I've been a caretaker of an elderly woman with dementia for over two years. I've seen the effects of this mental affliction, and how devastating it can be to loved ones. This is why I am a firm believer in seeking a professional diagnosis, so the patient may receive necessary care and treatment. Once diagnosed at the onset of symptoms, a plan can be devised. Through social interaction and daily care, my charge has achieved a higher quality of life. If your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, you can make a difference. Love will find a way.
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Dementia and Your Loved One
Picking A Senior Care Center: The Important Details
Vickie Armstrong
If your aging parent just can't take care of themselves any longer, and you can keep up with their home, it may be time to look at local senior care centers. This can be a difficult time for every family, but you need to be able to be your parent's child again, not their caretaker.
Not all senior residency centers are the same, and it's important that you pick somewhere you feel comfortable. It's crucial to find somewhere your parent likes as well. Here are a few things you want to do when you go to look at care centers with your parent.
Take Insurance and Financial Information
Cost often determines where your parent is going to go. Make sure that you take insurance information that may affect the cost of the facility, and any type of Medicaid, personal care insurance, or other information that includes professional care coverage. You can give it to the administrative staff when you get there, and they can let you know what your exact cost is going to be each month. Then you can decide if it's in your parent's budget.
Talk with Residents and Families
Ask if you can talk with residents that are currently at the facility, and family members. You can learn a lot by talking with people that are already using the facilities services. The senior care center should be willing to give you a few references, and you should be able to talk with people that are there.
Ask About Medical Help
Are there registered nurses on staff, or just State Tested Nursing Assistants? Where will your parent be taken if there is a medical emergency? How many days does a doctor come through the building? You want to know if your parent is going to get the care that they need, and if they are going to get treated by their regular doctor if there is an emergency. You also need to know if your parent is going to be taken to a hospital that takes their insurance.
It can be very hard to make the decision to put your parent in a nursing home, but it something that sometimes has to be done. Make sure that you check the health reports on the nursing home, and with people that are already there so you know how they take care of the patients and seniors, and how they care for the facility. Contact specialists (such as those from ComForcare - Waukesha WI) for further assistance.
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