The natural instinct for us is to want to keep someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at home for as long as possible before moving them into a memory care facility. But, in a lot of cases, that may not particularly be doing them a favor. We are creatures of habit and when we are in unfamiliar places it can be disorienting to do even the simplest of tasks. Giving someone the ability to form new habits and to act on those habits is very important.
With this in mind, it is actually helpful to consider making that move early enough so that the person with Alzheimer’s has the opportunity to form the new habits which are going to make their life better and their stay more successful in the memory care facility.
In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson, Southern Illinois Elder Law attorney, presents another topic covered in The Alzheimer’s Guide: Practical Advice for Families, Caregivers and Professionals and discusses the importance in timing of placing someone who is suffering with Alzheimer’s, or other forms of senile dementia, into a memory care facility.
The Importance Of Moving Into A Memory Care Facility Before It Is Too Late
Transcript:
Hi, I’m Wes Coulson and this is your Elder Law Minute. I’m going to talk to you today about another one of the subjects that we cover in our Alzheimer’s Guide (it’s free and I invite you to get in touch with us and request your copy) and that is the subject of the timing of placing someone who is suffering with Alzheimer’s or other forms of senile dementia into a care facility.
The natural instinct is to want to keep someone at home for as long as possible. But, as it turns out in a lot of cases, that’s not particularly doing them a favor. Here’s why. Human beings, more so than we will ever realize, are creatures of habit. The easiest example, if you’ve ever needed to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night when you’re on vacation in a hotel that’s not familiar to you, it’s very disorienting. It’s not like at home when you can sort of do it on auto-pilot.
That example will sort of get you into the brain of the difficulties as Alzheimer’s causes its harm in people developing new habits. For the safety and care of someone in a care facility, the ability to form and act on those habits are very important. How do I get up and go to the bathroom? If I need help, what do I do to sound the bell? How do I get from my room down to the dining hall for dinner?
And so, it’s actually helpful if you consider making that move a little sooner than you think you should just so that it happens early enough that that person with Alzheimer’s has the opportunity to form the new habits which are going to make their life better and their stay more successful in the care facility. Thanks.
For more topics from The Alzheimer’s Guide, visit these articles:
- Memory Care: The Relatively New Option For Alzheimer’s Care
- Choosing The Right Level Of Care For Your Loved One With Alzheimer’s
- How to Evaluate a Geriatric Care Facility
“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”
Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (618)632-7000 or (314)567-9292 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
