Care Outside the Home
Getting outside help
When caregiving tasks become overwhelming or caregivers are physically unable to manage the tasks of daily living, and no additional medical care needs are involved, it may be time to bring help into your home.
Consider engaging:
- Services such as visiting nurses, home health aides, and home aides (Aides help the person with AD bathe and dress; provide activities, including light exercise; run household errands; do light housekeeping; prepare meals; and may also take on the task of escorting the person with AD to medical appointments. Some of these services may require additional fees.)
- Volunteers, such as those who formally participate in companion programs and those who offer because of their friendship with family members or connection through a shared house of worship
Adult
day care
During the earlier stages, relief is available to caregivers in the form of adult day care for the person with AD. At these facilities, people with AD can interact with others, participate in guided exercise, and be socially and mentally stimulated by a range of activities.
Sometimes a period of respite
is necessary or advisable so that caregivers can, for example,
travel for work or take a vacation. Respite centres, some of
which are affiliated with nursing homes, hospital geriatric
units and/or the Alzheimer Society of Canada, often provide
housing for people with AD for a day, overnight, a weekend,
or even several weeks.
A Useful Respite
The best time to set up respite care is not when you feel
overwhelmed. You may want to start researching options
as early as Stage 1, and certainly no later than Stage
2. Consider a facility that combines several kinds of
respite
care — an adult day care with a visiting home health
aide, plus weekend stays at a respite care centre whenever
you need the support. Respite care can be a vitally necessary
component of caring for someone with AD.
Additional resources
Your local Alzheimer Society of Canada offers a publication entitled: Respite for Caregivers of Alzheimer Patients: Research and Practice
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Full-time residential care
At some point, usually by Stage 3 of AD, the individual with AD may need long-term care. Full-time residential care is necessary when the level of care required is so constant and strenuous that it threatens the health, well-being, and stability of the caregiver.
Residential care options include:
- Long-term care facilities which offer a combination of housing, support services, and healthcare
- Nursing home facilities, which provide skilled nursing care and a wider range of medical services. It’s also possible to find nursing homes that have special dementia units. Look for ones that specialize in special care units for people with Alzheimer Disease or dementia and make sure to get detailed information about what makes their units different from the rest of the facility
These arrangements are generally expensive and few can afford them without assistance, which is why financial planning and consulting a lawyer who specializes in Senior’s Law is essential at the time of diagnosis.
If someone you care about has AD:
Most people find that making the decision to place a parent in a nursing home is emotionally difficult and often avoid the decision for too long out of guilt and sometimes embarrassment. Talking with others who have already made the decision can provide tremendous relief. You’ll get to hear how skilled care for your parent can also mean peace of mind for you.
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How to find an appropriate facility
It’s never too early to start researching options. In fact, it makes sense to do this while the person with AD can still express opinions and preferences. Thanks to the Internet, it’s easy to find much of the information you need – and more! There are a number of national and local sources of information. For an extensive list of available resources, contact the Alzheimer Society of Canada at 1-800-616-8816 or visit them at www.alzheimer.ca. For additional information, you can also speak to your doctor, or visit the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging website at www.uwo.ca/actage.
Checklists
Checklists are useful when caring for someone with AD. Before shopping for a long-term care facility, caregivers should generate a “wish list” of what they’d like to have in the way of:
- Physical setting
- Proximity to the caregiver and public transportation
- Size and population
- Quality of care
- Range of activities
- Number, training, and demeanor of staff; staff to patient ratio
- Cost
Additional checklists are available from the Alzheimer Society of Canada website and other organizations.
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