Care Centers

Care centers are excellent options to take a break as the caregiver. They facilities that allow the patient suffering for Alzheimer’s to be in a safe, engaging environment with caring professionals. These facilities work to engage patients with conversation and stimuli that are positive for the individual. They are also excellent sources of information and a source of insight in helping families understand and organized to support each other and the patient at home.

Including activities, many facilities offer health services, nutritional information, counseling, personal grooming care, therapy, behavior counseling, and information on navigating the health insurances landscape.

Make sure you get the details of what the facility offers. Each family has to decide how they want to care for their family member. Here are several types of respite care or programs:

Home Care—skilled care provided at home, often initiated by doctor’s order or hospital stay and administered by medical professionals Home care attendants are professionals who come into the home and help out with personal care and housekeeping functions. Medicare covers some home health services. Medicaid can cover custodial care this is based federal requirements, but this can vary state by state.

Adult Day Programs are for adults in a community-based group setting. Adult day services charge per hour or per day, and may be covered under some long-term care insurance policies. Medicaid will cover some adult day health programs. There are various types of programs.

Social-model programs offer stimulation, socialization, and therapeutic activities and often will include meals.
Medical-model programs / adult day healthcare programs offer health based services as well as social activities. Some programs include assistance with activities of daily living and transportation.
Facility based respite provides a short stay for your loved one in a nursing home or another facility—this service is utilized to get a break from caregiving role, however you must be very clear of your intentions for this to be a short-term option and not a permanent nursing home stay. This service charges each day your loved one is in the facility. Medicare or Medicaid may cover the cost in an inpatient facility-you will need to pay costs not covered.

Family can often be an option for your loved one and create a rotating care schedule. Identify family members who can give support and safe care. Organize responsibility list and create a detailed schedule of care. Enlist the help of family members living in different states by assigning them tasks such as legal/financial paperwork.

While you might expect family to be there to take on the role of support or assist in caregiving, this night not always work as planned. Not everyone has the capacity to be a caregiver. Don’t let this disappoint you or become a point of contention for the family. This is where day facilities really can help, as both respite support and as a counselor to the family.

Friends See if the individual’s friends can lend a hand in providing supervision. Ask your own friends if they will help in order to help you take care of yourself. Just as with family don’t expect every friend to understand the role of caregiver. If they are not comfortable as a caregiver, ask them to do things like run errands or cook for you.