You don’t need us to tell you that caring for a family member with dementia can be a complex journey. For many, the decision to transition a loved one to memory care is one of the most difficult choices they will make, but it’s also a choice filled with love and the hope for a new adventure of fun and comfort. Once that step is taken, questions often arise about the possibility of a loved one leaving memory care.
Patients can leave memory care under certain circumstances, but it typically requires careful consideration, planning, and support to ensure their safety and well-being. As you explore the possibility of transitioning out of memory care, always keep the needs and safety of your loved one front and center.
What Is Memory Care?
Memory care is a senior living lifestyle designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals with dementia, or any of its many variants.
The environment of a memory care community is designed to minimize confusion and agitation through carefully planned layouts. You may even notice calming color schemes and how the spaces are designed to be secure, without being restrictive. This is crucial for the well-being of dementia patients, who might otherwise feel overwhelmed or lost.
Additionally, activities and therapies are tailored to stimulate cognitive function and improve mood, because everyone deserves to have fun in their retirement!
Reasons for Leaving Memory Care
While the primary goal of memory care is to provide long-term support, there are situations where a loved one might leave the community. The guidelines for this can vary from state to state, and different communities may have their own.
For example, before a discharge can occur in Pennsylvania, the community must conduct a comprehensive assessment to ensure the patient’s needs can be met in an alternative setting. Additionally, families must be given adequate notice and provided with resources to assist in the transition process.
Here are some common reasons why a patient may leave:
Temporary Stays
In some cases, families might choose memory care for short-term respite stays. While not every community offers this option, it can allow primary caregivers to take a break, manage other responsibilities, and generally avoid caregiver burnout.
During these temporary stays, your loved one receives the same high-quality care and support as long-term residents. There is simply an endpoint that was previously agreed on.
Evolving Care Needs
Unfortunately, because there is currently no cure for dementia, treatment focuses on slowing its progression. While this reality can be hard to accept, maintaining a positive outlook and focusing on quality of life is crucial for your loved one. The condition typically advances through several stages, each with increasing levels of care required.
In the early stages, individuals may still maintain some independence, but might struggle with memory lapses and difficulty completing familiar tasks. As dementia progresses to the middle stages, symptoms become more pronounced, and daily assistance becomes necessary. In the later stages, individuals often require round-the-clock care and support for all their basic needs.
While memory care provides a place to help those with cognitive decline, and while your loved one may even show signs of improvement, it’s unlikely they’ll improve to the point they can leave memory care this way. Depending on the community they currently live in, however, they may progress out of the level of care the community offers.
Behavioral Issues
One of the most distressing changes dementia can bring about is aggressive behavior. It can be heart-wrenching to see your loved one act out suddenly with no apparent reason. These moments can be verbal or physical, but it’s important to remember that they aren’t your loved one’s “true self.” They’re a manifestation of your loved one’s disease.
The staff at a memory care community are trained to handle these problematic behaviors by addressing frustration early with calming activities or resolving the situation directly, but gently.
A resident can be asked to leave because of their behavior, but this is exceedingly rare and should only be done as a last resort. A community is a home for everyone, and this step should only be taken if your loved one’s behavior puts themselves or another resident in danger and the community feels they can no longer help them.
In such cases, alternative care arrangements may be necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of both the individual and other residents.
Other Reasons
Realistically, there are many reasons someone may leave memory care. There could be financial reasons, changes in family dynamics, or simply personal preferences. We’re here to support you and your loved one in any way we can, but we can’t force a patient to stay.
It’s essential to have open and honest discussions with healthcare providers and loved ones to determine the best course of action.
Can a Patient Choose to Leave Memory Care?
While residents might express a desire to leave and their autonomy should be respected, genuine safety considerations must take priority.
This is where the concept of power of attorney (POA) comes into play. A power of attorney is a legal document that allows one person to make decisions on behalf of another, particularly in matters like health care and finances.
If your loved one has appointed you or another trusted individual as their agent while they were still capable of making decisions, that person will have the authority to determine your loved one’s overall care and whether it’s appropriate for them to leave memory care.
That’s why you must have this discussion early on. Understanding who holds the power and ensuring that everyone involved respects those decisions helps to keep your loved one secure and well cared for.
Experience Compassionate Care at Fieldstone at Chester Springs
Understanding the intricacies of memory care and the discharge process is crucial for providing compassionate care to your loved one. At Fieldstone at Chester Springs, we prioritize the well-being of our residents by focusing on social engagement. When we say you’re not alone in this, we mean it.
So stop by! Hang out in our lounge with your loved one, enjoy our family-style dining, and discover how our 24/7 staff is dedicated to creating a rejuvenating atmosphere.
Visit us for a tour. We’re saving space for your loved one at the table!
