Alzheimer’s disease is fairly common in the United States and around the glove. In the United States, it is the sixth leading case of death. It has been estimated that one in three senior citizens die from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. Nearly 67% of all people who suffer from this disease are women. If someone you love has been diagnosed with this disease, the time will come when you have to locate an assisted living facility that provides Alzheimers care. One sad fact of this condition is that it is the only one of the top ten leading causes of death that has no cure, nor are there any ways to prevent it or slow it down once it has been diagnosed.
It can be hard to have the conversation about moving someone from an independent living situation to one that offers Alzheimers memory care. There are some things you can do to make sure you find the right assisted care facility for your loved one.
- Talk to your loved one’s doctor. If you have a family member, or other person who is close to you, receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, there is a pretty good chance that they also have other medical problems. You should talk to their doctor about the best memory care facilities that you should look at for them. If the doctor is a geriatrician (a specialist in caring for older adults), they may have a list of places they can recommend.
- Go to the Alzheimers care facility. You should do some research on the different centers in your areas that supply Alzhiemers care but you really need to go to the facilities to see what they are all about. You should call ahead to make an appointment so that you can speak to the staff and management when you are there. Also, most centers that provide Alzheimers care do not allow random people to just wander around the space. That is a good thing, as it is part of the security these facilities have to keep their residents safe.
- Talk to the staff. How happy do the staff seem? Look at how they interact with the residents of the Alzheimers care facility. Working with older people and with people who are suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is not for everyone. You need to find a place that treats its residents with respect. If there is a high turnover rate or the people seem overworked or generally unhappy, you should go to a different facility. People who are unhappy or overtired are not going to be in the best position to help your loved one.
- Look at the outdoors sections. You probably know to pay attention to how clean the inside of the center is but you should also take a look at how they maintain and keep up the areas outside. Many assisted living centers have nice gardens and other areas where the residents can spend some time outside. It has been determined that people who do not get natural sunlight suffer more from seasonal affective disorder. It is always nice to see a place have a good option for people to get outside and get some exercise.
- Have a meal at the facility. The quality of the food will have a real impact on the quality of life of everyone who lives at the Alzheimers care facility. You should go to the center at meal time and see what it is like. This will give you a sense of what the meals are like and give you a chance to talk to the residents of the center. Ask what the procedure is for the times when people are not able to make it down to the dining hall. Can they send food to the person’s room or apartment?
- Talk to the residents. Ask the residents what they think of living there. The people who live at the assisted care facility are the people the best able to let you know what the center is like.
Finding the right assisted living facility is challenging but it can be done with some effort.
