Memory Care – Don’t Change their World

Memory Care – Why do we try to make people living with dementia fit into our world?

And to do so, we lock the door. Hide the keys. Put away the cooking knives. We barely allow them in the kitchen and so many other restrictions. I remember my grandmother, whom I loved so dearly, wanting simply to go for a walk outside. A natural need to roam about and run her errands. The fear that she would get lost when outside, and possibly that’s exactly what would happen, dictated that she stay indoors. Inside until someone could accompany her. Often, by that time, she no longer had the desire to go. I think that feeling of confinement left her saddened and feeling trapped. Trapped because she needed a minder. Cornered because it was not her will to stay inside. Captured because she realized she depended on someone else to do what was a basic right, to go out for a walk.

What I have found is that often we try to make our loved ones fit into our world in a way that they are no longer capable of doing. Why do we do this? Mostly because we have been told that this is the way to care for those living with dementia. This is how we keep them safe. This is how their world will need to change going forward. But what if we could transform this thought with a revolutionary vision? What if we look at their world, their moment, their current needs and change the environment to fit them and not the other way around?

Memory Care – How they feel matters!

Imagine the joy of walking outdoors, breathing the fresh air, smelling and picking produce. What makes us think people living with dementia want to give up those needs and desires? We know they don’t want to. And, as a result, they often become rebellious, feel isolated, turn away, feel saddened, and even fall into depression. Real outcomes brought about by confinement, negation of their daily activities, and the inability to make these decisions. So, how do we allow for these daily interactions to happen? How do we keep our loved ones safe from harm? Sheltered from getting lost? Protected to do the little things that matter to them?

Memory Care – Learning to live in their world

We need to learn to live in their world as it exists here, today. To fit their needs into ours. We change the environment into one that allows for them to roam safely and continue to live life as they know it. We remove the barriers and the restrictions. There is so much to be gained by giving back their world, their needs, their freedom. We can bring our world into theirs. Younger generations can benefit greatly from the elderly, even those living with dementia have so much to offer. We need only to open our minds and care for them in a different way. At LifeVillageUSA we are creating a revolutionary environment providing a safe place where they have the freedom to roam about safely. We give back their dignity and allow them to engage and live a more fulfilling life.