Alzheimer’s Care Facilities Are Offering More Services and Gaining in Usage

Many people have heard of the disease Alzheimer’s but don’t fully understand what it is or how it may impact them. Alzheimer’s is basically when the brain degenerates over time causing deterioration of one’s mental capabilities. It normally happens during the older years of a person’s life but can manifest itself sooner.

At the moment, it falls into the top 10 of death causing diseases without a cure. Medical experts have not only been unable to find a cure for Alzheimer’s but they have not been able to adequately slow down its progression once it has started. As a result, it is not only a disease that directly impacts the sufferer, but one that puts a tremendous burden on family and loved ones.

In many cases of severe disease, there is always at least a small expectation of recovery. For example, in the case of some extreme cancers, patients and their loved ones often hold on to the hope that it can be cured with proper treatment. However, Alzheimer’s does not have a cure, or a successful treatment plan, and that can put a major burden on caregivers, friends, and family.

Currently ranked as #6 in the USA in terms of diseases that lead to death, a third of elderly patients actually die from some type of mental dementia or Alzheimer’s, and a little over 66% of these patients are women.

Due to its progressive and negative impact on the brain, most patients are soon unable to care for themselves. As a result, families must undertake the financial and physical challenge of providing long term care or they must evaluate the possibility of utilizing assisted living facilities. Sometimes known as alzheimers care facilities, these homes can often provide a great resource to families who are not able to fully care for their loved ones who may be in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.

One of the studies that was produced by Genworth Financial company, showed that fear of being a burden on family was expressed by more than half of the study group. Strangely enough, most of those who responded feared this more than the actual act of dying. The combination of this mindset, and the difficulty of caring for those with Alzheimer’s, has made assisted living, and the alzheimer’s care they offer a vital service.

In addition to offering help with alzheimer’s care, assisted living homes can also offer a range of other services for its residents. Meals, around-the-clock supervision, social interaction, medication monitoring, and daily upkeep of housing, are just some of the many care options for alzheimer’s patients that can be found.

Depending on the alzheimers care facilities that are available in your local area, you might find additional services such as memory care activities for seniors or general help with alzheimers care. Once you and your family have made a determination that such a facility is feasible, you’ll need to discuss the needs of your family member with their doctor and then research a facility that can best match those requirements.

One of the other big benefits to choosing one of the many alzheimers care facilities is the activities for alzheimer residents that go way beyond just the medical treatments. Patients will often develop many new friendships, interact more with others, and many have reported that the overall experience was far more pleasant than they had originally expected.