You’re sitting at the dinner table with your family members when suddenly your grandpa calls you the wrong name. At first you just brush it off, but then you notice he seems to call everyone the wrong name and look genuinely confused when somebody corrects him. This could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is a brain disease which negatively affects cognitive function. Adults 65 and older are typically more at-risk for developing Alzheimer’s and unfortunately, the disease only worsens as time goes on. If you’re worried that your loved one may have Alzheimer’s, there are 10 early signs and symptoms to look out for.
Early Signs
Early Signs to Look For
10 early signs and symptoms to look out for
Memory Loss
If your loved one is often forgetting important dates, repeatedly asking the same questions, relying more on family members to handle things they used to handle themselves, and forgetting information as soon as they’ve learned it; this could be a sign of Alzheimer’s. Occasionally forgetting names or appointments but remembering later is considered normal.
Difficulty Problem-Solving & Planning
When it comes to numbers, a person living with early Alzheimer’s may have trouble concentrating and managing finances, resulting in taking much longer to complete tasks than usual.
Difficulty Completing Simple Tasks
e.g., Driving in a familiar location can suddenly become unfamiliar.
Confusion with Time or Place
Your loved one may not remember what day of the week it is or have any recollection of where they are. This worsens with disease progression to the point where it can become dangerous to leave your love one unattended for extensive periods of time. Forgetting what day it is occasionally is normal, but people suffering from Alzheimer’s will become completely unaware of time.
Vision Problems or Difficulty Determining Space
Driving becomes severely difficult when a person’s vision and sense of space is negatively affected by Alzheimer’s. Vision problems tend to occur with age and should be monitored regularly.
Impaired Speech or Writing
Holding verbal or written conversations becomes challenging. Sometimes the wrong words are used to describe an object, vocabulary is not as strong, and repetition occurs often.
Losing Items
A common step people follow when they lose something is retracing their steps in hopes of locating the lost item. However, a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease will be unable to retrace their steps and may even accuse other people of stealing their lost items.
Poor Judgement
This often relates to decisions regarding finances and personal hygiene.
Social/Work Withdrawal
Socializing becomes more difficult, resulting in withdrawal from hobbies and social activities.
Personality/Mood Changes
A person suffering from Alzheimer’s may become more confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, anxious, or easily upset with others.
Stages of Alzheimer’s
There are three stages of Alzheimer’s: mild, moderate, and severe. It’s important to note how symptoms can often overlap making it more difficult to identify which stage is prevalent.
Mild
• Difficulty performing tasks in social/work settings, remembering names and/or words, and staying organized/planning
• Losing common objects often
• Forgetting material that was just read
Moderate
• Forgetting personal history, significant events, personal information such as address, phone number, etc.
• Shift in sleep patterns
• Wandering
• Exhibiting compulsive behaviors and personality changes
• Withdrawing from social/work activities
• Difficulty controlling bladder
• Requiring assistance with daily functions such as getting dressed
Severe
• Loss of awareness
• Mobility is severely affected (e.g., walking, sitting, swallowing, talking, etc.)
• Requires 24/7 care
What’s Your Next Step
If your loved one is experiencing any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek professional help immediately for a proper diagnosis. In the event the diagnosis is dementia, Alzheimer’s, or memory impairment, assisted living and memory care could be beneficial. Facilities equipped with 24/7 nursing care, individualized care plans, in-house Geriatricians, and plenty of cognitive stimulation through a 24/7 activities calendar will ensure peace and comfort for your loved one in a safe homelike environment.
Assisted living can be a difficult topic to discuss with family members, and we are here to help in any way possible. If you think your loved one could benefit from our memory care services or other care options, please contact us for more information. To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease, please visit the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/
Why Residents at Assisted Living Facilities
Should Receive the Covid-19 Vaccine
There’s no question that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected residents, healthcare workers and staff at nursing homes and assisted livings throughout the country. Not only have we lost family members and friends to this horrific virus, but the effects of isolation, uncertainty, and fear of exposure have also taken their devastating toll. On top of this, the ownership side of nursing homes and assisted livings have also suffered. Throughout the course of the pandemic, occupancy decreased dramatically not only due to Covid deaths, but also because of a decrease in admissions. But after nearly a year and a half, this winter brought us a beacon of warm light in what seemed to be a never-ending tunnel of darkness – the Covid-19 vaccine.
With the arrival of the vaccine, the world is finally beginning to see some kind of normalcy. Restrictions are lifting. People are resurrecting from isolation. This is because the safe and 90% effective (including for the elderly) Covid-19 vaccine is now available in all parts of the country, available for anyone 12 years of age and older.
The arrival of the vaccine and choosing (or not choosing) to get it is a life-or-death situation. What does this mean for nursing homes and assisted livings? Well, a lot.
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- Families can now reunite; grandparents can meet their grandchildren who were born earlier that year.
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- Residents can come out of isolation and interact with one another.
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- Healthcare workers, faculty, and staff will be protected and protect their residents.
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- Ultimately, those who spend any time in nursing homes or assisted living, and their family and friends, can stop living in fear.
With nearly 44% of the country fully vaccinated, and daily Covid counts continuing to decrease, the proof is in the pudding (CNBC.com). With minor to no side effects that are in line with receiving many other vaccines, and the assurance of protection from additional Covid strains, nursing homes and assisted livings can benefit from receiving the vaccine in major ways. The benefits are both immediate and long term, physical and emotional.
Isolation has been one of the most detrimental aspects of the pandemic in nursing homes and assisted livings, especially amongst Alzheimer’s patients. A study shows that 13,200 more deaths were caused by dementia than expected, compared to previous years. (TheWashingtonPost.com). That’s 13,200 too many. The ability for these patients to receive vaccines will allow them to see family and interact with other residents in their facilities.
Not to mention the ability to obtain more residents from the ownership side. In-person tours of facilities, meetings with potential residents’ families, and face-to-face contact with faculty and staff provides families with peace of mind. Families will have a higher inclination to admit their loved ones into your nursing home or assisted living.
The Covid-19 vaccine has proved to be one of the great miracles brought to us by science and technology. The benefits of the majority of Americans getting vaccinated is immense, especially for nursing homes and assisted livings. Once these facilities receive the vaccine in larger numbers, we’ll be one step closer to kissing this virus goodbye.
Moving to
Assisted Living?
What to do With Your House?
Assisted living in Orchard Park of NY is becoming an increasingly desirable option for seniors who need support for certain daily activities, but who still want independence and an active social life. We at Orchard Heights understand that while this is an advantageous move for you, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. For example, after you’ve done all the research and settled on a floor plan at Orchard Heights, the next big decision could be what to do with an existing house or condo.
Essentially, you have three choices: sell, rent, or keep the property in the family. In this article, we will review the pros and cons of each option so you can make an informed choice.
Selling the Property
Selling the property is perhaps the most obvious choice. It is probably the best option in cases where your family lives far away and does not have any long-term interest in the property. The lump sum from the sale can also be a useful injection of cash for the senior, helping to fund the cost of assisted living.
For example, the median sale price of a house in Orchard Park averaged $298,250 over the last month. If you don’t currently have a mortgage, netting at least this much in the sale of your home could comfortably cover your Orchard Heights monthly fee for years to come.
It’s also worth considering how easy it would be to sell the house. Orchard Park is a competitive market, so chances are you would sell quickly. However, it is worth noting that the demand for large family homes is decreasing, making it harder for seniors to sell their homes. Essentially, an apartment or condo will be easier to sell than a big house with a lot of improvements.
Renting Out Your Home
Renting is a good option if no one in the family is interested in living in the house now, but you want to keep that possibility open for the future. It can also be useful to keep the house as an asset and to wait until it gains value.
Collecting rent every month can also heavily subsidize the monthly cost of an assisted living facility. The average rent in Orchard Park is around $1,054, which means that you could use rent payments to directly fund the majority of your assisted living costs. This regular cash flow is easier to manage than the lump sum you get from selling.
Keeping It in the Family
Finally, you have the option of keeping the house within the family. There are several ways to pass on a house to adult children without losing a lot of money on taxes. You can give it as an outright gift, sell it at a reduced rate (this still counts as a gift in the eyes of the IRS), or sell it at the market price.
Bear in mind that there are risks involved in doing this. For example, the sale of the house could count against you if you need to apply for Medicaid for nursing home care within five years. Each has its complex tax implications, so it pays to do your research. Even better, get some advice from an expert like an estate lawyer before making a decision.
Of course, you can always choose a combination of these options. For instance, you could rent the house out for a couple of years while you decide what to do with it, or you could gift it to a family member who will then sell it later. The important thing is to carefully consider your options and make the choice that works best for everyone.