How to Make a Loved One’s Memory Care Apartment Feel Like Home
When a parent or loved one moves into a memory care community in West Dundee, Illinois, it’s important to take their preferences and needs into consideration. Dementia-friendly decorating is an approach that can help create a comfortable living space for individuals with cognitive decline. This involves incorporating personalized touches such as favorite colors, photos and familiar objects, helping to trigger positive memories and create a sense of familiarity.
In addition, it’s important to consider the impacts of the individual’s condition when decorating their room. For example, contrasting colors can help with depth perception, and avoiding patterns or busy wallpaper can help reduce confusion and agitation. Furthermore, minimizing clutter and providing ample lighting can help improve visibility and reduce falls.
By considering these factors, you can create a welcoming and safe environment that will help your loved one feel more at ease in their new living space. However, catering to your family member’s condition is only part of the solution. Our team at The Woodlands at Canterfield is sharing essential tips to help you make your family member’s new memory care apartment in Dundee, Illinois, feel like home.
Bring in Personalized Items
When your loved one moves into a memory care apartment, it can be challenging for them to adjust to a new environment. One way to help ease this transition is by incorporating personal items and decorations that they are familiar with. By bringing in photos of loved ones, a favorite chair or decorations they’ve had for a long time, you can help create a sense of familiarity and home.
In particular, displaying photos can be a great way to inspire conversations with visitors and caregivers. When selecting pictures to hang in your loved one’s memory care apartment in Dundee, Illinois, pick out important photos. These can be family portraits, a photo from your loved one’s wedding album or other treasured photos that bring back special memories.
By taking the time to personalize your loved one’s new residence, you can help make them feel more comfortable and at ease. This is especially important, as they’ll be transitioning into a new environment that may be initially overwhelming or unfamiliar.
Sensory Aspects
Lighting
As we age, our eyesight declines, making it harder to see contrasts in our environment. In fact, people over the age of 75 need twice as much light as younger people to see satisfactorily. For individuals living with dementia, this can cause time confusion, leading to “sundowning,” where people become more agitated and uncertain as the sun sets. It is crucial to cast brighter light evenly throughout the room.
To combat this, utilizing the many benefits of natural light can help create a comfortable environment. Sunlight through windows can help connect individuals to their circadian rhythms, keep their bodies on a regular schedule and ease some of the effects of sundowning. Avoid placing heavy curtains in the room so that sunlight can enter, and if there aren’t enough windows to fill a room with natural lighting, consider adding more lamps throughout the space.
Avoid Patterns
To create a comfortable and supportive environment for those living with dementia, choose solid colors for finishes and furnishings. This is because patterns with strong contrast, such as black-and-white checks, can confuse individuals with dementia. The dark sections may appear to have more depth than lighter sections, making it difficult to distinguish between them.
Utilize Solid Colors
When selecting furniture and decor, creating a strong contrast with solid colors is crucial since blending color tones can cause disorientation. By creating a strong contrast with solid colors, such as placing a deep blue chair against a white wall, you can help make the space more understandable. This can be achieved by juxtaposing these colors in clear swaths throughout the room. These small changes can make a big difference in creating a comfortable and supportive environment for those living with dementia.
Stay Connected and Involved
Aside from implementing treasured mementos and appropriate decor options, the most important thing you can do to make your loved one feel at home is to stay connected. Whether you schedule regular visits to their memory care community, participate in community activities or events or keep in touch with team members to receive regular updates, you must ensure your loved one knows you are there for love and support each step of the way.
At The Woodlands at Canterfield, our memory care community in West Dundee, Illinois, provides a clear path of support for your family’s journey. We’re here to build confidence and celebrate every single accomplishment by your side. Contact our team to learn more about our community and memory care services.
