What To Know About Alzheimer's Care

As a person ages, a certain amount of memory loss and confusion is quite normal. Most Board and Care and Assisted Living facilities are willing and capable to handle this aspect of a senior's aging process. If, however, a senior becomes increasingly disoriented, perhaps even occasionally wandering away, he may require a facility with a dementia waiver. This is an additional level of licensing where the administrators and staff would have appropriate training. The perimeter of the home or community, often referred to as an Alzheimer's Facility or Memory Care Unit, may be secured and oftentimes additional security measures are taken.

A senior with diagnosed Alzheimer's disease would require a residence with staff trained to assist with the daily activities for a person with this disease. There are many such facilities with this additional license in San Diego County providing wonderful care for Dementia and Alzheimer's patients. While more expensive, the care can still cost considerably less than a skilled nursing home. Discuss the options with one of our placement specialists. We can provide a list of appropriate facilities in the area of your choice. Contact us with your questions and concerns and we will kindly inform you of your options.

If an individual meets one or more of the following criteria, an Alzheimer’s Care facility would be appropriate:

• Has been diagnosed with dementia, moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease
• Cannot take care of themselves because of physical, emotional, or mental problems
• Can no longer care for their own personal needs, such as eating, bathing, using the toilet, moving around, or taking medications (custodial care)
• Cannot live alone and requires more care than can be provided by their caregiver
• Might wander away if unsupervised
• Is going to be discharged from the hospital and requires temporary custodial care before returning home
• Has been recommended for an Alzheimer’s Care facility by a physician

Unfortunately, economics rather than availability of services often dictate the choice. If a senior requires extensive assistance and has very limited income, perhaps only Social Security, he may have few alternatives but to move to a skilled nursing facility for long term care covered by Medi-Cal. (see http://www.medi-cal.ca.gov/).