The Kensington Reston is partnering with the Insight Memory Care Center to host a summer adult day club on-site at The Kensington Reston.
This eight-week Kensington Day Club will feature professional staff and small groups of Club members to participate in recreational activities.
Designed for people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia, this group will offer opportunities for peer support and socialization in a safe, non-judgmental setting.
The program activities will be geared toward cognitive engagement, creative expression, movement, and social engagement for people who are experiencing memory loss.
The Kensington Day Club will be hosted on-site Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at The Kensington Reston community.
Space for this event is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today!
Benefits of an Adult Day Care Setting
The adult day care greatly benefits both the caregiver and their loved one with memory loss.
Adult day care allows the caregiver a chance to take a break from caring and complete their daily activities, such as running errands or going to work. It’s during these times when a caregiver might not feel comfortable leaving their loved one home alone.
Caregivers might be concerned about their loved one falling at home, accidentally leaving a stove on, or getting lost and wandering around their neighborhood.
If your loved one has just recently left the hospital after an extended stay, you might be even more worried about their health.
It’s in these instances when taking your loved one to an adult day care can offer great peace of mind and help reduce caregiver guilt by allowing you time to recuperate and recharge your batteries for a while.
Adult day care centers are always beneficial to the person with memory loss. Increased isolation from living home alone can cause depression, which can have a negative compounding effect on a person with memory loss.
In an adult day care, people with memory loss are free to socialize and wander around the setting in a controlled, safe, and supervised environment where they can be stimulated and have fun.
Socialization and Activities For People With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s, and Dementia
Many adult day cares also provide memory care services, such as stimulating games and fun activities or physical exercises to keep their mind and body strong.
These physical and social activities can improve mental well-being and boost brain health for those with MCI and early stages of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Socialization has been proven to slow down the effects of cognitive decline, increase focus, and can keep the brain sharper for longer.
Taking your loved one to an adult day care also can give them something to look forward to and give them a sense of excitement. This helps reinforce their sense of time and place and keeps them grounded in reality.
If you’ve become concerned that your loved one has been spending too much time alone or only with you, then an adult day care setting is the perfect place for them to make new friends and to feel a sense of inclusion while improving their mental well-being.
Questions About Early Stages of Memory Loss
It can be hard to determine whether or not your loved one is experiencing advanced memory loss, or simply the natural effects of aging.
Everyone forgets things occasionally, however, if your loved one exhibits many of these symptoms listed below, then you should take them to a physician to get checked out for memory loss.
What are the Early Signs of Alzheimer’s?
The most common symptom of Alzheimer’s in the early stages is memory loss — forgetting important information such as paying bills, birthdays, addresses, and phone numbers.
Memory loss isn’t the only symptom though. Problem-solving skills will be diminished and confusion becomes more frequent. Trouble speaking and finding the right words to use is also common.
Alzheimer’s also affects mood and personality and can cause a person to become irritated, frustrated, or impulsive.
What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)?
Mild Cognitive Impairment, referred to as MCI, is the beginning stage of memory loss and other cognitive ability loss.
Memory slips can become natural as seniors grow older, however, MCI is often thought to be a worsening memory than what’s considered normal for a person’s age.
MCI affects a person’s language, visual and spatial perception, and is an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
People with MCI can still live a mostly independent life, however, as their memory loss increases, they will eventually need more assistance.
What is the Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Dementia?
You’ve likely heard these two illnesses used interchangeably, however, they are different. Dementia can be thought of as an umbrella term, encompassing many types of cognitive diseases, which can include Alzheimer’s.
Whereas dementia is a general term, Alzheimer’s is a specific type of disease that affects memory, emotions, swallowing, movement, and causes the brain to shrink and atrophy.
What Are the Causes of Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be created in the brain by protein build-ups called plaques and tangles.
A certain kind of protein in the brain, beta-amyloid, can form build-ups in the brain that can block neuron cells from interacting with each other. These are referred to as plaque.
Another protein, tau, can similarly clump up in the brain to cause neurofibrillary tangles, or tangles, that can also clump up to disrupt cellular transport of important nutrients in the brain, causing atrophy and neuron cell death.
How The Kensington Is Meeting Needs of Those with Memory Loss
The Kensington Reston is an enhanced assisted living, memory care, Alzheimer’s, and dementia care community located in Reston, Virginia.
Our enhanced license sets us apart from other memory care communities and allows us to administer more medical care for your loved one.
Our community is staffed by registered nurses who work 24/7 to meet the needs of our residents. We also include on-site rehabilitation services, an on-site physician’s office, life enrichment programs, dining services, and much more.
For residents with memory loss, we have two specially designed neighborhoods that aim to enrich and provide additional support: Connections and Haven.
Connections is our neighborhood for residents in the early to middle stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia care. This neighborhood is fully-secured to maximize safety, but is also comfortable and elegant to foster a calm and friendly environment.
Haven is our neighborhood for residents in the middle to late stages of Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Residents living in Haven will receive a higher level of assistance and care to complete their daily activities. Like Connections, Haven is also a fully-secured environment and features painted walls and doors, and memory boxes to help minimize confusion and aid our residents.
If your loved one is experiencing the beginning and early stages of memory loss, then please contact us today to learn how we can accommodate your loved one’s changing needs.
At The Kensington, we extend Our Promise to you — to love and take care of your loved one as we would our own.