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Alzheimer’s and Types of Care Facilities
4/23/2014
By: Brittany Mang
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Table of Contents
Introducon……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….4
Overview of Alzheimer’s…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….5
History of Alzheimer’s……………………………………………………………………………………………………………...5
Occurrence of Alzheimer’s……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…6
Progression of Alzheimer’s…………………………………………………………………………………………..….….….……6
Symptoms………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..6
Risks and Causes……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
Four Stages of Alzheimer’s………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8
Medicaons for Alzheimer’s……………………………………………………………………………………………….….…..10
Medicaons………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…..10
Side E.ects…………………………………………………………………………………………………..….….….….….….…10
Cost of Medicaons……………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…..11
Memory Care…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...12
Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12
Costs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….…...12
Services………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..12
Home Health Care…………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….…….…13
What is Home Healthcare?…………………………………………………………………………………………….….…...13
Types of Services…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13
Costs of Services…………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….….….15
Medicare Certified………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...15
Benefits of Home Health……………………………………………………………………………………….…….….….15
Training for Staff………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….……16
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….….…..17
Adult Day Centers…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….…18
Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..18
Services Provided…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..19
benefits of Adult Day Centers……………………………………………………………………………………….….….….20
Cost of Adult Day Centers…………………………………………………………………………………………….….….….20
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….….…..22
Residenal Care………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….…23
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Background…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..23
Costs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….….…...26
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…….….…..27
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Introduction
Do you know what the sixth leading cause of death in the United States is? Did you know
that more than five million Americans are living with this disease? This disease is known as
Alzheimer’s which is a form of dementia. Dementia is general for memory loss and other
intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. However, the question is what
Alzheimer disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that affects the memory,
thinking, and behavior (“Alzheimer’s disease”, 2013). This disease accounts for fifty to eighty
percent of all dementia patients (“Alzheimer’s disease”, 2013). Although there is no cure for
Alzheimer’s disease it is very important to know the different types of care and facilities in
which your loved one can reside in. The types of facilities an Alzheimer patient has the options
to live in include memory care facilities, home health care, adult day centers, and residential
care. It is important to decide which facility would be best for the individual with the disease
depending on the stage of Alzheimer’s in which they are in. For example, an individual in the
early stages of Alzheimer’s disease would be able to live in an assisted living facility, rather than
an individual who is in the late stages of the disease who has no independence and needs
assistance with many things would be better off in a nursing home.
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Chapter 1
Overview of Alzheimer’s
History of Alzheimer’s
Now with a better understanding of Alzheimer’s, the background of the disease is very
important. In 1906, a German physician by the name of, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, identified a series
of brain cell defects within the brain (“A History of Alzheimer’s Disease”, 2013). This came
about when Dr. Alzheimer had a patient, which eventually died after she showed signs of severe
memory problems, confusion, and a very difficult time comprehending questions. After her
death, “during a brain autopsy there were dense deposits surrounding her nerve cells, and inside
these nerve cells were twisted bands of fibers” (“A History of Alzheimer’s Disease”, 2013) .
Therefore, Alzheimer’s received its name from the doctor who founded this still incurable
disease. Although no cures have been discovered, there have been many scientific discoveries
throughout research. About fifty years after, in the 1960’s, Dr. Alzheimer discovered the disease;
scientists have since determined a link between cognitive decline and the number of twisted
bands of fibers (“A History of Alzheimer’s Disease”, 2013). A decade after they made
understanding the entire human body as a whole a priority. This continued right into the 90’s,
where greater knowledge of complex nerve cells in the brain of Alzheimer patients was founded
(“A History of Alzheimer’s Disease”, 2013). Recently in the last few years scientists have been
studying to determine potential risk factors like environmental and genetics as being causes for
Alzheimer’s. There have also been drugs, which have been approved by the FDA, used to treat
the symptoms and slow the process of the disease; however they do not cure the disease itself.
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Occurrence of Alzheimer’s
It is astonishing that with all of the technology and resources that there is still no cure for
this disease as it continues to be on the rise. Today there is an estimated 5.2 million Americans of
all age groups have the disease. Of those 5.2 million, five million are ages 65 and older, and the
remaining amount of people are the younger population under 65 years of age (“Alzheimer’s
disease”, 2013). This number is projected to grow dramatically over the next few decades. By the
year 2050 it is projected that the number of people with Alzheimer’s will triple in size from five
million to about fourteen million (“Alzheimer’s disease”, 2013). “On average today an American
develops Alzheimer’s disease every sixty– eight seconds, and it is projected that in 2050 an
American will develop the disease every 33 seconds!” (“Alzheimer’s disease”, 2013). With these
numbers on the rise, Alzheimer’s will soon move from the sixth leading cause of death in the US,
right up to the top, due to the fact that the other leading causes of death are all on the declining
end.
Progression of Alzheimer’s
Symptoms
The progression of Alzheimer’s disease can be very rapid, so it is very important to know
the signs and symptoms for early detection. There are ten warning signs that help lead to early
detection. The first sign is memory loss that disrupts daily life, which is most common sign, and
includes forgetting recently, told information like dates, events, names, and many others. Another
sign is challenges in problem solving or planning. This would include difficulty following
recipes or completing monthly bill statements (“Alzheimer’s disease Health Center”, 2013). The
next sign would be having a hard time completing normal everyday tasks. Another sign is
confusion with places or time, and has to do with losing track of time, seasons or where they are.
Another sign would be having trouble understanding visual images, which would be hard times
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determining colors or reading (“Alzheimer’s disease Health Center”, 2013). The sixth sign is
having trouble with words in speaking or writing in which the Alzheimer’s patient has a very
hard time joining in a conversation or continuing on with a conversation. Misplacing things
along with the inability to retrace steps is another sign. Decreased or poor judgment, which
includes not grooming or cleaning themselves, would be another sign. The next sign would be
withdrawal from social activities along with work. This sign would show trouble in the person
completing some of their routine hobbies or avoiding social situations due to the changes they
are going through (“Alzheimer’s disease Health Center”, 2013). The final sign is change in mood
and personality. This sign has to do with emotions such as depression, anger, fearfulness, and
being upset which are more prevalent when they are out of their comfort zone.
Risks and Causes
