Memory Care in Omaha – November 2022

Many things in life are unexpected, but unfortunately, aging is something we can all expect. As one ages, more and more health risks start to arise. This can be scary for seniors and their loved ones, and sometimes extra help is needed. There is no shame in getting the proper care for your loved one, whether it is around the house or transferring them to a new living facility. Memory loss-related health issues require an extra level of care that many people can’t take handle on their own without the proper education and training. Find out the best way to support someone experiencing memory loss with the help of these local businesses!

Moving Your Body, Improving Your Mind

Exercising has obvious positive effects on our bodies, but how does it help the brain?

According to a study by Harvard Medical School, exercise boosts your memory and thinking skills both directly and indirectly. It acts directly on the body by stimulating physiological changes such as reductions in insulin resistance and inflammation, along with encouraging the production of growth factors — chemicals that affect the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance, survival, and overall health of new brain cells. It also acts directly on the brain itself. Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people who don’t.

When it comes to getting exercise at an older age, there can be a number of obstacles that hinder your performance. To help eliminate those obstacles, explore the options available and talk with the trained experts at See The Trainer (seethetrainer.com).

See The Trainer has a variety of sports medicine products that can help seniors who want to live an active lifestyle protect themselves from aggravating a past injury or a weak part of the body. They also offer exercise products, such as exercise balls, shoulder pulleys, foam rollers, and more, so you can stay fit right from your home!

“If you are a caregiver of someone with memory loss, it may help both you and your loved one to have products that can assist with daily routines,” suggested Owner Kristie Egan. “We carry helpful items such as shower chairs, sock aids, canes, dressing sticks, reachers, and toilet safety seats.”

Find what helps you or your loved one safely exercise and live comfortably at home with the products available at See The Trainer. You’ll be moving your body with more ease in no time!

Help at Home

Maybe your loved one isn’t ready to be in assisted living, and you’d like to keep them in the familiar place that they know and recognize. Being the sole caregiver of a loved one with memory loss can be difficult and overwhelming. If you find yourself looking for extra help, CCA Home Care’s (ccahomecare.com) Nurse Registry can match you with the right caregiver to help you look after your loved one.

The Nurse Registry screens and refers caregivers who work for families. The care is client-directed, ensuring that you make the decisions regarding your care for that of your loved one. This unique service has proven time and again to be of superior quality as evidenced by CCA’s reputation for providing valuable care.

“Clients that we begin services with are typically just starting to notice the difficulties of living independently in their own homes and are starting to need assistance with their daily activities,” said Kyle Johnson, president of CCA Home Care. “We are the largest Home Care Registry in Nebraska, and our model is different than any other home care provider available to clients. All of our caregivers are licensed CNAs and work as independent contractors for their clients. Before any caregiver is allowed to work with a client, they are run through all background checks, criminal history reports, work authorization in the United States, CPR certified, must carry their own professional liability insurance, and are bonded through our company.”

Sometimes your loved one just needs a check-in and some companion care at the moment, but it could transition into daily needs, such as bathing, feeding, medication administration, and bathroom assistance. Family members caring for a loved one often still have to work full-time while also taking care of children or grandchildren, or family may even live out of town, and caring for their loved one may not be an option. CCA can provide for daily needs and report to the family directly after a visit. This way, you know your loved one with memory loss is being cared for and has help right there with them.

Where Luxurious Living and Excellent Care Meet

Moving into a new home can be scary and unpredictable. When it comes time to move into a memory care or assisted living community, it is important to find one that aligns with not only your health needs but also your needs in a home. The transition will be a lot easier if you or your loved one is excited for the new space and how you can make it feel like home.

Ovation Heartwood Preserve (ovationbyavamere.com/omaha-nebraska) is an urban, upscale senior living community promoting health, fitness, and adventure. Ovation’s resort-style living offers first-class concierge and valet services to reserve your table at one of the four restaurants, or call for the Ovation town car to keep you in touch with the world just outside your door. This new senior living community comes with dedicated memory care. Ovation Connections Memory Care delivers safe, secure, and compassionate care to enable residents to thrive, enjoy day-to-day living, stimulate their mental and physical focus, and encourage socialization.

“Seniors and families on the journey of memory loss face numerous challenges. The greatest is the lack of knowledge about the disease, how it progresses, and where to find support. This lack of knowledge creates great safety concerns for not only the senior, but also the caregiver,” said Nicole Goff, memory care director at Ovation Heartwood Preserve. As we look at the concerns, they range from isolation, poor nutrition, and a decrease in social skills. These risks grow exponentially when the senior does not have loved ones near. Most seniors with a memory loss diagnosis can mask how their symptoms are to others, especially those far away.”

Ovation has an all-female memory support neighborhood, both resident and staff, as an additional option for families. Their goal is to meet seniors where they are and support them in living their best life through engaging experiences and support that align with their interests.

“Things to look for in your loved one are changes in their personality and/or mood such as increased frustration and anxiety. Increased depression is also an early sign. They may have trouble finding the correct words to use in writing and speaking. They may also have challenges eating on their own or using the bathroom independently,” Nicole explained. “Typically, our seniors are masters at hiding the early signs and we as loved ones can easily talk ourselves out of the possibility of a memory issue, so recognition of the early signs is hard from both perspectives.”

Studies show that people who suffer from memory loss have an increased decline in overall health during the winter and spring seasons. With the change in Omaha weather, depression and isolation are key concerns as it is tougher to travel to one another.

“The holidays can be such a time of joy, but also one of exceptional confusion for our seniors if they become overstimulated,” Nicole explained. “Keenly, we worry about memory-impaired seniors not understanding the risk of exposure to cold temperatures and an inability to find their way home should they become disoriented.”

Ovation brings exceptional care and compassion to every memory care resident, from dining, individualized care, multi-sensory experiences, activities, and cognitive-enhancing programs. Nicole encourages you to visit their community today to see how they can care for your loved one with memory loss.

How to Know When to Go

Caring for someone that requires memory care can be a big task to take on for a family member or loved one that isn’t well-versed in memory health care. The toll that being a caregiver takes on one’s mental and physical health can become overwhelming, so transitioning some of the responsibilities to a professional is one of the best things you can do for your loved one and maintain a healthy relationship with them. Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Special Care Center’s Senior Regional Marketing Director Don Woods shared some advice on caring for a loved one that is experiencing loss of memory or dementia.

“The biggest obstacle that families and caregivers face is knowing when the time is right to seek further assistance in care for one’s loved one with Memory Care. Oftentimes, families are quite frankly not sure where to begin their journey of searching for memory care,” said Don. “Some signs to look out for are residual forgetfulness and a change in cognitive behavioral expressions.”

Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Care Center has a wide array of amenities and services that will leave you feeling assured that your loved one is well-taken care of and enjoying their assisted living community. Some of these amenities include a team trained and specialized in memory care, an all-secure community and courtyard, and aging in place.

“We are all about our residents being active and staying involved,” Don said. “One example of this is our variety of different clubs. Book Club, Park Club, Singing Club, Walking Club – we have clubs for everything to meet the interests of our residents. We also take our residents out for fun outings, such as a day spent fishing on the boat or a trip to the casino to try our luck. Residency involvement is super important to us.”

There are a few things about Prairie Meadows that really make them stand out in the memory care world. To start, they are the only assisted living/memory care facility in the area that has a nurse on staff 24/7. This goes far beyond the minimal regulations of eight hours a day and eliminates any stress and anxiety a family may have when placing their loved one in memory care. Prairie Meadows also has silent sensors equipped in each resident’s room so that staff can be alerted if an individual falls or requires immediate help during the night. These sensors offer privacy to residents while also making them feel secure. Finally, Prairie Meadows offers specialized diets to accommodate the health needs of each individual resident.

“Our goal is to be a resource for everyone, whether you or a loved one is affected by dementia or not,” said Don. “We offer an Alzheimer’s support group to help those in need. We also want to further educate the community about Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and get them involved in supporting organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association.”

Specialized care like the kind provided at Prairie Meadows is crucial for anyone experiencing memory loss or a memory disease. Living comfortably while staying active and social can keep you or your loved one in good spirits during a difficult transition. Prairie Meadows Alzheimer’s Care Center is ready to welcome you or your loved one into their connected community.

Improve Your Organization

As seniors age, it may become more difficult for them to use the storage in their kitchen, pantry, bathroom, or closet. Things become more difficult to take off the shelves or to put away, especially if it requires getting down on one’s knees. This is where ShelfGenie (shelfgenie.com/locations/omaha) comes in.

“ShelfGenie provides custom pullout shelves that retrofit existing or new cabinets, typically in the kitchen, pantry, or bathrooms,” explained Jay Durmaskin, franchise co-owner. “We also design custom closets and storage solutions that can be done in any area of the home. We provide better access to your cabinets and closets. No more having to get down on your hands and knees to find what’s in your cabinets.”

The products offered through ShelfGenie will make you or your loved one’s home more accessible, safe, and organized. An organized space that stays constant can be a huge help to someone experiencing memory loss while staying in their own home. Organizational systems help the mind store memories by organizing or filing new information close to similar already-known information in groups or classes.

The process is easy. To start, a ShelfGenie designer visits your home, in-person or virtually, to generate a 3D rendering of your custom solution in real time. You can keep your custom design plan and adjust it at any time. Then, you’ll choose the solutions you want from your custom design. A ShelfGenie-certified installer will schedule a field measurement, and then a U.S.-based manufacturing team begins hand-crafting your shelves out of the high-quality, durable materials and finishes you select. Finally, a ShelfGenie installer will return to your home to install your custom-made shelving.

If you or your loved one is looking for ways to improve the home to better suit memory care related health issues, keep ShelfGenie in mind. Their innovative approach to storage will improve the quality of life in simple, important ways.

As much as we want to be there for our older loved ones all the time, there is no shame in needing some extra help, or deciding they need more care than their current living situation can provide them. Taking these burdens off of your shoulders can ensure that you will be there for your loved one all the time, only now all you have to worry about is soaking up the time you get to spend with them. There are many options throughout the community, so it won’t be hard to find the perfect match for you and your loved ones.