Alzheimer’s Care and Traditional Assisted Living – How they are Different

Alzheimer’s Care

In the early stages of this disease there is a need for a little support; a regular visit to check everything is okay is usually enough. Unfortunately as the condition worsens, the level of care required increases. Tasks which used to be simple may now be frustrating and time consuming. The care offered must make allowances for this.

Assisted Living Care

This covers a huge range of care options. There are communities across the world where older people go to live independently but within a community and with support workers available if required. Some people prefer to stay in their own homes and utilize the service of professional helpers to assist with some of the day to day tasks. The level of care required and the approach to care will be very different depending upon which category the patient falls into.

Here are some of the ways in which Assisted Living Care and Alzheimer’s Care differ:

1. Emphasis

Assisted living places an emphasis on professional staff being available to help people if they are needed. There may be emergency response buttons in a patient’s home and there will always be someone who can be called to assist. The assumption is that people will continue to live their lives and to look after themselves but ask for help when necessary. Alzheimer’s care emphasizes the increasing need for support and the probability that the sufferer will gradually become more dependent on the helpers. This type of care can be particularly stressful as the patient will never recover and every day brings new challenges.

2. Flexibility

Assisted living requires the professional carers to be flexible in their approach as they may be called upon at any time to assist a variety of situations. People who care for those with Alzheimer’s need to be very flexible but this is not just in their approach. No two days are the same and they will need a huge amount of patience when dealing with a patient. The patient can be happy one moment and very frustrated just a few moments later making a carer’s job very difficult.

3. Diversity

Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is difficult but a carer will become accustomed to a patient and their demands or needs. Carers in an assisted living situation will need to be ready for a wide array of potential situations as there are many different issues which can arise at any given time.

4. Individual

The level of care and dedication required for someone suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease is far higher than for anyone in an assisted living environment. An Alzheimer’s sufferer may need assistance with simple everyday tasks such as running a bath or making a hot drink. Those in assisted living are unlikely to need this level of individual care.

5. Safety

Both assisted living and Alzheimer’s care require an awareness of potential safety issues. However, those in assisted living need a basic level of safety features in place and a system through which they can report issues. Those with Alzheimer’s will need a far more detailed level of safety features and the carer will need to have a strict system of checking these daily.

Both types of care need to emphasize the individuality of the patient as much as possible and provide a safe environment for those who need it.

Author Bio: Edward Francis is a regular writer and blogger. He usually writes on social issues and issues related to healthcare. He is also writing for a site https://www.foresthc.com where you can get elderly care homes, retirement villages and UK residential nursing homes.