Memory Care Services & Community
The staff at our community in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois offer innovative memory care services and work hard to create an all-inclusive environment for our residents living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Using a person-centered approach, our staff and facility is dedicated to helping your loved one feel right at home. Dementia care residents can engage in various activities, share mealtime with staff and other friends, and enjoy the freedom to roam in a secure area. Explore the benefits that our memory care living community provides for your family member. If you need help caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s or dementia, give our staff a call by phone at (630) 534-0886 to become familiar with our programs and amenities.
Daily Routines & Activities at Our Community
Morning Routines
The morning routines of the residents at our memory care facility vary depending on lifestyle and preferences. While most residents like to wake-up around 7 a.m. for breakfast at 8 a.m., other residents prefer to sleep in and enjoy a light breakfast. Morning routines for residents typically involve socializing while eating breakfast in the local neighborhood dining room.Residents can also interact in the neighborhood living room, read the newspaper, or participate in morning exercises. Our memory care community is equipped with various living rooms and dining areas in different locations that are designed to accommodate residents that live in the nearby apartments.
Afternoon Activities
The team at our memory care living community serve lunch around 12 p.m. This is our biggest meal of the day. Since residents with dementia tend to be more alert at midday, lunch is the best time to ensure each resident is receiving a healthy amount of nutrients and calories. In the afternoon, residents can choose from various activities depending on what they like to do.They can take a nap, socialize in neighborhood living rooms, or play a game like dominos. Residents can also enjoy the outdoors with fun activities such as gardening or simply walking in the InnerWalk™ Courtyard. For a peaceful afternoon, some residents choose art therapy or listen to music. To become familiar with the activities in our community and the structure of our memory care services, give our staff a call at (630) 534-0886.
Evening Routines
Dinner time for residents starts at 5 p.m. Sometimes after dinner, residents will become a little hungry later in the evening. To keep your loved one full before they head to bed, the staff at our memory care assisted living community provide healthy, brain-boosting snacks.To help residents get a full night’s rest, we encourage them to participate in afternoon activities. This includes listening to music, participating in Thursday Sock Hop, and plenty more. They’re also free to watch their favorite program or socialize with other residents.
Process of Choosing the Correct Memory Care Community
Deciding which memory care facility is right for your loved one can seem like an impossible choice. You might even be asking yourself, “where do I even begin?” The first step you should take is to think about what your loved one would want.
Would they benefit from memory care living services such as scheduled meal times? Do they like to stay active and socialize? Finding the answers to these questions can make choosing a memory care community easier.
Sign Up For Our Memory Care Community
Select a Location or Neighborhood
After figuring out your loved one’s personal preferences, find a facility with memory care services that can match them. Does your family member want to live in a memory care assisted living community in the neighborhood they grew up in? Or would it be better to have your loved one near other family members or friends that can be more involved in memory care living decisions?
Tour a
Community
While looking at pictures and reviews on websites certainly helps, touring our memory care assisted living community in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois is the best way to get an idea of what your loved one will experience. An in-person visit gives you a feeling for what the community has to offer. It also gives you the chance to get your questions answered directly by the staff providing memory care services.
Prepare for the Transition & Move
Once you’ve finished touring a few facilities, you should have a good idea of which one can provide the best care for your loved one. At this point, it’s time to begin preparing the transition to move. Prior to moving your loved one to our memory care facility, we recommend creating a moving checklist that can be used throughout the transition process. This will help ensure that your loved one has everything they need to make them feel at home in their new dementia-friendly apartment.
Memory Care Services For Individuals With Early & Late Stages of Dementia
Whether your family member is in an early or late-stage of dementia, our staff always treats them with the dignity and respect they deserve. Knowing what to do, say, and how to engage with dementia residents at any stage helps keep everyone safe and nurtured.
Early-Stage of Dementia
To provide residents with intuitive memory care services, we can enroll them in Cognitive Therapy through the MemoryCare Corporation ©. With this program, the staff at our community in Oakbrook Terrace work closely with our therapy partners and can implement techniques specifically designed for your loved one’s needs. For example, our staff can label various objects and locations in a resident’s apartment to help them identify objects such as photo books, socks, books, magazines, television remotes, cups, and shirts.
To stimulate brain function and prolong dementia progression, we provide complementary therapies such as horticulture, art, music, pet, and more. When residents begin to wander, they can safely use our paved walkways in the Multi-Sensory courtyard that provides freedom to roam.
Life Stations are also placed throughout our memory care living community in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois to encourage residents to reminisce and engage with each other using the Montessori Approach. Our team continuously hangs new wall art in the community that is designed to encourage thought and conversation among residents with stimulating photos and questions such as , “What is your favorite season?”
Late-Stage of Dementia
The staff at our memory care living community firmly believes that residents deserve care that can be modified and adjusted to suit their individual needs. We take pride in not relocating or increasing rates when your loved one’s care requirements change.
Once your family member has reached a late-stage of dementia, they may qualify for hospice that is designed to give them enhanced levels of care. The staff at our memory care living community will make adjustments to activities to ensure that they can still experience meaningful moments. To discuss the ways our staff cares for individuals in the late-stage of dementia, give our team a call by phone at (630) 534-0886.
Differences in Care Provided to Residents in An Early or Late-Stage Of Dementia
Since we use the Montessori Approach with our Life Stations, residents participate in activities at their own level. To motivate residents to participate to the best of their ability, our staff uses words of praise to encourage residents. Our main priority is to keep residents engaged no matter what stage of dementia your loved one is in.
Accomplishing this means adjusting activities. For example, residents that enjoyed activities such as quilting at a younger age may participate in a modified version of the activity that includes sewing a quilt square or threading a needle. On the other hand, residents with a late-stage of dementia can participate in sorting fabric pieces, feeling a variety of textures, or discussing quilt patterns..
Adjustments are also made to residents’ dining experience to help foster independence. As dementia progresses, we can change your loved ones diet to finger foods and introduce special colored dishware and curved utensils to help them adapt.
Common Symptoms of Dementia
Certain behaviors and symptoms of dementia can cause your loved one to act suspicious, confused, angry, or wander. These can be delicate situations. Our well-trained staff responds effectively to de-escalate and redirect residents from these thoughts and behaviors.
Hallucinations & Suspicions
As your loved one’s senses decline, they may start hallucinating or seeing illusions. The staff at our memory care facility in Oakbrook Terrace will respond to this by offering comforting words and validation of emotions, and distract them with another activity. Confusion and loss of memory can also provoke feelings of suspicion from residents with Alzheimer’s. They might suspect and sometimes accuse caretakers of theft or betrayal. To respond to these feelings, our staff will attempt to distract residents with an activity to redirect their attention away from their suspicions.
Sleep Problems
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia can negatively impact the amount of sleep your family member receives each night. To help your loved one get back on a healthier sleep schedule, the staff at our memory care assisted living community encourage residents to stick to a nighttime routine. For residents who do not feel safe in the dark, the staff at our facility will provide night lights and comforting objects. In some cases, the amount of food, lack of exercise, or too much caffeine can lead to restlessness. That’s why our staff monitors residents’ consumption and daily routines.
Eating Issues
Our staff is well aware of how important and difficult it can be to ensure your loved one gets enough to eat and drink every day. One solution to getting residents to eat and stay hydrated is by keeping them active throughout the day to build their appetite. The team at our memory care assisted living facility can also introduce special dishes with bright colors that encourage residents to eat or drink. If your loved one has trouble handling ordinary utensils, we can provide them with specially designed ones that are designed to accommodate their stage of dementia.
Anger & Aggression
When a resident becomes angry or aggressive, the staff at our memory care living community is well trained in responding. Distracting angry residents with more enjoyable activities and giving them space are just some of the ways our staff will try to calm them. Our team will also note which activities or topics trigger feelings of anger or aggression in your loved one.
How Our Staff Responds To Wandering
There are several factors that can lead your family member to wander. Lack of exercise, boredom, anxiety, and stress can contribute to the disorientation that leads to wandering. Luckily, the team at our memory care living community provides residents with space to roam safely. The walkways are color-themed to help residents who become confused or disoriented find their way around.
Apartment Layouts Available to Residents at Terra Vista
Each apartment in our memory care assisted living community is specifically designed to adhere to the needs of dementia residents. These private one-bedroom, one-bathroom studio-style apartments feature a simplified layout to decrease confusion and keep your loved one safe. While we encourage independence and freedom, our staff regularly checks on residents to ensure their safety and comfort.
Discover the benefits memory care living has to offer your loved one. Schedule a Consultation.
5 Questions to Help You Determine When It’s Time For Memory Care
If you are spending a decent amount of time caring for an older family member at their house, you may be wondering if it’s time to transition them to a memory care living facility. Since the severity of dementia symptoms can vary each day, it can be hard to determine when it is no longer safe for your loved one to live independently. To help you assess the mental and physical health of your family member, we have created a list of 5 questions that can be used to confirm if it’s time to partner with a memory care assisted living community.
1.) Is Your Family Member Irritated Or Anxious?
2.) Is Your Loved One Struggling With Hygiene?
In a large number of cases, your loved one may be embarrassed to admit they need help styling their hair or applying makeup. An easy way to alleviate pressure and maintain dignity is to offer support to your family member with daily tasks such as getting dressed, making the bed, and bathing. If caring for your parent is starting to become too overwhelming, give the team at our memory care facility in Oakbrook Terrace a call by phone at (630) 534-0886. We offer specialized care programs for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
3.) Is Your Aging Parent Anxious or Detached?
4.) Is Your Parent Following Their Medication Schedule?
5.) Does Your Family Member Wander?
Memory Care Services & Programs
If your loved one is struggling to take their medications or perform daily chores around the house, it may be time to consider transitioning them into a memory care living community. The staff at our facility in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois is trained to communicate and care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. Give our staff a call by phone at (630) 534-0886 to become familiar with the dementia-capable studio style apartments and memory care programs at our community.
