Dementia and Alzheimer’s Care in Arizona…

So… your loved one is suffering from symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia… what can you do? It is so hard to watch them struggle and you know you need help… but where can you go and who can you trust?

Anyone who has ever been faced with this situation is in the same boat. We usually start asking friends and neighbors if they have any connections or advice at the same time we are frantically searching on the internet trying to find a suitable solution. There are so many options and choice of care givers, homes, nurses, attorneys… it can be overwhelming to say the least.

Without a doubt, the best way to help your loved one is to find help with the decisions BEFORE you start looking for help with the actual care. After having been through this myself, I would definitely start with a care manager before I ever considered hiring a care giver, nurse or move my mother into an Alzheimer’s Care facility in Arizona.

A qualified care manager will assess your situation and lay all of your options out for you. In our case, we paid less than $1,000 for our care manager’s initial research and needs assessment. If we had gone to her first, we would have saved thousands of wasted dollars. So when you decide it’s time for help… search for a care manager long before a care giver and hopefully, you’ll avoid some of the mistakes we made.

ALZHEIMER’S PRECLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC GUIDELINES | WHAT IS A CARE MANAGER?

ELDER CARE MEDIATION | NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING  - link to: http://www.nia.nih.gov

How can you tell if your loved one needs managed care...?

It can be difficult for Arizona families to determine when they need to seek help in caring for their aging or elderly parents. Geriatric care in Arizona is in great demand due to our high concentration of retirement communities. So… How do you know when it is time to seek professional care management assistance for your loved ones? There are many warning signs that your parents may need more care. Children of aging parents should trust their instincts with regards to their parents well-being. Listed below are a few signs that may indicate that it is time to search for care management and possible assisted living arrangements in Arizona.

Driving Skills
Has your parent recently had an accident? Is there unexplained damage to their vehicle or a recent driving citation? Dangerous driving can harm themselves or others because of decreased vision, motor skills or awareness of surroundings.

Personal Care
Has your love one stopped brushing their hair or started wearing the same dirty shirt? A decrease in personal grooming and hygiene care may be a result of arthritis, pain or more serious physical, emotional or mental problems.

Medication Management
Has your loved one accidently overdosed or neglected to take medication? This may be due to a lack of memory or diminished awareness of days. Don't ignore your concern with these issues.

Financial Management
Is the mail not being picked up regularly? Are the bills being paid on time? When funds are limited, this issue can be disturbing to family members. Have they made any irrational purchases or donations?

Lifestyle Quality
Are they still able to prepare their own meals? Have they lost contact with their friends? Are pets being fed or cared for properly? Sudden change in their everyday routine could be a sign of loss of energy or depression.

Memory Loss
Does your loved one tend to repeat themselves more and more often? Is their short-term memory noticeably diminishing? This may be an indicator of Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Sudden changes in health, family dynamics, financial stability or housing quality may be signs of the need for care management services. In Arizona, there are many care management groups that can provide you with care options and assisted living alternatives for you aging or disabled loved ones. If you keep an eye out for these signs, you can avoid a potential accident and other health risks. Your main goal is to insure your loved ones experience a better quality of life for as long as they can.