The Five Things All Facilities for Alzheimer’s Should Provide
Alzheimer’s disease is affecting more people, especially with the baby boomer population now in their later adulthood years. In fact, someone in the world develops dementia every three seconds and about 500,000 new cases of Alzheimer’s disease will be diagnosed in the United States this year.
With these staggering statistics in mind, the need to learn about the different facilities for Alzheimer’s and what they provide has never been more important, especially if you have a loved one who is diagnosed with this disease.
When choosing the right place from a list of facilities for Alzheimer’s, here are five things that you should look for:
Excellent Staffing
The first and probably most important thing that all facilities for Alzheimer’s should provide is an excellent staff. All members of the health care team should recognize that individuals with Alzheimer’s disease are unique and that their care should be personalized to ensure that their specific needs are met.
Facilities should have physicians and nurses on the premises at all times to cater to emergencies and the ration of residents to staff should be adequate so proper care can be given to each individual.
A Good Living Environment
The decision to move into an Alzheimer’s facility is a huge step for any individual. This is why it’s very important to make sure that he will be provided with the right living environment that is clean, easy to navigate and has amenities like family visiting areas and indoor and outdoor spaces where residents can still have a great time and never feel like they’re far from home.
Efficient Services
Since every individual with Alzheimer’s is unique, the facility should provide services that are created around the specific health and behavioral needs of the resident. Activities should be planned every day, on the weekends and during evenings, all while taking into consideration the needs, abilities, and interests of the individual.
Physical, speech, recreational and occupational therapies should also be accessible and care planning sessions should be done regularly to monitor the condition of the resident. Transportation is also a must for when residents have to go to medical appointments or shop for personal items.
Healthy and Well-Prepared Meals
Since most individuals with Alzheimer’s already have difficulty cooking their own food, all facilities for Alzheimer’s should provide for the residents’ meals and snacks.
It’s good to have a weekly menu laid out to ensure that the food served by the facility meets the health requirements of the resident. A good dining environment should also be provided and family and friends should be given the opportunity to join at mealtime when they’re around.
Good Policies
Finally, as with any facility, an Alzheimer’s facility should have good policies that will ensure the quality of life of a resident during his stay.
Aside from involving the family in the care of the patient, a facility should have policies for every aspect of a resident’s care including continuing care, aging in place policies and even hospice care.
Oxbow Living offers Assisted Living & Memory Care out of Nebraska and to the Surrounding Cities: Ashland, South Bend, Greenwood, Murdock, Elmwood, Ithaca, Mead
