Feb 27, 2013

Long Term Care

"Eventually, most people who have Alzheimer's need outside care. Evaluate your loved one's future needs, preferably before a crisis arises."  Mayo Clinic Staff

The latest Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's newsletter outlines the levels of care for someone with dementia.  While we are able to keep the person with dementia in the home there can be respite care, adult day care and in-home health services.  For my care receiver, all three of these were tried and he refused all three.  That leaves assisted living, dementia care facilities and nursing homes.  The team at assisted living have said that the next necessary step for Dwane would be nursing home, but we are not there yet.  The assisted living is working very well, except when he sometimes has a behavioral meltdown -- but my position is that is what the staff have been trained to handle -- or at least that is what we who are paying for the services should be able to expect.   With Lewy Bodies Dementia it seems there is not only significant fluctuations in lucidity, but also in attitude and behavior.  What seems to work best for me is to be calm and to repeat what he and I have agreed upon; as he seems to forget it.  What works for you?

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