Dementia Care Assisted Living
Dementia care can be hard to find. Some places that are affiliated with the care of these patients are also skilled and staffed to help the affected family members.
For those dealing with parents with dementia or the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) there are many difficulties. One thing particular that can help you to deal more adequately with the care of your parent is to be at peace with the long term care that is being provided, though finding peace with putting your parent in a long term care facility is a hurtle of its own, finding the right dementia care assisted living center for your parent does not need to add to the stress.
Patients most often tend to enter care facilities between phases one and two of the disease, which can be difficult because at this point, the patient has declined enough to need twenty-four-seven care but retains enough lucidity to protest. Keep your heart on the safety and care of your parent, and move forward with the planning. You may begin to visit facilities long before you bring up the idea to your parent, and as you do visit, keep a few things in mind pertaining to staff qualifications.
Of course for any perspective patient you would want to be assured that the staff meets specific state requirements for credentials and codes. Make sure that the staff to patient ratio is met or even exceeded, but in addition, do some research as to how many dementia patients the facility houses, and what qualifications the staff has in relation to these patients. There are special courses, directives, professional developments that medical personnel can acquire pertaining to the care of dementia patients, and you of course will feel better knowing that those with whom you place the care of your loved one has gone above and beyond what is minimally required to work in the specified facility.
If you are comfortable with the staff and the all around credentials of the place, move on to the amenities that will meet your parent’s needs. If you have determined that there is a population of like patients in the perspective place of care, inquire about specific activities that will cater to the dementia population. Rigid structure and scheduled activities with small groups of people are the best scenarios for Alzheimer’s patients, and even slight details such as rounded walking tracks, limited choices, and patient segregation in some instances are better.
There are four distinct phases of dementia related disease, and since structure and predictability are the best game plans for this degenerative disease, it would comfort you to know that you will not have to move your loved one to a different place as the latter phases begin to be approached. Changing the environment of a dementia patient can spell tragedy, so you will want to know that you are choosing a lifelong care facility.
Some places that are affiliated with the care of these patients are also skilled and staffed to help the affected family members. This of course would be of ample benefit to you and anyone who is suffering along with the patient. Knowledge is power in most any situation, but for someone responsible for the care of someone who is deteriorating with dementia, having someone to help you navigate the health care system, being a part of a support group, and being armed with the correct expectations remove an immense amount of stress related complications.
ORIGINAL SOURCE:
Dementia Care Assisted Living: For The Life of The Patient
