Care Options: Q's and A's
Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease in his or her home—or in your home—can be a challenge. If you're beginning to feel that you need some help, there are many good kinds of help to choose from.
Each family is different, and there is no magical solution or standard answer for when to get help or what kind of care to choose. Read the following "Qs and As" to learn more about your choices.
Respite Care or Home Health Care
Q: What are they?
A: Respite care provides your loved one with a skilled companion to help with personal needs such as eating and grooming. Some respite care workers also help with household chores.
A home health care nurse can come to your loved one's home to help with medical needs. When these trained individuals visit on a scheduled or as-needed basis, they can give you, the caregiver, time for yourself.
Q: How can I find them?
A: Respite care workers and home health care nurses often work for community organizations, private agencies, and government organizations. Check your local yellow pages for listings. The Department of Health and Human Services' Eldercare Locator can also give you some leads.
Adult Day Services
Q: What are they?
A: Adult day services offer a chance for your loved one to get out of the house and spend time with other people who have Alzheimer's disease. These programs include group activities like arts and crafts, watching movies, baking, singing, and dancing.
The staff members are typically trained in the special needs of people with Alzheimer's, and meals and transportation are usually provided. Many adult day programs are open weekdays, during business hours.
Q: How can I find them?
A: Adult day services may be provided by local elder agencies, councils on aging, local chapters of the Alzheimer's Association, or other social service organizations. The Department of Health and Human Services' Eldercare Locator may also guide you.
Assisted Living Facility
Q: What is it?
A: If your loved one can no longer live with you or in his or her own home, an assisted living facility may be a good option. In this type of housing facility, your loved one would have a private room or would share a room with another person, and he or she would share a living and kitchen area with other residents.
The staff of an assisted living facility may or may not be trained to work with people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Ask these questions when looking for a facility:
What training have your staff members had in working with people who have Alzheimer's?
Will my loved one get help with personal care, meal preparation, and housekeeping?
What types of social and recreational activities are available?
Remember — Skilled medical professionals such as nurses will visit the residents, but assisted living facilities DO NOT provide 24-hour nursing care.
Q: How can I find it?
A: A good way to start looking for an assisted living facility is by using the Department of Health and Human Services' Eldercare Locator.
Skilled Nursing Facility
Q: What is it?
A: Unlike an assisted living facility, a skilled nursing facility provides round-the-clock medical care by a licensed nurse. A skilled nursing facility also offers nutrition and dietary planning, housekeeping, personal care, and social services. This facility may have a special unit or section just for caring for people with Alzheimer's disease.
Q: How can I find it?
A: A good way to start looking for skilled nursing facilities is by using the Department of Health and Human Services' Eldercare Locator.
