Care for Early Stages of Alzheimer's

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's, a form of dementia, there is assistance through medication and techniques to retard the progress. Nearly 20 million families in America have at least one member in their family, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The disease has seven stages, and the type of medical and health care varies from person to person depending upon the stage of the disease. It becomes the responsibility of the family members to understand the nature of the disease and provide adequate care when required. It is also important to recognize the symptoms of the Alzhiemer's disease in the early stage, itself, but this is not an easy task. This is because the first two stages of Alzheimer’s disease are difficult to recognize even by family members or close friends.

Living Arrangements for Seniors with Alzheimer's

The right type of living arrangement is beneficial to the senior who is suffering from Alzheimer's. You can plan ahead by finding out living arrangements for your loved ones or senior family members with Alzheimer's. This also helps in making the right decision at the right time. Otherwise, you may end up finding a quick solution, which can go drastically wrong in the long-term. Remember, it is a challenging experience to care for a loved one with Alzheimer's. While everyone wants the best care for their loved one, very few know what type of care should be given to the person. Deciding about the living arrangement for seniors and choosing one that meets the person’s budget are informative decisions that require planning in advance. If you need help in choosing the right type of living arrangement for your parent with Alzheimer's, you will benefit by seeking the help of trained professionals. They will help you choosing the right option, which may fit well in your budget. Here is some information to help in your decision.

Medical Treatment of Alzheimer's

Research for the care and the medical treatment of Alzheimer's is still ongoing. Though there is hardly any cure for Alzheimer's disease, you can still do a lot to maintain the quality of life for your loved one by helping him or her stay active for her lifetime. How? Here’s the help! You must know which treatment should be given to a person suffering with Alzheimer's and when.

Finding a Home Health Aide

Caregivers or home health aides provide assistance to elderly and come from home health and home care agencies or may be a private referral. A home health aide helps elderly, disabled, or ill people to continue living in their own homes instead of nursing homes or institutions. The home care aides provide the desired assistance to elderly and physically or mentally disabled people when other family members or friends fail to provide the extensive personal or emotional care to these people.

Financial Help for Seniors

Finances are one part of the equation when a senior is in need of assistance and the family has to decide what type of senior care is needed. Your spouse has Alzheimer’s, and you are at loss about forming strategies on how to pay the cost for elder care. Your ailing father has spent almost all of his savings, and you are wondering how you are going to pay for his adult day care or his assisted living needs. Your mother needs to be monitored, but you don’t know the best way to source funding to pay for this service. You must find these predicaments similar to the one you’re experiencing, millions of Americans are in exactly the same situation.

Living Options for the Elderly

From home care, to group home, to independent living facilities, to many more options, elder care is available depending on personal needs. Your father wants to remain in the home he has been living in for the past twenty years, but the house is not equipped for his aging needs. Your mother wants to live with her memories in the home she inherited from her husband, but she finds it difficult to cross the street on her way to the grocery store. Your favorite uncle wants to stay at his home for as long as possible, but there are no facilities to prevent him from falling down and breaking his legs. If you haven’t been faced with these challenges, chances are you will. It is a problem millions of Americans are facing everyday.

Selecting a Caregiver

Having the right caregiver for your family can make all the difference in the world when it comes to home care for a senior family member. With increasing age, the dependence on the young family members by the aging family members also increases to meet certain physical and psychological requirements. Unfortunately, not every family can extend the desired support to the elderly due to certain other commitments in life. Therefore, the outside support is desirable in most of the cases where family members seek the expert care provided by caretakers or old age homes. Home health service provided by professional caretakers is a wonderful solution for the elderly in the home.

As a care taker provides desired support and non medical senior care to the elderly in their own homes, it is often preferable over the old age homes. A caretaker of a company is an expert in his field who provides assistance to elderly in the conformity of their homes. But, you should never select a caretaker in a hurry. There are certain points that you should remember while choosing a caretaker for an elderly in the home, such as:

Recognizing Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Recognizing the signs of Alzheimer's disease is necessary in getting a diagnosis and receiving treatment early so that maybe the symptoms will slow down. It is difficult to recognize the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in the young age group or at an early stage of life. Most of the people complaining of memory loss, who regularly see a doctor, cannot even recognize the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Some families even hide these symptoms as they mistake it for the common signs of aging. In certain cases, these symptoms of Alzheimer's disease emerge so slow that the individual or family affected by it do not even recognize the symptoms until the disease is at a higher level. Recognizing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest stage possible is important because it allows a doctor to control the changing behavior pattern or delay it with medicines. So meet a doctor if you have any of the listed symptoms:

Home Care Costs

Before trying to calculate the cost of home care, become informed by calling local home health agencies and ask questions regarding the different types of senior care services available and the costs involved. Your partner suddenly needs to be bathed every morning and you can’t physically do it yourself but you are confused about the home care cost involved in getting a professional to bathe her every morning. Your mother, who used to dress herself and do other household chores, finds herself in a position where someone has to do these things for her. You’re not sure what the home health care cost for this will be, or what factors will come into play while calculating cost. No matter your situation, it is not new. These are issues which confront millions of Americans on a daily basis, especially with the increase in the population of elderly people.

Home Health Care

Elder care from a professional home health care agency can give respite care to a family caregiver and at the same time offer experienced and skilled elderly assistance. Your father, who used to wash all his clothes, suddenly loses the energy to undertake this activity. Your mother, who used to bathe herself everyday, forgets to take her bath for days on end. Your uncle, who used to be an avid eater, begins to miss meals because he forgets the time he is being served his meal. Your aunt, who used to take her medication regularly, begins to find it difficult to take them. Is this situation similar to the ones you go through everyday? There must be millions of Americans who are experiencing similar conditions day-in-day-out.

Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities have caregivers available to assist in daily living skills and to provide safety and security to seniors still independent enough to live alone and maintain the life they are used to. Today in this world of passionate work style, the elderly, who are medically unfit, also have an opportunity to live a high quality life at their home. The professional caretakers have made it possible even after the elderly has a stay in the hospital, they can return to their homes. A medical research indicates that the elderly too, have a demand for self reliance. They too, want to be self sufficient by making their own decisions and feeling safe. An elderly person often suffers from weaker reflexes, poor vision, and also faces difficulty in maintaining the body balance and walking and this could have a major impact on their safety.

The elderly today have fears even in their own home about their safety. They face many changes and challenges in order to retain their independence and caregivers understand their sentiments and give them the respect they deserve. This, in turn, provides them control over their lives.

Help for the Elderly

Help for the elderly who suffer from Alzheimer's, dementia, and senility is available through many organizations, including The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, and can also give types of facilities that offer care for Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's disease has affected millions of people in America and is expected to influence millions others across the globe. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia, which is the fourth major cause of death among the elderly people in developed nations after cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Home Health Care Agencies

Home health care agencies have caregivers who are experienced and trained in providing senior care and finding the perfect caregiver for your family can ease the worry you may feel in letting someone other than yourself take care of your family. Your spouse, due to advancing age, needs someone to assist her to take her bath every morning. Your parents, embattled by illness, need assistance at home to help them for toileting and dressing. Your aunt, because she can no longer do it by herself, requires the assistance of care givers to help her to eat. Are you faced by one or all of these situations presently? You might be if your parents are elderly citizens, your spouse advanced in age, and your aunt troubled by an illness.

When to Choose a Nursing Home Over Home Health Care

Both nursing homes and home health care agencies are wonderful options for taking care of an elderly person, but the decision to choose one over the other does depend on the senior's medical history and the quality care that is needed. Sending your loved one to a nursing home is perhaps one of the hardest decisions that you may have to make in your life. It is certainly not easy to send a family member to a nursing home, but sometimes, it is the only option left, especially when a caregiver gives in or abandons that person. But it proves to be a blessing in disguise for a person, who is seriously ill, or who needs round the clock medical attention.

Selecting a good nursing home with less of a burden on your pocket is the next step to follow once you decide to send a family member to a nursing home.

Assistance for Dementia and Alzheimer's

Professional assistance is available from Alzheimer's organizations to offer education, training, and discussion groups for the elderly and their families who are providing senior care. Alzheimer's disease and related dementia changed the lives of approximately six million people in the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, this number is expected to cross 20 million in the coming decades. With millions of families going through this difficult phase of life, it becomes important that they know how to assist people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

To help families and friends of people suffering with these diseases, various organizations and social groups such as Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center provide expert guidance. Some organizations even conduct training programs under the guidance of famous dementia and Alzheimer's experts.

Care Options for the Elderly

Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, home care, group homes, and independent living places are among many options available to care for seniors. Your father, who had loved to live at the family home before the death of your mother, suddenly starts to kick against the idea and wants a new abode. Your mother, who has come to live with you and you want to go on a vacation so you need respite and elder care. Your spouse, against your calculations, starts to badger you for relocation because she can’t bear to stay in the home in which your younger sister had died. Are you facing challenges similar to any of the above? The possibility cannot be ruled out. Millions of elderly senior citizens are voicing out needs previously not thought of.

Home Health Information

Home health information can be obtained by contacting local home health agencies and further information can be found in on-line services. Home caring of an elderly can become extremely stressful at times, especially when you are not professionally equipped to handle it. The situation can be more difficult to manage if you are emotionally attached to the person. You may not be able to provide them required care and support because it would be difficult to detach yourself from the person and approach any given situation without bias.

Non Medical Home Care

A family member who is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or dementia can benefit from a professional caregiver who is trained in working with the elderly who suffer from these conditions. Your spouse, who used to have a sound memory suddenly starts forgetting important occasions including your birthday and anniversary. Your mother, who used to be very punctual, was not ready when you reached home to pick her up for her appointment with the doctor. Your dad, who retired as an accountant starts finding problems even with simple mathematical calculations. Do you find any of these situations similar to what you have been facing right now? The chances of your loved one facing a problem that millions of people in America are struggling with seem high. That’s true! Alzheimer's is one of the most dreaded diseases, which affects millions of people across the globe today.

Aids for Elderly

Local directories and on-line services can help match you to home health agencies and personal assistance services that may be needed in order to take care of your loved one. Moving into a nursing home can be traumatic for anyone. Providing home-care to elderly can definitely help them manage life better, especially when suffering from diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer's or from a disability that prevents them from leading a normal life. In-home care is available for seniors to continue living the life they are used to, with help from someone who is experienced, compassionate, and reliable.

Home-based care is an evolving concept, and thus, many services offered in this field are not adequately regulated. If you are looking for a home health service for the elderly in their home, you need to follow some tips as given below:

Caring for the Elderly at Home

More and more families are having to make a decision on elder care services as the senior population continues to expand. Caring for the elderly, especially in the age group of 65-85 years of age, is an important issue for today’s generation. If you go by statistics, they indicate that today’s young generations are likely to enjoy a longer life as compared to the past generations. The Federal Agency and Forum on Statistics indicates that America in the year 2050 will have more than twenty million seniors above eighty-five years of age. This means, we will have almost seventeen-million seniors more as compared to the three million figured in the year 2000. While it can be a matter of rejoice for most of us, it is likely to be a matter of concern for our young ones.

Daycare for the Elderly

Adult daycares offer a safe and secure place for the elderly to enjoy activities, make friends, and take advantage of the many programs designed to assist seniors such as Alzheimer's care and physical therapy. Your elderly friend or family member is a victim of Alzheimer’s disease, and is becoming more forgetful and confused day by day. He may be finding it difficult to cope with the most basic of daily activities. At night, your friend or family member may be finding it difficult to sleep; and in the daytime, he wanders away from home and finds it problematic to trace his way back. He has no one to turn to, and while you can’t turn him away, you have your life to live and a job to take care of. If you’re faced with this situation, don’t be disturbed. You’re not in it alone. Many Americans are going through the same turmoil into which your loved one has plunged you.

In Home Care

Home care, or personal assistance agencies, and their caregivers are an excellent option in taking care of seniors in their own homes, even if they suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's, or just need help with daily living skills. The elderly persons in your home deserve special attention even when you are not around to give it yourself. The elderly often require assistance in managing their day-to-day activities including- bathing, dressing, walking, or eating. The experience may leave them feeling dejected or disorganized and challenge their integrity as an individual. Even if you occasionally are there to help them manage these activities, the problem is not resolved permanently. It becomes even more challenging for elderly people to manage these activities if they are disabled, or weak. Such people need more help in preparing and performing even the most common activities.

Residential Care for Elderly

A residential living facility offers assistance in elderly care for people suffering from Alzheimer's and dementia. Living in a residential care facility is an ideal setting for elderly people suffering from Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Living in a controlled, planned environment often makes it easier for those suffering from these diseases. It is scientifically proven that Alzheimer's patient must be employed in some sort of mental exercises to ensure their well being. Therefore, some residential care houses run special programs for elderly people to address the need for mind-stimulating activities.

Selecting Non-Medical Care

When choosing a non-medical service agency, or home care agency, remember to take into consideration senior care that is needed and what kind of caregiver would work well with your loved one. Your father, who used to cook for himself since the death of your mother, is now so feeble that going to the kitchen has become impossible. Your mother, who used to sweep the floor and arrange the chairs in the living room, is now so forgetful that she neglects to do household work for days. Your spouse used to go shopping at the grocery store at the end of your street, but for some time now she forgets the way back and sometimes gets lost. Clearly, your loved ones need some non-medical care at home to enable them to get over the challenges which they may face in their daily lives. To provide an assisted care living facility, you have a number of issues to think about in order to choose the non-medical care agency to cater for your elderly parents suffering from Alzheimer’s, senility or dementia.

Is Senility the Same as Alzheimer's Disease

Many people categorize Alzheimer's, dementia, and senility as being all the same, but there are differences. People suffering with Alzheimer's disease complain of continuous decline of various neurological functions. One of the primary symptoms of the disease includes rapid memory loss. In addition, you can find the person losing comprehension and logical ability. While Alzheimer's is only one type of dementia, senility is a term that refers to the gradual slowdown of mental functioning, shrinking memory and concentration when people get older.

Senior Care Across America

Assistance is available to families in need of care for an elderly loved one, depending on medical help needed, through home care agencies, adult daycare, retirement homes, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Your father, due to the fact that he has grown attached to his home, feels reluctant to go elsewhere for treatment when he begins to have the problem of forgetting things. Your mother, who does not want to burden your family with her ailment, prefers her elder care to be conducted at a location far removed from your home. Your spouse, who might wander and get lost while you’re at the office, prefers an elder daycare location during day time. Are the options in elder care in America able to accommodate the individual needs of people, who suffer from such illnesses as Alzheimer’s, senility and dementia? Yes! Here are a few of the options available for senior care across America.

Taking Care of Elderly Parents

Taking care of the elderly can be difficult on your own but there are home health agencies, assisted living facilities, and home care providers who provide non-medical services, available to assist in any way needed. Your mother is ill, but there is no way by which you can take care of her twenty four hours a day. Your father is longer to take care of himself at his own home but there is no time for you to go through his cupboard and refrigerator to determine what you need to buy for him from the grocery store. Your grandparents have become too weak to cook meals for themselves, but you find it difficult to cook for them during the week. You must not feel that you're the only one who has to make the hard decisions to rectify the situation with your parents. This is a familiar situation in America.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America offers information on dementia and Alzheimer's to families, caregivers, and health care professionals who work with people suffering from the symptoms of this terrible disease. Founded in February 2002, the mission of Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) is “to provide optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families—through member organizations dedicated to improving quality of life.”

Home for the Elderly

Deciding on an assisted living facility or senior care at home for your loved ones can be a difficult decision, but medical needs should be considered before making the choice. Your uncle’s home that used to be so comfortable for him suddenly becomes too noisy. Your parents' apartment, where your mother has lived for many years without complaint, is not accessible to your mother’s nurses at certain times of the year. Your home, which used to meet all the requirements of your spouse, is now unsuitable due to her constant state of forgetfulness. Do you feel exasperated with these conditions lately? If you are faced with this situation, you are not the only one concerned. Many Americans are going through the same situation.

Home Care

Senior home care services can provide aid from daily living skills, to Alzheimer's care, to hospice care, while still living in the comfort and familiarity of the senior's own home. As the generation of the baby boomers comes to maturity, thoughts of how and where to spend retirement years begin to turn in their minds. Should we plan on nursing homes, retirement homes, assisted living, or stay in our own home? Baby boomers seem to do more research in the decision making process when it comes to home health care. There are many factors to consider when choosing help for themselves. Is there a chronic condition, such as Alzhiemer's or dementia, or someone with limited mobility? If so, do we need skilled nursing or a caregiver? Can we still live at home or do we need a facility or adult day care? More and more popular is the decision to stay in their home, a familiar and safe environment.

Living Assisted

Assisted living facilities offer senior home care for the elderly who are primarily independent but may need some help from a caregiver or home health service. As a baby and young child, we are taken care of and get the assistance of mom and dad while learning new things. Then we live life and finally come to the time when we need help again. As we become seniors, things that we could do before might not be as easy to do, so we need to have some living assistance. Could the assistance we need mean that we need to move to an assisted living facility or can we still live at home? The answer definitely depends on health related issues and what kind of health care we will need. Living assisted is a wonderful option for elderly care. An offering of a whole new lifestyle can be very appealing.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease

Knowing the difference between the normal age-related forgetfulness and the signs of Alzheimer's disease is needed to determine the treatment or care that the senior may need. There is help for the elderly when it comes to having Alzheimer's, a form of dementia, through home health services, assisted living facilities, residential care homes, and also nursing homes.Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he discovered some brain abnormalities of a woman who had died of a mental disease. She had exhibited memory loss, personality change, and language problems. Dr. Alzheimer had discovered some plaques and tangles of protein in the spaces and nerves of her brain. Although, no one knows for sure what causes Alzheimer's or how to cure it, scientists have discovered a genetic link in families with Alzheimer's. Age is also a factor. So, knowing what the signs and symptoms of it can help you and your family members prepare for it.The Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain's ability to remember and to reason. Also, language and personality changes occur and eventually the ability to carry out simple everyday living skills is gone. Symptoms can start as early as age thirty, but usually don't begin until we're much older, after age sixty. The older a person is, along with other factors, the more likely he is to develop this disease.

Some symptoms of Alzheimer's are:

1. Alzheimer's usually can not be detected in the beginning stage. Forgetfulness can be just a normal part of aging, like losing keys or a wallet. But, forgetting something that happened an hour ago, our short-term memory, may be an indicator of Alzheimer's.

2. From there, memory lapses with family members names and time and place begin to occur.

3. The next stage may be forgetting how to do simple everyday tasks such as brushing teeth or using a telephone.

4. Language difficulty is a symptom of Alzheimer's. Difficulties include forgetting names of simple everyday things or replacing names of things with another word or phrase.

5. Changes in mood, behavior, and personality usually come in the latter stages. Someone with Alzheimer's may become irritable, confused, and fearful of surroundings that used to be familiar to him, which may cause him to start wandering.

6. Lastly, he may begin showing symptoms of being passive, just sitting and not wanting to do anything.

Right now, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. However, there are medications that are able to ease the symptoms. Be sure to see a doctor as soon as you suspect something, especially if Alzheimer's is in the family history. The doctor will ask questions and help determine if the symptoms are actually the beginning of Alzheimer's. The sooner you know what your dealing with, the sooner plans can be put in place to care for yourself or your loved one.

Selecting a Caregiver

Having the right caregiver for your family can make all the difference in the world when it comes to home care for a senior family member. With increasing age, the dependence on the young family members by the aging family members also increases to meet certain physical and psychological requirements. Unfortunately, not every family can extend the desired support to the elderly due to certain other commitments in life. Therefore, the outside support is desirable in most of the cases where family members seek the expert care provided by caretakers or old age homes. Home health service provided by professional caretakers is a wonderful solution for the elderly in the home.

As a care taker provides desired support and non medical senior care to the elderly in their own homes, it is often preferable over the old age homes. A caretaker of a company is an expert in his field who provides assistance to elderly in the conformity of their homes. But, you should never select a caretaker in a hurry. There are certain points that you should remember while choosing a caretaker for an elderly in the home, such as:

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes,or skilled nursing facilities, offer such services as senior care, rehabilitation, and Alzheimer's care, much like elderly home care. Mom's medical condition has gradually gotten worse over the past couple of years. The hours of care are getting longer and longer. She's probably going to start needing twenty-four hour care pretty soon. Her ability to do things on her own has certainly declined. I don't feel like I can take care of her anymore. What should I do? Can we stay here at home or do we find a place that can take care of her?

Home care can be an option, but your mother's medical condition should be considered. A nursing home is another option. Nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities are not like they used to be. The quality and education of the staff has certainly increased to become more specialized. This facility houses patients short-term or long-term. Nursing homes are generally for seniors who have a complicated medical history, need extensive assistance with daily living skills such as bathing, toileting, and grooming, or need rehabilitation for any length of time.

Nursing homes have a licensed nurse on staff twenty-four hours a day and have specialized care for such needs as dementia, medications, wound care, hospice, and IV's. So, these facilities are well equipped and trained to work with seniors who need minimal care to extensive care around the clock. Along with fulfilling medical needs, social needs are considered. Most nursing homes have a daily activity schedule and also scheduled outings to various places. When looking at a nursing home, consider in your search how happy the residents look and if they seem happy where they are.

Happy residents of a skilled care facility are usually the result of a happy staff. The staff should be smiling and have an understanding attitude when working with the residents. One way to really tell if a facility has caring staff and a happy, working attitude is if they greet and welcome you into their home when you come to them for a tour of the place. Nurses, aides, and caregivers should all be working diligently to care for the elderly. Do the residents look clean? Smell clean? This is another way to tell if a facility has a caring staff. How about the dining room? Does the food look appetizing? Is there a variety of foods to choose from? Are snacks available for residents? These are just a few more questions you might think about when looking for a nursing home for your loved one.

Really, when it comes down to it, finding a place to take care of your mom is going to be a tough decision. Not just any place will do. Make a list of nursing homes in the area you are looking in, narrow down choices to which ones accept insurance, medicare, or medicaid, write down a list of questions, and start touring some facilities. You and your mom should feel safe and comfortable wherever you choose to stay. Happy and cared for elderly should be what all nursing homes attain for. So happy hunting!