The story of a beginning of a farming empire.
You know when your uncle turned 21 his dad took him aside and said here is 20 acres of land and a bushel of oat seed. Your uncle never never looked back.
The story of speeding
Every interstate ride reminded your father to tell you the same story. The first interstate I ever drove on was in Jack Ward?s Cadillac. We had a week off work and took the interstate to visit some of his relatives. We stayed there for the weekend but we had to get back to work. It was the first time I ever rode in a car that went 100 miles an hour. But Jack did it that day. Just once. He wanted to see what it felt like. He may have done it again sometime, but I was never with him when he did it.
The story of change
Your father?s decision to start distributing some of his finds was, in retrospect, his way of letting you know that he was ready to start clearing out his belongings and was, in fact, preparing for a move out of his home and into some kind of care facility.
Memory Care Assisted Living Facilities Offer Tiered Services
Your father’s stories are both endearing and fleeting. One minute he cannot find the words to tell you what he wants for dinner, the next he is fluently retelling a story he recalls from memory. One minute he is talking about a tool that he wishes he had, the next he is asking you to take some of the tools he used to use most often home with you.
Understanding the early detection of dementia, though, has helped you share in the good moments that your father is having, as well as except the days that are not so good. You are finally at the point, however, when you know that it is time to look at the local available options for assisted living facilities. You have heard from many friends and family members that it is always better to make these decisions sooner rather than later. And while you know that your father still has the ability to live on his own on his best days, those best days are fewer in number and further apart.
When it comes time to help make decisions about a parent, a grandparent, or a spouse moving into assisted living facilities, it can be helpful to know that the care options for Alzheimers patients are available in several tiers. From patients who are just beginning to show signs of the beginning dementia stages to patients who are in need of constant skilled care, assisted living facilities are able to meet the needs of all levels of patients.
Consider these facts about the need for assisted living facilities:
- Alzheimer’s disease is the only top 10 cause of death in the U.S. that cannot be cured, slowed, or prevented.
- 66% of Alzheimer’s patients in America are women.
- 33% of seniors pass away with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
- Alzheimer’s is now the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
- 55% of all respondents in a study conducted by Genworth Financial indicated that their greatest fear regarding a long-term care illness or event was being a burden on their family. In fact, this group reported being five times more concerned about being a burden to their family than they were concerned about dying.
- 44% of assisted living residents received assistance with three or more activities of daily living. Of these tasks, bathing and dressing were the most common.
- 75% of assisted living residents have had at least two of the 10 most common chronic conditions. High blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias were the most common.
- When seniors become part of an independent living retirement community, they are more likely to make new friends and try new things, according to the 2009 Independent Living Report by the ProMatura Group, LLC. Most residents, in fact, report a better experience than they expected.
- Assisted living residences provide 24-hour supervision, three daily meals, and snacks in a group dining room. Other services that promote quality of life and independence include: personal care, health care, medication management, social services, transportation, laundry, maintenance, and housekeeping.
