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CAHSA
1888 Sherman St.
Suite 610
Denver, CO 80203
303-837-8834
303-837-8836 (fax)
Consumer Article - What About Alzheimer's Care?
The number of care settings that provide Alzheimer's care - including adult day services programs, assisted living, adult foster homes, group homes, and special care units within skilled nursing facilities has exploded during the past five to ten years. If you or your loved one has Alzheimer's disease, the following information can help guide you through the maze of care options to find the facility or adult day program that best meets your needs.
Plan Now for Care Later
When considering care options, planning ahead is key. It's best to become familiar with available care options in your community long before an admission is needed. Too often, people don't want to think about a possible need for residential care in the future, so the admission takes place in a crisis, without the time and knowledge to evaluate options available.
Today, with increased awareness of Alzheimer's disease, more individuals are diagnosed earlier, allowing them to plan for the future, including their financial, legal, and residential care needs. For example, an individual with an early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can talk about his or her preferences and visit local residential care facilities. He can make his decision and share with others where he wants to live should the time come when he can no longer live alone.
For families researching the many options available, a helpful tool is the free Alzheimer's Association brochure, Residential Care: A Guide for Choosing a New Home. This brochure covers six areas individuals with Alzheimer's and their families should study when evaluating a residence, including Commitment to Alzheimer's Dementia Care, Assessment and Care/Service Plans, Ongoing Care, Activities, Staffing, and the Environment.
A Commitment to Alzheimer's/Dementia Care
This area focuses on the philosophy and mission of a care setting. Staff should be able to discuss and describe their residence's philosophy of care. Does the philosophy and mission address the unique needs of persons with dementia? Do you see the needs of current residents being met as you walk through?
Ask about the admission and discharge criteria. Request specific examples of situations that would result in an individual being discharged from the setting or unit. Be cautious if staff is unable or unwilling to share examples or specific discharge criteria.
Assessment and Care/Service Plan
A good residential care provider will spend a significant amount of time getting to know the individual with Alzheimer's disease and his or her family and friends. The staff should ask many questions about the individual's past and present including interests, family relations, likes and dislikes, hobbies, communication styles, daily routine, etc.
As you walk around a care setting, watch to see if staff are interacting with residents on a personal level and appear to know personal things about each individual.
Ongoing Care
More than anything else, you'll want to be confident that the person with dementia will receive the best care possible. All staff must recognize residents with Alzheimer's as unique individuals and treat them with dignity and respect.
Watch how staff approach residents. Are they talking to residents or talking to each other? Do residents seem alert and active, or are they lethargic and sleeping? Are residents freely moving around the area or are they restrained? These are important things to look for when touring each setting.
Activities
Find a care provider that believes activities are much more than just structured group activities. Activities should be defined as everything an individual does throughout the day. Staff should be skilled in creating meaning out of each task a resident undertakes. However, other more structured activities that are individualized to each resident should be available every day as well. What are residents doing in the evening and on the weekends? Do residents appear to be stimulated and engaged in their surroundings?
Staffing
The more important component to quality care is a committed, dedicated, and knowledgeable staff. Ask the staff about the training they receive. Do the interactions you see between staff and residents appear genuine? Are staff addressing residents by name? Do the staff appear happy and content or do they seem stressed and upset?
You'll also want to know adequate staff is available to meet everyone's needs. Ask how many residents each direct care staff member is responsible for in the unit. As you walk around, do you see residents with unmet needs or not receiving attention?
Environment
The physical building and interior decorating offer the first impressions when you walk into any building. But quality of care is so much more than the furniture or wallpaper. Care providers have made significant advances, however, in incorporating the environment in the total care offered to residents.
Safety is the first concern for most individuals. Ask the staff what measures are in place to provide a safe and secure environment. As you walk through the residence, do you spot potential hazards? Examples might include cluttered hallways that increase the risk of falls, poor lighting, confusing hallways, and loud and frequent overhead paging systems. Check to see if the residence encourages registration in the Alzheimer's Association's Safe Return program (nationwide identification, support, and registration program).
Another important environmental feature is the availability of outdoor space. Residents should have easy and independent access to a secured outdoor space. Do you see residents using the available outdoor space?
As you consider care environments, be sure to keep this resource handy to help you make an informed decision.
Additional Resources
To receive more information on Safe Return, key elements of dementia care, or to receive a copy of Residential Care: A Guide for Choosing a New Home, contact your local Alzheimer's Association chapter or call 800/272-3900.
