments, housekeeping and laundry as well as emergency response if there is a fall. We also provide activities to keep residents engaged and socializing with their peers.”
Memory Care is a level above Assisted Living and includes all of the above but also features special programming to support residents with memory loss including a higher level of oversight, increased safety measures and support groups for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“As someone ages, whether this be with memory loss, physical changes, social changes, familial changes or other psychological changes, things must be adapted to the needs at that point in time,” said Haley Kinne-Norris, M.S., ADC, INSPIRE Wellness and Enrichment Coordinator at Liberty Senior Living, operators of Wellington Bay. “With memory decline, our job as caregivers is to provide them with opportunities to be who they are.”
“When forgetfulness becomes more frequent and interferes with daily tasks (driving, cooking, paying bills), dementia may be playing a role,” said Holly. “Sometimes doctors will want to perform a cognitive assessment to establish a baseline of someone’s cognitive abilities and I encourage people to have a conversation with their physician about any questions or concerns they may have.”