Choosing an Elder Care Facility
For a Parent Suffering From Alzheimer’s Disease or Senile Dementia
If an aging parent needs more care than the immediate family can give, the right facility can ease concerns about nursing home abuse and neglect by their quality of care.
Facing the need to place an aging parent in an elder care facility can be extremely stressful, especially in the light of so many stories of nursing home abuse and neglect in the news. But a good facility may be able to provide social contact and stimulation that elderly home care can’t.
Making the Decision
Each family must weigh the pros and cons of in-home care, elder day care and placement in a skilled nursing facility. In-home care may be enhanced by sometime spent in elder day care, where activity and mental stimulation for the parent suffering from senile dementia or Alzheimer’s disease are provided. But sometimes the only realistic choice is to place the aging parent in an elder care facility.
Finding the Best Facility
Once past the guilt and anguish of deciding to place an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s disease or senile dementia in a nursing home, the next challenge is finding the right facility for that parent.
Some things to consider when looking for an elder care facility:
- Location: If the parent with senile dementia or Alzheimer’s disease recognizes places and/or people, they may be more comfortable in an area they are familiar with, such as their hometown. An elder care facility here might also allow for visits from old friends.
- History of the Elder Care Facility: How long has the facility been in existence? Have there been any incidents of neglect or abuse in the nursing home? Have there been commendations or recognition of outstanding care?
- Staff History: How long do staff members tend to stay? High turnover rates indicate problems which may affect the quality of care given.
Things to note when visiting an elder care facility:
- Is the reception staff friendly and courteous? The front desk often reflects the attitude of the facility.
- Look around the lobby for evidence of real caring: Photos of patient activities, both on and off -site indicate more than minimal care. Recognition of staff for outstanding care, especially from the families of patients is another good sign.
- General impression of cleanliness and professionalism: A clean facility with knowledgeable staff is a good indicator of the care likely to be given. Patients should be clean and well groomed.
- Staff interaction with patients: Alzheimer’s and senile dementia patients can be a real challenge to deal with. Staff that is relaxed and caring deals calmly with difficult patients. Do the staff members chat with the patients? Do they seem to be enjoying their work? Do they seem to really know their patients?
- Interactions between staff members: Tension amongst staff members can spill over into patient interactions, setting the stage for patient abuse or neglect. These underlying tensions may reflect management issues that can result in high staff turnover. Alzheimer’s and senile dementia patients do best with consistency in their world.
Despite the media hype around nursing home neglect and abuse, there are quality facilities where placing a parent with Alzheimer's disease or senile dementia can result in a better quality of life for both the parent and the family.
