Senior Care Transition Services

There is a limited number of family members and medical staff for the growing Alzheimer’s population. An important goal that we have included in our Outcome Goals is to identify, educate and increase the number of volunteers at facilities such as the Rosener House. This will increase the positive human contact for these residents and increase the time the medical staff has to address specific health needs of the elderly Alzheimer’s residents.

Each of these senior care services requires its own special touch, and in the case of dementia care, there are a variety of tips that make a caregiver's visits more effective. In addition to helping the diagnosed and their families cope with symptoms, here are some ways caregivers can work toward preserving certain skills and functions:

With this being the case it is recommended that caregivers to the elderly make themselves aware of the common signs of Alzheimer’s. Things such as forgetting a name important dates, appointments or difficulty following a familiar recipe but remembering them later, trouble finding their words when talking, rapid mood swings, separation from friends and family to being confused about a time or place, all of these are signs to watch for and look

One of my main questions was whether I could do anything emotionally to cope with Alzheimer’s and with that search I had better luck. One of my favorite pieces of information I found was to face your feelings head on “think of all emotions...positive and negative...be as sad as you want...work through anger and frustration...these are healthy feelings...it’s common to feel love and anger at the same time” Taken from a paper published on (“Alzheimer’s Association website”). The next thing I found that helped me personally was how to deal with guilt, personally I’ve experienced feeling guilty when taking a break or not being there for my grandma when she needed me, as well as regretting things I had done before knowing about the illness. Something interesting I found that I would’ve never thought of was to continue to participate in as many activities as possible.(“Alzheimer’s Association” pg. ) I also found that a good way to keep an emotional connection longer is to personally connect with the sufferer. A few ways to do that is to keep eye contact with throughout the conversation, to always refer to them by name when talking, continue the conversation as long as possible because is makes the person with AD feel better about themselves, and be aware of the body language you’re presenting (“Grief and loss as Alzheimer’s progresses” pg. ). I would say the most essential piece of information I learned was the best thing I can do is just comfort the person with AD and make their time left as easy as

Another reason why long-term care is more beneficial for an Alzheimer’s patient’s health is because cargivers tend to become overworked. A person with any form of Dementia needs their caregiver to be alert and organized everyday of every hour; if the caregiver is overworked and frustrated the patients care could be compromised unintentionally. Caregivers must watch over every single move of their loved ones if they stay at home. Taking care of a person with Alzheimer’s is like taking care of a giant infant. In most cases Alzheimer’s patients require constant supervision to ensure they do not wander about and forget where they are going. Safety is one of the greatest concerns in careing for an Alzheimer’s patient. Most Alzheimer’s patients have confusion often and could potentially get lost if they are not in their normal surroundings. Caregiving is both mentally and physically exhausting. As Alzheimer’s progresses, the physical and mental demands on a caregiver can gradually become overwheling (Segal). The number one concern for caregivers should

Walk into any senior home nowadays and there will be at least one person afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This progressive,

aling with Alzheimer’s is hard on the individual going through the disease but also on the ones who have to watch them go through the disease. So how can I comfort them? There are care facilities and assisted living places for people to go if they cannot carry out life's skills and processes. These places are meant for people who cannot live at home anymore. There are a couple of options; retirement housing, assisted living, nursing home, and Alzheimer’s special care units (SCUs) also called memory care units.

Unfortunately there are so many things that change about your life and body as you get older. Ranging from getting wrinkles and easily bruised skin to more serious changes such as chronic or mental illnesses. Dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, is one of the unfortunate chronic illnesses that affect a large majority of the United States population. This disease affects your everyday life because it causes a decline in memory and the ability to think and react normally (Ferrini, 2013). There is no cure for this disease, the longer you have it the worse the symptoms get and in some cases it even causes death.

Alzheimer’s is a mental disease that progressively deteriorates the maturity of your mentality. In being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s life may become burdensome due to the associated symptoms. Associated with this disease are the many signs of dementia that interfere with the regularity of life. Due to the cognitive, behavioral, and psychological effects of dementia, those affected usually take a turn for the worst. The simplicity of life may no longer be evident, but patient education is available to those diagnosed.

In the early stages of the disease, Alzheimer's care may not seem necessary since the signs and symptoms often appear as little more than "senior moments" or slight disorientation. In reality, getting help early on is the best thing your senior loved one can do. By the time the disease progresses to the point that your loved one can no longer make rational decisions, complete tasks, or communicate effectively, you will

Alzheimer’s patients overall sense of well-being is also at risk. According to Burkhardt & Nathaniel (2007), dementia “often causes emotion, relational, and financial strain for the [patients and] caregivers” (p. 436). Caring for patients with dementia can be very stressful, and if families feel that they cannot properly care for the affected patient, they may send them to a long-term care facility. Burns and Iliffe (2009) suggest that sudden changes in the living environment can agitate behavioral symptoms of the disease. The patient is then at an increased risk for feelings of “social isolation” (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2007, p. 436) and depression (Burns & Iliffe, 2009, p. 471).

When taking care of an elderly parent, it’s natural to observe their behaviors. In most cases, caretakers are looking for early signs of any of the myriad conditions that afflict seniors, like Alzheimer's. However, it’s important to understand the difference between a memory lapse and Alzheimer's, especially if the senior is living in one of Richmond VA retirement communities. At a retirement community, Alzheimer's residents would receive different treatment plans.

Caring for an elderly loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia can be challenging. That’s why local residents in the greater Traverse City, MI area turn to BrightStar Care of Northern Michigan. As the area’s leader in elderly assistance and Alzheimer’s care, their home caregivers work tirelessly to offer assistance to seniors looking to enjoy the independence of living at home. If you’re looking for Alzheimer’s care, here are three advantages to in-home Alzheimer’s care from the home caregivers at BrightStar Care of Northern Michigan:

My basic knowledge of Alzheimer’s and dementia comes from my work experience and from my classes. I’ve also attended many educational Alzheimer’s seminars, and I know that maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, avoiding mind-alternating drugs, and sleeping more all help in preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s.

disease. Her Grandma was getting very tired of taking care of him so home care started