With life moving at its own pace, your requirements keep changing. And it is essential to address those needs and requirements consciously so that one can lead a joyous life throughout. With the growing age of your parents, it becomes essential that you put a lot more attention to their mental care. They require personalised care during this period to manage their cognitive decline. Read this blog for information on various mental health care activities and facilities in Oregon, and why they are essential. 

Why Mental Care Facilities are Essential? 

Memory care is unique for everyone and becomes extremely essential for your parents as they start experiencing early-onset dementia with growing age. And sometimes it becomes extremely difficult for their children to truly understand what they truly require. Here are some major reasons why memory care facilities in Oregon are essential and why you should pay attention to them. 

• Elders experience changes in their brains and behaviour, which pose several safety risks and make it difficult for them to perform certain activities. Thus, they need an assisted living facility so that they do not experience any mental stress. 
• As memory fades, loneliness and emotional challenges also arise. They constantly experience mood changes due to limited social interaction. Thus, they need mental health care activities to address their social and emotional needs. 
• They are essential because they provide a safer environment where all their needs, from nutrition and medical care to personal hygiene and specialised care, are met.
• To help them with this memory decline and mobility issues, certain memory care assisted living activities must be included in their routine so they can handle them a little more efficiently with a caregiver present for them all the time. 

Must-Have Activities in a Memory Care Facility

Inclusion of life-enrichment activities that support memory care in senior living in Oregon is essential for maintaining their cognitive health and slowing age-related memory decline. Read below some of the best memory care activities that can be done by them and how it helps in taking care of them and their memory. 

Musical Therapy and Reading 

How it helps: It reduces stress and anxiety, engages them, and enhances focus.  

Why it is essential: Studies show that music can help therapists to connect with people with memory related issues. These evidence-based activities support emotional regulation and can be done at any time. They become essential when communication is difficult, and you want a safe place to process emotions. 

Pet Therapy 

How it helps: Enhanced socialisation, releases happy hormones, elevates mood.

Why it is essential: It significantly reduces stress hormone levels and provides an outlet for emotional expression. By fighting the feeling of constant loneliness, pet therapy provides emotional support to the elderly. 

Physical Exercising

How it helps: Boosts self-esteem, increases blood flow, and enhances memory and focus. 

Why it is essential: Exercise helps you improve your sense of control, boosts your energy levels, is a fun addition, and promotes better sleep. Thus, activities like light yoga routines, nature walks, chair games, etc., are a must in memory care communities. 

Group Activities

How it helps: Offers peer encouragement, boosts the brain, and combats negative thoughts. 

Why it is essential: Family-style dining, group fitness classes, daily wellness social activities, art, and educational events. All these activities are good inclusions and essential as they reduce isolation, improve social well-being, imbibe a sense of belongingness, and help in forming friendships

Learning a Skill 

How it helps: Improves working memory, provides a sense of purpose, fosters deep learning. 

Why it is essential: It actively engages the brain in new activities, reduces boredom, and is therapeutic. You can try skills like gardening, learning to play a musical instrument, photography, or quilting. 

Cognitive Activities 

How it helps: Combats cognitive decline, strengthens neural connections, and enhances problem-solving levels. 

Why it is essential: Including daily mental activities like puzzles, crosswords, and Sudoku is essential for the mental care of the elderly, as regular mental stimulation helps keep the brain active. It enhances their attention span and helps them with maintaining focus during daily activities. 

A Quick Checklist for Choosing a Memory Care Facility in Oregon 

Choosing the right memory care facility is extremely important so that your parents are well cared for. Here is a quick checklist to help you choose a memory care facility for senior living in Oregon.

• Make sure the memory care staff is compassionate, licensed, and trained
• The facility must have a safe and peaceful environment
• Provides dedicated memory-based care and therapy
• Focus on nutrition and wellness programs for positive health changes
• Actively coordinate and update you about their well-being 

Conclusion

Your loved ones truly need compassionate, reliable senior care to live their lives more beautifully. Thus, it is your duty to provide them with a better quality of life. This was your guide to some of the best memory care activities and why they are essential. Try to incorporate them to take care of their memory.