It’s always a difficult decision when you have to consider Alzheimer’s care homes for someone you love very much. However, a time does come when you cannot give them the treatment and the help they need, especially as their bodily functions degenerate. As the condition deteriorates, you might want to look at two options. Putting the person into a day care center so he comes home to you at night or, if the condition is deteriorating fast and you find it difficult to cope, to put him into an Alzheimer’s care center.
Let’s take a look at what you should expect from a day care center first. Even if you are not working, this means that you get a break as a care giver. No matter how much you love the person, looking after an Alzheimer’s patient can get very tiring and it can be depressing as well so it could be a welcome break for you. In order not to feel guilty, what you can do is to look for the best one there is. Here are a few points you should pay attention to.
Medical attention: There will have to be qualified medical attendants so that any problem can be looked at immediately.
Food: The food will have to be nutritious and in a form that will make it easy for the patient to eat as well as digest.
Pleasant staff: A smiling face and a calm demeanor go a long way to calming an Alzheimer’s patient.
Social activities: There should be some social interaction and activities like the TV, music, games, etc to make them a bit more involved and not feel neglected.
Personal care: Find out of baths and grooming like shaving are included as part of the day care center’s facilities.
Look at the senior care centers close to where you stay first so you don’t have to drive long distances in order to get there. This also means that you might know someone who also has family there so you can compare notes and even help each other out if need be. Ask as much as you can so you get a very clear picture of what life is like at that center. Decide after you’ve seen a few and do not make an impulsive decision and choose the first one you see. Some of the centers will also offer counseling services and therapy for the patients. You will need to be sure about the times for dropping off and picking up the patient and you also need to see if the costs are within your budget. Some centers will allow you to try it out for a couple of days so you might want to do that.
There might come a time when the person will have to be admitted into a place where he can be looked after and where you can only visit him. You can look at the various care centers that exist and make a decision depending on the patient’s need.
There are Alzheimer’s nursing home care centers where there are skilled personnel who are trained in the care of senior and dementia-affected people. This is for patients who need to be constantly supervised and need care and assistance for most functions.
There are Alzheimer’s special care units as well and these could exist within a larger care home but be confined to one section. Here too, the residential care has trained staff who look after a person’s needs and each person’s schedule of needs is done individually depending on how far the condition has progressed.
For those who can look after themselves but just need to be supervised and kept safe, there are Assisted Living facilities where they get food, medical support and support to help them lead a life that is as normal as possible.
Whether it is choosing a day care Alzheimer’s facility or a care home for them to move into, choosing right is important and providing information is as important too. You will need to make sure that you address all the areas before you decide because most Alzheimer’s patients cannot make an informed decision on their own and their well being lies in your hands. So discuss the areas of concern with people who can help in your decision-making as well as people in the center so you can work out the best program for them. You will need to focus on the areas of medical care and the managing of medication, how well supervised they will be, what kind of food will be given, whether there will be an exercise regimen as well as counseling and any kind of therapy and what the socialization programs will be.