One of the most traumatic experiences a family can undergo is for an elderly parent or other loved one to develop dementia. Developing dementia simply means that your loved one is loosing their memories.
Most people associate dementia with Alzheimer's Disease but there are many causes of memory loss. In the most extreme cases of dementia relatives are often forced to make the wrenching decision to place their loved one in a dementia care home.
A dementia care home is a nursing home or senior living facility that specializes in taking care of people who suffer from dementia. In many cases family members who have families and careers have no choice but to put their loved one in such a facility.
Before sending your loved one to a dementia care home you should do as much research about the topic as can. Carefully research all of the dementia care homes in your area to make sure you are locating a good facility that will care for your loved one.
Unfortunately there are unscrupulous nursing home operators out there who specialize in warehousing older people and collecting checks not caring for your loved ones. Some of these facilities are dirty and employ the cheapest workers possible including convicted criminals. Obviously you don't want your loved ones in such a horrible place.
This means that you should make sure the facility specializes in caring for patients with dementia. Many nursing homes especially cheaper nursing homes are incapable of treating people with dementia.
Find a facility that specializes in caring for persons with dementia and visit it before you send your loved one there. Look around and see if the facility is living up to the promises that management is making for it.
Make sure the facility is clean and the staff looks like they are caring and professional. Visit a few of the rooms and if possible talk to some of the patients and see if they are happy there. Always check to see if the facility is licensed, licensed facilities are inspected by the government to make sure they comply with regulations.
You can get more information about dementia care homes by checking with the government agency that regulates nursing homes in your area. This agency should be to give you a list of licensed and reputable facilities. You can learn what government agency regulates dementia care homes by checking with government websites.