Long-Term Care Facilities
for Alzheimer's and Dementia Patients

 

Having an older family member who has Alzheimer's or Dementia is heartbreaking. Making the decision to find an appropriate home where they will be provided quality care is certainly not easy, but often it becomes necessary. Individuals with an Alzheimer's diagnosis who are living alone risk putting both themselves and others at risk as the disease progresses. And, caregivers cannot always provide needed care within the home, especially as needs increase with the progression of the disease.

 

 

The Basics

Long-term care facilities - assisted living and nursing home care - come in many shapes and sizes. Some are for-profit; some are non-profit. Each has unique offerings and a unique feel within what state and federal laws allow. Alzheimer's patients need options just like everyone else. So do their families.

As a caregiver, it is up to you to research a facility to determine if it is a good fit for your family member and if it provides quality care. This is done in a very similar way to how any family member would research long-term care. However, a patient with Alzheimer's or dementia cannot successfully fit into the general population of a facility.

Your state may have special laws that are designed to protect Alzheimer's patients in the environment of a long-term care facility due to typical behaviors that are often exhibited in late stage Alzheimer's, such as wandering. Units within a larger facility would be governed by these laws (entire facilities that serve only Alzheimer's patients may also be available). They are often called Special Care Units. These laws would cover things such as staffing ratios, level of supervision, staff training, and types and level of specialized care. Some units may be designed to facilitate interaction and remembering. One caution is to be alert for facilities that claim to have a "locked unit". If it doesn't fall under your state's guidelines for dementia care and isn't subject to state oversight and monitoring, it is not a Special Care Unit and your family member will not receive the care oversight he or she deserves.

 

The first thing to do is to determine the level of care needed. Then find out what protections are available in your state. Your long-term care Ombudsman will be able to provide that information for you.

Next, find out what facilities accept Alzheimer's patients and find out information about their state assessment and how they faired. Some Ombudsman programs provide lists of local facilities that offer suitable accommodations and service for those with Alzheimer's.

Next, use available checklists to make sure needed services and amenities are provided. Talk to staff and residents. Use your senses to evaluate as well as your mind. What do you smell? What do you see? What do you hear? Ask about activities and frequency. What are your obligations? What will restrict you, if anything, as you continue to be involved in your family member's life?

Read about what to watch for in publications from the Alzheimer's Association. If in doubt, call their 24 hour Helpline.

1-800-272-3900

Next, explore payment options. Look at the total picture - Veteran status, social security, private insurance plans, assets, etc. Though a person may have Alzheimer's, he or she may have already done pre-retirement planning which would really help you as the caregiver.

And, don't forget the legal component. If you haven't done so already, there will be powers of attorney to sign and other legal considerations. If your family member still has periods of lucidity, include him or her in this process.

So, to start:

• determine the level of care needed
• find out what protections your state requires of facilities who accept Alzheimer's patients
• find out what facilities provide the needed level of care who will accept Alzheimer's patients
• investigate the facility record for ensuring quality of care as identified through state surveys or assessments of the facility
• use checklists to make sure needed services and amenities are provided and that the facility is suitable for the patient
• learn about payment options
• learn about legal issues/requirements

It can be helpful to have a checklist to use to help you decide on a facility. In addition to the checklists used to evaluate assisted living or nursing homes under normal circumstances, use these checklists as additional indicators of whether or not the facility is appropriate and will provide the care needed. Feel free to add your own indicators. Each of these checklists is a little different from the other.

 

 

CareFinder Interactive Tool

Does all this seem overwhelming? With a grant from the US Administration on Aging, the National Alzheimer's Association developed an interactive tool to help you determine your care options. It's called the CareFinder. Learn more.

 

 

Paying for Care

Paying for care is almost always a key issue. Dovetailing with it is long-term care planning and an understanding of legal issues.

 

 

Personalized Assistance

There is Help Available

 

 

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