love who become forgetful aren’t aware. The greater
opportunity is understanding.
A person’s thinking process changes when they
develop dementia. The way they understand and
communicate information becomes foreign to us, so
it is hard for us to accept. They find it hard to make
decisions, put the correct combinations together or
follow a process.
Ways we can help include offering them a choice of
two things (“Would you like to wear the green blouse
or the yellow one?”). Or helping them make choices or
cue them on a process. And all through this transition
we as family members and friends are grieving the
person he or she once was.
The journey doesn’t have to be dismal. There are
wonderful times to be had . . . especially if you don’t
try to go it alone. A lot of stress is placed on a family
that is facing a loved one diagnosed with dementia.
As the disease progresses it becomes a 24/7 job.
However, there are great opportunities for assistance
and support.
also offer respite for families who need somewhere
for their loved one to be safe and cared for while they
take a vacation, go to a business meeting, etc. Our
respite rooms are beautifully furnished and those who
participate in our program receive the same love, care
and support as our residents.
Remember that you are not in this alone. Many
families have faced the challenge of seeing a loved
one decline due to dementia. There is a great deal of
support, encouragement and care for both the person
with dementia and his or her loved one(s) dealing
with it.
For a list of support groups, go to www.alz.org/indiana. For information about MorningSide’s Reflections
Memory Care, please call us at (317) 872-4567 or see
our website at www.morningsideofcollegepark.com.
By Susan Albers, RCA, Executive Director
MorningSide of College Park
For example, not only has MorningSide opened its
new Memory Care Unit, Reflections, this Spring, we
THE CARE YOU’VE
BEEN WAITING FOR.
WITHOUT
THE WAIT.
Franciscan St. Francis
Health – Carmel offers a
wide range of innovative
outpatient and short-stay
medical services right
here, under one roof with
ample parking.
For more information, visit
FranciscanStFrancis.org/Carmel.
LAB & IMAGING • SURGERY • CARDIAC TESTING • PHYSICAL THERAPY • ORTHOPEDICS • PRIMARY CARE
COLORECTAL AND CANCER CARE • INFUSION SERVICES • SLEEP DISORDERS
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