An elderly person who is beginning to display symptoms of cognitive and emotional degeneration sometimes can't take care of himself without needing extra help or supervision. The issue may be as simple as forgetting to take prescribed medications as ordered or as complex as suffering from full-blown dementia symptoms and becoming a danger to himself and/or others. The options below give you a brief overview of what each level of long term care for dementia patients provides.
Home Health Care
This option is the least restrictive, allowing the sufferer to remain at home while receiving regular visits from a home health nurse, doctor, social worker, home health aide or therapist. This type of home health care includes checking vital signs and making sure the medication is being taken as prescribed.
Continuing Care Retirement Community
Called "CCRC," this option can cost over $1,000 per month, which includes a small apartment, three hot meals and housekeeping services. Prospective residents are required to be fully capable of living independently when they first move in; some communities provide a graduated level of care, ranging from independent living to assisted living to nursing facility care.
Assisted Living
This option is for the elderly person who does not need 24-hour care, but does not feel comfortable or safe living alone. While this is a stepped-up level of care, the residents still has a small degree of independence in their own apartments. Residents receive individualized care that includes meals, housekeeping/laundry services; 24-hour security, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), medication management and social/recreational activities.
Rest Home
This option is more restrictive than assisted living, and is appropriate for those who need 24-hour supervision and support, but do not require nursing care. This is also known as a residential care facility. Some dementia care facilities fall into this category and include locked doors all over the campus in order to protect residents who may wander off.
Nursing Home
Nursing home care is the most restrictive setting. This level of care is intended for the frail senior who needs medical care on a continuing or long-term basis. Nursing homes also admit patients from the hospital in order to provide short-term rehabilitation, such as after suffering a broken hip or a stroke.
Tags: level care, assisted living, elderly person, home health, meals housekeeping, need 24-hour, This option