Assisted Living or Home Care? Which Solution is Best for You

There comes a time in our lives where we have to make a difficult decision about our older loved ones living with memory impairments. The choice is if they should stay in their homes and receive care or if they should go into an assisted living community. There will be many factors going into your decision, especially if that family member or loved one has a disease or illness such as memory loss. Memory care facilities in Texas have the experienced staff to help your loved one going through this tough time in their life.

Besides the factor of Alzheimer assisted living, another huge factor is the cost. Would it be cheaper to put the family member in assisted living, or have someone come into the home and help out? Most residential memory care facilities such as The Cottages with locations throughout Texas offer:

● Amenities including well-balanced meals and snacks
● A private apartment with home-like settings
● Activity programs that are designed to engage and encourage those with memory loss including physical activity that is appropriate for those living with memory impairment and dementia.
● A staff that is specially trained in Alzheimer’s and memory disorder care that are on-site 24/7 to help your loved one anytime they need it including a unique understanding of the medical, emotional, and social needs of those with memory disorders and disease.
● Complete residential care that takes into account all stages of memory loss and offers an integrated care approach that supports the wellness of your loved one - including locked doors, help with ‘sun-downing’, nutrition, activity, and appropriate medication.

Is the pricing all inclusive? Finding a memory care home that does not charge per item or service is much easier to deal with than those that charge for each service they offer.Many memory care facilities add level of care charges and as the resident’s care needs change the fees can increase. At The Cottages, charges are always all inclusive. No hidden fees and no level of care charges.

When it comes to letting the elderly family member stay at home, the costs may vary depending on how much care the person needs. If the person just needs part-time care, then the cost may not be too expensive, but if you require around the clock care at your home, the expense can be over-whelming. As your loved one’s health starts to decline, or if their Alzheimer's gets worse, then it may be a good idea to take him or her to a specialized memory care home.

Whatever decision you make for your loved one, make sure that it is something that both parties agree with. Also, make sure that this decision is right for your wallet.

Understanding Alzheimer’s with The Cottages in Austin

Witnessing a loved one fall into the grip of Alzheimer’s can be an incredibly painful process. It may be difficult to determine which steps should ideally be taken for the person in question. However, our Alzheimer assisted living facility in Austin offers the support, high-quality care, and understanding of the disease that is essential to making life more manageable for our residents.

Alzheimer’s: The Warning Signs

The presence of Alzheimer’s in an individual is determined based on a group of key symptoms, including but not limited to the following:

● Struggling to formulate words and sentences
● Difficulties retaining both short- and long-term memories
● Visual impairments
● Deteriorating fine motor skills
● Decreased ability to utilize language to express thoughts and feelings

Although these symptoms can indicate the possibility of Alzheimer’s, they are not a definitive determinant of the presence of Alzheimer’s in an individual. It is essential to seek the opinion of a medical professional to be sure that Alzheimer’s disease is, in fact, the culprit.

Why Choose Us?
The Cottages are a group of Alzheimer's assisted living centers, located across Texas, specifically designed to offer care to those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Alzheimer’s assisted living in Austin offers top-quality care, with services such as:

● 24/7 attendance by extensively trained, experienced specialists that treat our residents like family
● Keeping our residents in small groups allows our caregivers to get to know each resident on a more personal basis
● Delicious, healthful meals prepared fresh daily by gourmet chefs
● Resources and activities specifically tailored to aid residents in such skills as memory retention
● Regular medical services, including lab work and x-rays
● Bathing, laundry, and housekeeping help
● A comfortable, soothing, home-like environment, inspired by research from the Mayo Clinic where the needs of our residents come first

Let Us Support You

Finding yourself as a caregiver to someone with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, you do not have to go through it alone. Our mission is to help you and your loved one receive the best support available. With The Cottages’ Alzheimer care homes in Austin, living a full, enjoyable, and meaningful life with Alzheimer’s is made possible.

Caregiving Long Distance: How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work

We don’t need to see the latest romance movie to understand that long-distance relationships often do not work. For caregivers who live far away (an hour or more) from the home of their charge—I don’t like this phrase… (what we call long-distance caregivers) can face difficult and demanding challenges that could turn into real problems. These challenges could become even more complicated with loved ones who are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Long-distance caregivers who travel to assisted living care homes for dementia residents have to think through not being present to keep constant tabs on their loved one, travel time which can be a real problem during emergency situations where time is key, and the expenses of having to drive a long distance and potentially miss work. Despite these problems, some caregivers just have to be long distances away due to their workplace or other factors.

Thankfully, there are some things families can do to make a long-distance caregiving relationship work:

Seven Ways to Be a More Effective Long-Distance Caregiver

● Organization: Having some system of organization with regards to information about medication, contact information, pharmacies and other important info will help you be less stressed.
● Plan ahead: Learning more about the disease your loved one is facing will help you as a caregiver understand how often you will need to be on the road and signs to look out for.
● Network: Talk to friends, family, and doctors who are close by about your loved one and see if they can provide the same support you do.
● Hire a nurse or caregiver: Having an in-home nurse or even a helper to assist your loved one with normal tasks can help, especially if you brief them on what disease or problems they have.
● Use technology: Skype and other software can help you be ‘face to face’ with your loved one at any point.
● Use personal visits: When you do get the time to see your loved one, make the most of your time and complete tasks that need to be done.

Finally, locating a memory care home in the Dallas area and taking advantage of their programs can also give you the comfort of knowing that your loved one is safe even when you aren’t there. The Cottages offers services that cater to long-distance caregivers, including but not limited to:

● Highly qualified 24-hour staffing
● Access to 7 days-per-week nursing

Using the seven tips listed above to be a more effective long-distance caregiver along with having your loved one at a top-quality memory care facility will give you more confidence about a long-distance relationship and help to make it just as personal as a face to face one.

Transitioning from a Home to a Memory Assisted Living Facility

Regardless of your experience with moving, and no matter how many benefits there are to moving an older family member to an assisted living facility for those living with memory disorders, moving from a comforting environment that the family member knows can be a struggle. Even if both environments are comforting and safe, the family member may still resist the move, especially if the home is one where this family member has lived for his or her life and is filled with memories.

However, it is not impossible, because these 6 tips for planning a smooth transition to an assisted living community for those with memory disorders will allow you and your loved one to talk through everything first and come up with a plan to make the move run smoothly.

The best ways to create a good transition to an memory assisted living facility:

●    Use what you have to keep the environment comforting. By using a favorite rug, a piece of furniture, or some artwork from your family member’s home and putting it into their assisted living home, will give them something familiar to connect to as they adapt to their new environment.
●    Get involved in the community lifestyle. By visiting the assisted living facility before moving day and getting to see the environment and meet the staff, this will help your loved one acclimate better.
●    Downsize early. Understanding what you can and can’t bring to the assisted living home will help you when it comes time to downsize and moving the loved one’s objects from their home.
●    Visit the family member. Coming over for meals and making a schedule to keep your visits consistent is important, but so is giving your family member time to make new friends.
●    Throw a party. A housewarming party that includes a tour of their new home will also give your loved one something to look forward too.

The most important tip of all:

However, the sixth and final tip and the best one of all is to prepare for problems. Moving is stressful, especially for someone with Alzheimer’s. Things will be emotional and things will not go as planned, but keeping a cool head and following these 6 tips for planning a smooth transition to an assisted living community will make sure that the transition goes as smoothly as possible and your loved one is in a place where they will get the best care.

Hundreds of Thousands of Kids Live with Loved Ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease

What do these children know about the disease and how did they find out?

How to talk with kids about Alzheimer’s Disease depends first on the age of the child. For preschoolers and elementary school students, the discussions must be as simple as possible to foster an understanding that prevents confusion and hurt feelings. For teenagers in middle and high school, educators and parents must reassure this group that they or their parents will not necessarily suffer Alzheimer’s because a grandparent or other loved one suffers.

How to Talk with Kids About Alzheimer’s Disease

There is nothing predictable about Alzheimer’s. Without at least a general understanding of the disease, children’s feelings and self-esteem can be hurt. Children may feel as if they have done something wrong if their loved one cannot remember them or is agitated. The positive power of knowledge during all stages of the disease, makes a world of difference in the lives of developing children and teenagers.

Discuss the Disease. The most apparent symptom is memory loss. Teach the children to be understanding, loving, and respectful. Teach them that the loved one who suffers is still the same person. In some families, a group discussion which includes the patient is highly beneficial. Learn about the disease together.

K.I.S.S. (Keep it So Simple). Children do not necessarily need a great amount of detail about the disease. If they are interested, they can do some research on their own, which may be a good coping mechanism for some teenagers.

Reassure. Alzheimer’s is not contagious and the loved one is still the same loved one. The only difference is that the loved one suffers symptoms.

Hearing from Peers. The Alzheimer’s Association offers videos, books, and other literature which can help in educating children and families about the disease. Hearing from other children who live with loved ones suffering from the disease can be extremely helpful.

Regardless of age, all children must be reminded to engage in normal activities with their loved one. All kids must be reminded that their loved one is still their loved one, a person who deserves love and respect throughout the symptoms of the disease.

How to Care for Someone With Alzheimer’s

When a family member or loved one has Alzheimer’s, it will often fall on family or friends to be the primary caregiver during the early stages of the illness. Knowing the most effective ways to care for your loved one while also keeping yourself healthy can be a major challenge, but once you know how to handle this new change, both your life and the lives of your loved one will be much more comfortable.

Work with Doctors and Other Experts.

·       Doctors and other people who are involved with your loved one living with Alzheimer’s will have tips and requirements for their care

·       Doctors will know how to administer medicine and occupational doctors will know how to keep the home safe

·      When the time comes that your loved one needs 24 hour care, a memory care residence has experts that will help you through the transition

Understand How to Communicate.

It doesn’t matter if the person with Alzheimer’s is your mother, grandpa, or childhood friend. Communication troubles will become a problem early on unless you both learn how to communicate.  Many people with Alzheimer’s and dementia are still independent during the early stages of the disease and will still dress, work, and continue with their daily schedule, so it can be difficult to determine when they need help - and you don’t want to smother them by asking every ten minutes, either.

One of the best things to do in order to keep you communicating is looking at the causes of frustration. If a particular task, such as going grocery shopping, causes them frustration because making lists is hard, you can help them make the list but let them go shopping themselves. Understanding why they are frustrated will help you understand them.

Communication troubles and changes in your relationship will happen early on, but by being patient and understanding why these problems are happening, you can understand how to fix them and provide the highest level of support for the patient.

Dementia May Minimize Memory, but it Can Still be Managed

When a loved one is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia or another memory-depleting illness, the search for quality care is the most important thing. One of the key factors to consider is the search for assisted living for those suffering from memory disorders, especially with the search for a quality facility, staff, and memory care program.

While assisted living for dementia patients is crucial, there is much too consider when choosing the facility and the proper memory care program:

• Safety
• Enriched Daily Social Life
• Included Family Support
• Improved Daily Tasks (i.e. mealtime)

Safety in the Memory Care Program

One of the key focal points of memory care is creating a safe environment for dementia patients, both in their independent rooms and any groups where they are communicating with doctors and other residents.

Enriched Daily Life

Dementia need not be a reason that a person’s life diminishes completely. While they may be in assisted living, there is still the ability to have a fulfilling life with the activities that the staff can create for the community, engaging and independent. There is much that those living with dementia can learn from specialized activities, making them proud and confident while strengthening communication skills.

Family Support

A quality memory care program works to include the family in the daily care of every ressident. There is no reason to let the family fall to the wayside, working to help provide the family with confidence that their loved one is living with quality care.

Improved Daily Tasks

Considering that some daily tasks like dining alone, or other independent tasks that take place in noisy or distracting situations, are no longer easy. With the memory program of an assisted living facility there is close communication and support provided by staff in completing these tasks, helping to maintain both confidence in activity and health and wellness.

With all support and care provided by an assisted living facility for dementia patients, there is much to be gained from improved daily life and health. Quality facilities have well-trained staff and regular improvement of memory programs.

What is Respite Care?, And Where Can I Find It?

Respite care is defined as “temporary institutional care of a dependent elderly, ill, or otherwise handicapped person, providing relief for their usual caregiver.” 

If you are a caregiver for a family member who is suffering from a memory loss illness, you are likely aware of how draining the responsibility can be in countless different ways. On one hand, you know your family member needs you, but on the other, you feel like you are running empty – physically, financially, and most commonly, emotionally. 

The stressful nature of caregiving is what gave rise to respite care. Caregivers are essentially living to care for someone else for most of their daily life. While this can be a rewarding position, it undoubtedly takes a toll, resulting in the expert-recommended need for occasional breaks. This can come as a day to yourself every week, a week to go on vacation, or an indefinite break to reset yourself personally. Whatever it looks like, studies show that using respite care is essential for healthy, effective, happy caregiving. 

How Do I Get Respite Care?

One way to get relief from the full-time job of caregiving is to try to share the responsibility with other family members. Be honest with your loved ones and explain that you need an occasional break, in order to stay healthy and keep caregiving. However, for many families, this is out of the question, so you may need to seek outside respite care.

In the Austin area, The Cottages offer respite care options. They are an Alzheimer’s and memory care assisted living facility. They recognize the need for a break for caregivers, along with the need to change those living with a memory disorder’s surroundings and activities occasionally, to maintain alertness. As a result, they essentially offer three types of stays at their residences:

● Full-time

● Respite– indefinite stay

● Day respite– one day where the patient participates in all of The Cottage’s meals and daily activities 

In the end, the stressfulness that comes with being a caregiver is very highly recognized within the medical world, but often overlooked otherwise. Take the time you need, whatever time that may be, to care for yourself while someone else cares for your loved one.

What to Consider When Choosing a Memory Care Home

A time comes when a loved one living with a memory disorder can’t stay at home anymore, and you know it’s time to take them to a memory care home. It can be difficult to find the ideal home for them.

There are two main types of care homes: residential and nursing care homes. Nursing care homes have a nurse on duty around the clock. Residential homes, on the other hand, have specialized trained staff that provide personal care, including dressing, washing, and eating. Schedule and visit a couple of memory care homes in your area after establishing the type of facility your loved one needs.

Questions to ask yourself during your visits:

•    Is it homely? Don’t choose it because it looks like a luxury hotel. Ask yourself if your loved one will enjoy the surroundings and feel at home.

•    How does the home smell? A care home should not have bad smells when you enter. Even if some residents may be incontinent, quality care will address odor issues. On the other hand, if you can smell a cake baking or a home cooked meal, then that’s a good sign.

•    Are there any activities happening? People with dementia socialize well when there is organized activity. Moreover, if you can see a resident dusting or folding clothes, then it’s a great sign of meaningful activity that gives the residents purpose.

•    How are the residents dressed? Are they neatly dressed, well shaved, or are they unkempt and disheveled? All these are indicators that the residents receive dignified treatment.

•    Is the pricing all inclusive? Finding a memory care home that does not charge per item or service is much easier to deal with than those that charge for each service they offer.

Like what you see? Take the person with dementia along with friends or relatives to the memory care home and ask for their opinion.

Is Moving a Senior with a Memory Disorder to an Assistant Living Community Beneficial?

Studies and statistics have shown that elders and seniors living with memory disorders can benefit from assistant living communities.

Improvement in Quality of Life

Assisted Living communities for seniors have been found to help them in improving their quality of life. Although many elders have fears and apprehensions that they will lose their freedom in such a place, they tend to change their minds after living in these communities for a period of time.

They will receive care and attention 24-hours a day. They are provided with their day-to-day needs which provide peace to their families that their elders are well taken care of.

Social interaction

Your loved one living with Alzheimer’s or other memory disorders can feel quite alone and lonely, especially if their family is no longer with them. If their family lives far away or is busy with their schedules and routines, they need someone to be with them and talk to them.

A big advantage and benefit that assisted living communities can provide is that your elder will no longer feel lonely or alone. They will always have someone to talk to and interact with. To further encourage social interactions between seniors,assisted living communities arrange social events catered to their memory disorder.

Various physical activity
With the help of assisted living communities, loved ones will have access to not only supervised activities, but also to classes managed by highly skilled staff.

Supervision and Safety ensured

If your loved one is facing difficulties with mobility and accessibility and staying at home alone is no longer safe for them, they may need supervised attention. Consider an Assisted Living community where help will always be available, 24/7 in case of any emergency.

Assistance with Daily Activities and Housekeeping

Assisted living residences help your loved one with everyday tasks and chores offering housekeeping and chef prepared meals offered in dining rooms or at their residence.