Submitted by administrator on Mon, 09/21/2009 - 1:04pm
AlzCare was formed in December of 1998 to provide assisted living services to persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia. Our purpose was clear from the beginning….to restore some of the quality of life that has been lost due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. AlzCare does this by offering residences that provide safety, security, dignity and independence in a setting that is better than home. According to Dr. Barry Reisburg, “The way we typically care for patients may be precisely the opposite of what they need.” This is especially true in traditional nursing and assisted living facilities that place their priorities in areas that do not have a positive impact on the needs of residents with Alzheimer’s.
AlzCare is committed to its mission of serving individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease in an intimate, home setting; generously staffed by well trained, compassionate and engaging caregivers. Each facility is licensed for no more than 16 to maintain a small, intimate setting in which staff, resident and family alike have the opportunity to form relationships that are a part of the therapeutic milieu of AlzCare.
Submitted by administrator on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 4:08pm
Memory Care San Marcos Texas
More and more people are needing to step up and take on the role of providing care for familiy members who have developed Alzheimer's Disease or other forms of dementia. These same people are often still employed and need to remain employed in order to earn a living, keep their health insurance or any of a number of other reasons.
Today, I came across lifemeetswork.com, a website that provides information to employers and empoyees to assist in embracing flexible work. Since many family caregivers struggle trying to balance work and commitment to their caregiving roles, it seemed appropriate to share this great resource.
Take a look at this short video which presents the case for Flex work. You may find it helpful if you need to negotiate with an employer in order to be BOTH an contributing employee AND a devoted caregiver.
Submitted by administrator on Thu, 02/02/2012 - 3:04pm
Memory Care New Braunfels Texas
Linda Born is the caregiver of her mother who suffers with Alzheimer's Disease. Linda is a blogger who shares her personal experience and her spiritual insights into Alzheimer's Disease. Her blog, God, Mom, Alzheimer's, and Me, is a inspirational and informational resource. She recently posted a piece about the most challenging phase of caring for her mother that I believe offers some thoughts that would be helpful for most people in the situation of dealing with a new diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease.
I have written about our relative easy caregiver/patient relationship in this blog, but perhaps I do not share that initial time of struggle often enough. This difficult transition to the role of caregiver and patient is the subject of the devotions in my book, and I'm in a different place in my caregiving journey now.
I want people who are coping with that transition to understand that your challenges are not unique. Mom felt so angry and resentful toward me, and I was so hurt. I was horrified by her cognitive decline and overwhelmed by terrible love for her along with intensive grief as I lost the mother who had once been my firmest supporter and confidante. It was awful!
Read more here. You can read her helpful PowerPoint presentation, "When a loved on ia disagnosied with dementia"here.
Submitted by administrator on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 10:45pm
Memory Care Waco Texas
Not too long ago, we shared an article discussing the decision to have diagnostic testing done to predict the development of Alzheimer's Disease. The article explored the decision process and response of two people who chose to pursue genetic testing. The experience appeared to be rather positive for both of the people, regardless of the nature of the news they were given. A more recent Huffington Post article again poses the question and reaches a different conclusion.
Let's imagine the following scenario:
You're 55, it's time for your annual checkup and, in addition to the chest X-ray, EKG and blood work, your doctor tells you that a scan is now available to assess any preliminary buildup of plaque in your brain. Your internist says that, "just like the X-ray checks for spots on your lungs, it's a good idea to have this PET scan."
Would you take the test?
We appreciate the author's assessment that until there are significant treatment advances available for Alzheimer's, few people will likely be pursuing diagnostic testing.
Submitted by administrator on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 2:17pm
Dementia Care Victoria Texas
If you have done much reading about Alzheimer's Disease, you know that beta-amyloid accumulation is the culprit which breaks down the communication which happens between neurons in the brain. While there are many mysteries still in the way of our full understanding of Alzheimer's, we do know a good bit about things which make us more at risk for developing the disease.
