#insight memory

Drawing on the experience of Sandra Wallace in the field of Assisted Living, Insight Memory Care Choices provides decision-making support for those seeking residential care for their loved ones. Insight Memory Care Choices helps families to evaluate facilities, assess staff competencies, and determine the care needs of potential clients. Assisted Living communities welcome individuals who can no longer remain safely in their own homes. The level of care is dependent upon the needs of the individual. Assisted Living is appropriate for those elders who want more socialization, need better nutrition and usually need some level of assistance with activities of daily living, such as dressing and taking medications. Within the world of Assisted Living, dedicated Memory Care is usually a separate part of the community. Assisted Living is considered the "social model" of senior care. Skilled Nursing Homes, by contrast, exist to serve those who need professional medical services throughout the day. The majority (about 70%) of these patients are rehabbing from surgery or illness and will return home when recovered. Those that do not return home are receiving a very high level of care that cannot be maintained in an Assisted Living environment, per state regulations in Title XXII. Also, a number of low income patients live in nursing homes under custodial care. Skilled Nursing is considered the "medical model" of senior care. Nursing homes do not have dedicated resources for individuals with dementia. Assisted Living facilities with dedicated dementia programs are required to train their entire staff in dementia care. Families should take care to ask all potential facilities about the ways in which they keep residents safe, engaged and comfortable.

A former Regional Marketing Director of Alzheimer’s and dementia specific communities in the Bay Area, Sandra Wallace owns and operates Insight Memory Care Choices. Families are provided with invaluable information by Insight Memory Care Choices as they consider assisted living communities for a family member. While no one welcomes a diagnosis of dementia, individuals and their families can benefit from an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or other specific dementias. The chief benefit, of course, is that early treatment can help a person maximize their memory function for a longer period of time. Individuals who receive an early diagnosis will also have more opportunities to enlist in Alzheimer’s clinical trials. In addition to excellent medical care, individuals can participate in potentially promising drug testing. The family of an individual with Alzheimer’s disease can also benefit from an early diagnosis. It is much easier to make care plans when the recently diagnosed individual can participate in expressing their care wishes. This helps to reduce the stress and guilt of making these decisions for a loved one without knowing their preferences.  With an early diagnosis, families can make sure that their legal Durable Power of Attorney is in place for both healthcare and finances, eliminating the expense of going to court later.  Families can also start looking at outside community options without the pressure of knowing they have to make a move in a crisis situation.

Established in 2009, Insight Memory Care Choices helps families dealing with loved ones experiencing memory loss. Under the guidance of founder Sandra Wallace, Insight Memory Care Choices guides family members to make the best choice for care based on emotional and physical needs, location, and financial considerations. Sandra Wallace strives to stay current on new research within the medical community pertaining to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In August 2014, a study came out involving vitamin D deficiency and dementia. The cohort study, funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) for the South West Peninsula, involved 1,650 individuals over the age of 65. Researchers searched for a correlation between low levels of vitamin D and dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. When the research began in 1992, none of the individuals had dementia, heart disease, or strokes. The researchers took blood samples from the participants and followed them for an average of 5.6 years. Neurologists and psychiatrists reviewed the results, which showed that 171 people developed dementia or Alzheimer’s by the end of the study. Those who suffered from severe vitamin D deficiency, with a concentration of less than 25nmol/l, had a 125% higher risk of developing the disease. While the results do not say that vitamin D deficiency causes dementia, the study does show a correlation.

Insight Memory Care Choices suggests different care services for individuals with dementia and other memory-related conditions, depending upon their current level of memory loss.  In addition, Insight Memory Care Choices works closely with the family members to inform them of the best options on behalf of their loved one, also including financial and geographic preferences. The realization that a loved one needs additional help for dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, or a related condition is a difficult one. Many family members are in denial and some are indecisive because they may be unsure of what kind of assistance the person needs. When considering care changes, there are three levels of support to keep in mind. The first basic level of assistance is in home care, provided by family or paid caregivers.  This provides help with day-to-day tasks, such as eating, bathing, grooming and similar activities. The person is no longer able to live alone safely. Most in home care givers, whether family or agency, are not trained in how to also support the cognitive stimulation needed to help slow down the disease progression. For other individuals, the next level of assistance may better meet their needs. This involves moving the person from their current living arrangement into a group care setting, known as Assisted Living.  The size of the community selected is based upon the family preferences and care levels provided by the facility. Finally, other individuals are best served by the highest level of care, known as "secured memory care". This type of assistance is the best choice for individuals who wander and are at risk of getting lost.  It is also best for people in the later stages of the disease who need a smaller, quieter, and slower moving environment.  It is manageable for them and the staff is well trained in communicating with each resident and understanding their needs.