subject: Alzheimer's Patients And Home Care Services [print this page] It is something that is hard even to think about. You would hate it if someone you love was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, but it is something that affects approximately 5 million Americans. Often called "Old Timer's," Alzheimer's is not actually something that only happens with old age.
Though doctors don't know everything about why Alzheimer's occurs, they do know many of the symptoms that are more common. One thing that is common with patients is that they have less mental activity, especially where memory is concerned. This mental degeneration also affects their thought processes and language abilities.
There are many different ways to treat Alzheimer's disease, such as cognitive therapies. There are also several different medications on the market for dementia. These are just some of the hard things that family members have to deal with when a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
If a loved family member of yours has Alzheimer's you have a few options of what you need to do next. You could decide to take care of them yourself, which is a full-time commitment. Another option is that you could put them in a nursing home to receive care. The final option is to decide on home care services.
With the first option, caring for them yourself, you need to be prepared for the emotional road you have in front of you. It is draining and demanding, and it is rarely rewarding.
It also takes up more time than you might think. If you do not know all the basics of the medical care they will need, then you will take even more time to get over the learning curve. You could decide on a nursing home, but that is sometimes hard for family members, mainly because they feel like they are deserting their parents.
Many families of those afflicted have found great comfort and peace in home care services. The loved one can either remain in the comfort and peace of their own, or a caretaker's home without the worry of allowing them to remain on their own, or guilt at leaving them in a facility.
Home care services are often a godsend for busy and concerned family members of an Alzheimer's patient. Nurses are available often around the clock to provide medication, personal care, and supervision for intermediate and advanced patients. The home care services make it possible to love and be there for a parent or grandparent and continue a normal and productive life.
