According to the Met Life Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs, in 2001 the vast majority (87%) of nursing homes provided Alzheimer’s or dementia care for patients. While some nursing homes do charge more for Alzheimer’s and dementia care, 80% of the surveyed nursing homes charge the same fees for care of patients with these [...]
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 trained to deal with individuals [...]
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 homes often play a role [...]
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 with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. [...]
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, and instead just realize that [...]
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, they should try their best [...]
Caretakers sometimes express concern that activities such as watching television or listening to the radio have a negative impact on their loved one’s general well being. This is easily understandable, as television and radio personalities have been known to confuse individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or dementia to the point that they cannot tell the [...]
One common experience of caregivers is that they often feel they’ve lost their senses of humor. The seriousness of their loved ones’ conditions, coupled with the stresses of providing constant care, can wear caregivers down so dull that they feel incapable of levity or experiencing laughter. Indeed, even a quick look at some the less [...]
If you’re part of the “sandwich generation,” or the generation with children at home and a elder parent in need of care, then you probably spend each day wearing several hats. This is doubly true if you spend your day working, and your evenings caring for both your children and parents. Consequently, many people in [...]
Sometimes a tough situation becomes even tougher, which is often the case when you receive news that a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease has developed another life-threatening medical condition. In some cases, an aging love one—who’s been coping with the progressing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease—suddenly learns that he or she has cancer. If you or [...]