Many Americans retire around the age of 63. Long-term care, however, may be needed by many adults aged 65 and older. A recent survey showed that this is likely to be the case with nearly 70% of Americans within this age bracket. One of the greatest fears for 55% of the survey participants was that they would be a burden to their families due to requiring long-term care.
While there are a variety of health issues and conditions that affect older Americans, over five million live with Alzheimer’s disease. When considering the different types of dementia diagnoses, nearly 80% of these are for Alzheimer’s. Even though most of these individuals are over 65 years of age, there are roughly 200,000 Americans that experience an early-onset of this disease.
Family and friends are often the caretakers for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Recent figures show that there are more than 15 million people within the United States that are providing care without being paid. When someone is showing the early, or more advanced, signs of dementia, moving to a memory care facility may be beneficial. Even though most adults would prefer living in their own homes or with family and friends, they can receive more specialized care in a nursing home.
There are several benefits for individuals that reside in specialized care facilities. Many of these have memory care units which tend to provide 24-hour supervision. Since these facilities also have specialized caregivers to address the needs of residents, such as medication monitoring, they can provide a positive alternative.
It is also important to note that residents can receive help with daily living activities, such as bathing and getting dressed. Nearly 40% of the individuals that live in these facilities receive assistance with three or more of these activities. Since meals and snacks are provided in a cafeteria-style dining area, residents do not need to prepare their own meals.
If you’ve been caring for a loved one with some type of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, it may be time to locate a care facility for them. Even though you may not consider your family member to be a burden, they may also believe it’s time for them to live in a specialized care facility. Since they will be able to receive the assistance they need, it can potentially reduce the stress that you and they might be feeling.
When you visit a local care facility, you will be able to learn about all of the services and amenities that are provided. Another important matter to keep in mind is that your family member will be around other adults in similar circumstances. Given this, they will have more opportunities to socialize and engage in other meaningful activities. There’s an excellent chance that they will also feel happier due to being more active.
