Alzheimer’s is a devastating health condition that can leave most families grasping on how to best deal with the situation. Fortunately, the condition is such that there has been sufficient research on the topic, thereby allowing sufferers to plan for their personal comfort as well as their loved ones.
Therefore, apart from buying them an elderly scooter for better mobility, here are some options available for you if you have a loved who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s:
In-Home Care
Your first option is in-home Alzheimer’s care, where you can have a professional help you with caring for the patient. In-home care involves two options. The first one is a stay-out professional, while the other one involves a stay-in professional. Your choice depends largely on the degree of care the patient needs throughout the day. Typically, patients who are still able to care for themselves and properly communicate their needs only need care in the morning and can sleep soundly at nighttime.
Adult Day Care Centres
If you don’t want in-home care, then you can try bringing the patient to an adult day care centre. The term is exactly what it is, allowing you to leave Alzheimer’s patients to a centre who can take care of them during the day. This is ideal for people who maintain an 8-to-5 job and cannot leave their loved one alone in the house. The great thing about this option is that the day care centre is packed with medical professionals who can handle the situation if needed. Plus, patients have the opportunity to socialise with others in the centre.
Assisted Living Option
Assisted living is perfect for patients who need basic help with day-to-day activities, but not the technical medical help required of a special unit. Typically, assisted living means having someone else do the chores such as cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, and shopping. Think of it as a community of Alzheimer’s patients, given a relative amount of freedom and sufficient protection against the elements. Price-wise, the assisted living option is the better choice while allowing patients to socialise with others in the same situation.
Special Care Units
If your loved one is suffering from the latter part of Alzheimer’s and diagnosed with other complications, then special care units would be the best option. In this situation, the community is especially equipped with medical needs and staffed by people who have been specifically trained for medical emergencies. The cost can be quite high, but the quality of service connected to it is just as good.
Of course, these are just a few of the options you have available. Keep in mind that while there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s, the treatment does help slow down the process of mental deterioration, allowing sufferers to live a relatively comfortable lifestyle for the rest of their years. Maintaining contact with your loved one should help slow down the mental decay and allow you both to enjoy each other’s presence. Note that no matter what kind of Alzheimer’s care you choose, there’s always a need to properly evaluate the provider to find out if they can carry out on what they have promised.