At "Alz", you can find personalized, confidential Alzheimers support. You can answer a quiz in the "Care Finder" section that will suggest the best Alzheimers information regarding care options. Is your loved one best served at home, taken to a weekend respite, checked into an assisted living Alzheimers facility, or put in a full-service Alzheimers home? The decisions are plentiful, so you should check in with the Alzheimers Association - either at your local branch or online - to get care assistance and also to find an Alzheimers support group to help you cope as well.
The first type of support involves the Alzheimers patient who may suffer only mild symptoms. If you fear your loved one is feeling confused and lonely, then you may want to enlist "Companion Services," which helps with supervision, recreation or visits. If your loved one is in a more progressive Alzheimers stage but refuses a home, then you can call on "Personal Care Services" to help with bathing, dressing, toileting and exercising.
If you can afford time to care for your loved one but cannot upkeep two homes, then a "Homemaker Service" will ensure a clean, fresh environment for Alzheimers patients. Some Medicaid programs offer a home caregiver program subsidized by the state. Additionally, community services available through the Department of Aging can offer senior center activities, transportation services, meals on wheels, legal assistance, home repair programs and counseling services.
Another type of Alzheimers support is an assisted living Alzheimers facility. These residential communities allow your loved one to still maintain independence by having their own apartment, but makes life more manageable with housekeeping services, meals provided, 24-hour staff, yard maintenance, laundry and transportation services.
Assisted living units are sort of like living in a resort specially designed for seniors. Some assisted living apartments offer common areas, libraries, scheduled events, walking trails, gyms and other amenities. If you need medication reminders or grooming services, then some facilities even offer that.
Furthermore, "Respite Care" is a type of short term Alzheimers support that allows the Alzheimers caregiver a brief break to rest, relax or finish other tasks, without worrying about their loved one's happiness or wellbeing. Since most caregivers are not paid nurses or doctors, they wind up feeling overloaded from constantly juggling work responsibilities and child rearing with the constant medical needs of their relative.
To avoid stretching yourself too thin, you can get care at home through an agency or you can take your loved one to a specialized adult day care/community service center. Here they will participate in enjoyable activities centered around art, music, exercise, film or group discussions. Since there is no cure, this may be the best support available for the Alzheimers patient. |
