Preparing for the Inevitable
Let’s face it, not many people think about how they will pay for care for a confused, elderly mother or father. In general, people avoid thinking about death at all costs, and when they are hit with the actual costs required to care for their aging parents they are surprised [...]
Met Life Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs
Beginning in 2002, the MetLife Mature Market Institute began publishing a yearly report that details the cost of caring for the nation’s aging population. The report gives an in depth look at the costs of nursing homes, assisted living communities, and beginning in 2007 home care services. In the next [...]
Are Nursing Homes Prepared to Care for Patients in a Natural Disaster?
Nearly seven years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the inspector general’s office of the Health and Human Services Department identifies major gaps in emergency preparedness and response of nursing homes across the country. Natural disasters, be it tornados, hurricanes or floods, leave the nearly 3 million elderly and medically [...]
Dementia Care Units
Specialized care, such as that offered through dementia care units, can improve the general well being of your loved one with dementia by reducing the overall agitation he or she feels on a regular basis. Dementia care units typically different from other care facilities in that the staff have been [...]
Smaller Homes
Depending on your specific situation, you may consider a small home, or a boarding-care home for your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. These homes differ from other nursing homes and assisted living facilities in that they usually consist of five to six individuals. Furthermore, the residents at theses [...]
Communication with Your Loved One
Misunderstandings are common enough in everyday life. Whether we’re asking a stranger at a convenience store for directions or simply telling a story to our spouse, family members, or friends, the messages we intend to convey don’t always come across clearly. This is especially true when speaking with individuals living [...]
In-Home Care Options
At one point or another, you may find that there are just not enough hours in the day to balance work, life, and the time needed to properly care for you loved one. Should you find yourself in this position, try not to allow guilt get the best of you, [...]
When Your Loved One Feels Ready
While caregivers have every right to feel that providing day-to-day care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia is exhausting, they should try their best to keep in mind that those who’ve actually suffered from the disease every day for years on end feel especially weary. That said, [...]