My Medical Learning Center

 

Choosing an Alzheimers Care Facility

Related Resources
audio medical article about Alzheimer's
Press the play button to listen to the audio file, "Choosing an Alzheimers Care Facility."
 

More Than 101 Helpful Tips, Advice, Stories, and Words Of Encouragement and Inspiration For Family, Friends and Caregivers of People Living With Alzheimer's Disease

Lianna Marie - author of living with Alzheimer's

Written by a woman who has experienced first-hand the caregiving involved with a family member suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, Making Life with Alzheimer's Easier offers time-saving advice, hope and inspiration. 

Author Lianna Marie sincerely wants to help others who find themselves in the same situation ... and not only that, she gives updates, gifts and a 100% money-back guarantee for her book. 

Your purchase helps others.  A portion of each and every sale is donated to Alzheimer's research.  

Making Life with Alzheimer's Easier - immediate download

 

More than 4 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Statistics show that the number of sufferers will continue to increase as more people will reach the retirement age.

The Care Facility Does Not Need to Be "Off Site"

People who are diagnosed with the disorder do not have to be confined in the hospital. The best Alzheimer's care facility does not cost much because the patient can be treated in the comforts of one's home.

What are the changes that need to be done to the home? The good news is, none. Those who are taking care of the patient should just be sure it is clean, clutter and noise free at all times.

If the family members are busy with other things, an ad can be placed in the paper or someone can call an agency to have a caregiver look after the sufferer. These specialists are trained to give aid to the patient.

What activities are done in the care facility? For starters, memory exercises will be done so the patient can still remember the names of the family members. A basic one will be through the use of flash cards that have the name and photo of the person.

Most of the time, the caretaker will be beside the patient. Instead of doing nothing, it wouldn’t hurt to strike up a conversation. It does not have to be anything serious but just enough to keep the person active because an inactive mind may lead to depression.  The individual should always make eye-to-eye contact when talking to the patient at the same time speaking slowly and clearly for the other person to understand.

Make Sure the Patient Cannot Wander Away

Alzheimer sufferers tend to wander off. The patient could walk to the end of the street or even walk farther without the caretaker even knowing and that is worse. A failsafe system must be put in place such as making sure the doors and windows are locked at all times.

Should the patient manage to get out, the second fail-safe will be to attach a bracelet or a card. This will make it easy for someone to return the person home or be informed where the sufferer can be picked up.

Considerations for Selecting an Alzheimer's Care Facility Outside of the Home

The Alzheimer's care facility is open 24/7 with most of the concentration spent at night. This is because the symptoms are more active during this time so the best way to calm the patient down is through a little exercise.

Whether at home or at an outside facility, the patient can help do the dishes or work on the laundry. A cup of warm milk or tea can be given. If this doesn't work, perhaps going for a little stroll together outside for a little exercise may make the sufferer sleepy and go off to bed.

Some states have nursing homes and reputable home care facilities to treat the patient. There are numbers in the directory as well as on the Internet that people can inquire.

Be prepared.  There is a possibility that a care facility will not accept "just anyone" who can no longer take on the burden of taking care of the loved one because of the limited space and the stage of the disease.

If a family member is suffering from Alzheimer's, you can choose to pay a huge sum for an outside facility or spend the remaining days with your loved one close to home to at least have a few good memories.  It is a tough decision due to the physical and emotional demands, as well financial challenges. 

Next Up:  Some Ideas About Preventing Alzheimer's