Assisted Living for Alzheimer’s Patients - BOTW Senior Housing Directory

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Assisted Living for Alzheimer’s Patients

If your loved one is afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease, you should know that there are more options to be considered than just home care assistance. In recent years, assisted living facilities have become an attractive alternative as some are specially equipped and staffed to attend to Alzheimer’s patients.

The Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation recommends that those researching senior housing options for patients in need of Alzheimer’s care look for specific characteristics, including a safe, supervised, and comfortable environment that can handle wandering patients; a structured routine; and activities that echo the habits the individual residents have established over a lifetime.

Assisted living facilities that provide Alzheimer’s care are usually referred to as Special Care Units (SCUs). SCUs are designed to suit the needs of Alzheimer’s patients, particularly by employing staff that is expressly trained to work with people with dementia. Assisted living facilities are often considered the best choice for those who are in the early to moderate stages of Alzheimer’s.

If long-term care is desired, it's important to know what level of care an SCU will provide. Some Alzheimer’s care units within assisted living facilities only accept patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s; others care for people until they require skilled care in a nursing home, and some SCUs provide hospice services.

The Fisher Center also advises that caregivers find out how much time Alzheimer’s care staffers take to get to know an individual so that their specific needs can be addressed. Likewise, caregivers should confirm that daily activities -- such as making the bed or even baking cookies -- are encouraged and practiced in order to give patients an opportunity to succeed at familiar tasks.

For loved ones dealing with Alzheimer's disease, consider the care offered by assisted living facilities.

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