Moving Day for Memory Care

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We all have all probably faced the task of moving from our homes to a new place. Even if we’re excited for it, usually it’s exhausting. Sorting, packing, lifting, carrying...fatigue often sets in after from the move. Then its time to unpack, which sometimes takes months.

Now imagine if those carefully packed and sorted boxes were torn open in an unfamiliar place without our permission. That is how memory loss feels to someone who is struggling to remain independent, self-reliant and in control. The “boxes” of memory and life experience we’ve stored and carried with us are strewn about everywhere. As disease progresses and cognitive loss continues, the rooms grow darker and messier, the past and present blurring together in a bulky mess. How would that affect you?

The discomfort of such change would drive me to distraction. As the confusion about where I am increases, I would wander around looking for anything that might seem familiar, call out for my children or my parents; I would pack up to try to get back to a familiar place. I would tell anyone nearby to contact my family, because they don’t know where I am, and this place isn’t home! I would be angry, confused, despondent, anxious and withdrawn. Many of our residents struggle with this transition.

Home is a place that grips us all in a soul-deep way. When the normal neural pathways dissolve and melt away from cognitive disease, deep in our spirits remains a path that beckons us home. “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned,” said Maya Angelou. Home is the place we all want to get back to when we question who we are, or feel lost because we don’t remember.

Those of us who work at Emerald Crest literally become a place of home for your loved one. On most winter days, there’s a fire in the living room. There’s always a warm cup of coffee and a treat, or a cool glass of water to quench the thirst. There is shelter and comfort, there is food and fellowship. When more and more “boxes” are lost and your loved one's memory changes, we are there to remember that they are whole just as they are, as beloved children of God. And that they are home.

Rev. Lette Gamble

At Emerald Crest, we offer a deep knowledge of memory care in a specialized assisted living setting for seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related conditions. We encourage you to contact us directly with any questions or request a tour.