Alzheimer’s Help At Home

Alzheimer’s And Dementia Care In Orlando

If your elderly loved one near Orlando, Florida, is suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, caring for them can take a tremendous toll on your own physical and emotional well-being. Because of the progressive nature of the disease, many families choose the support and assistance of in-home care professionals like Senior Helpers over family caregivers. As the leading industry experts in Alzheimer’s and dementia care, you can trust Senior Helpers to make your loved one’s life, and yours, much easier and more enjoyable.

We will work with you to create a customized home care plan that changes as your loved one’s needs change. Our Senior Gems® program was specially created to identify the stages of dementia and structure our home care services to help your loved one continue to live a purposeful life at home. Our care team has extensive training and experience in providing the right level of individual health care and support, while carefully monitoring everything from medication to daily activities. Our goal is to create a positive environment with activities that focus on what your loved one is still able to do, not what they can no longer do.

How Can We Help You

Most families are not prepared when it comes to coordinating a caregiver in the home. Often times families do not know if services are covered by Medicare or secondary insurance. Private duty also known as custodial care is considered non medical home..

Understanding what a licensed home health aide can provide is crucial for our registry to match you with the right caregiver.

What are considered the six activities of daily living in order to use my long term care policy? It is always best to carefully review your long term care policy. In order to use your long term care insurance policy generally the long term care insurance company requires that at least two activities of daily

How The Sage Test For Dementia Works

SAGE stands for Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination and was developed by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

The SAGE test has 12 questions that cover all aspects of cognition, including memory, problem solving, and language.

There are 4 different versions of the test. Theyre similar enough, but having multiple versions means that someone could take the test once a year and wouldnt improve their score each year just from the practice of taking it before.

This way, the test is slightly different each time.

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What Types Of Help Are Available

There are many different types of care available depending on the level of help or care you need.

• Day-to-day support can be found through adult day centers and respite services. These options provide short-term care for a person with dementia and allow the caregiver to take a break. Day-to-day support may include supervision, meals delivered to the home, and/or transportation.
• Long-term care in the home may be provided by unpaid family members and friends or by paid service providers and can involve general care or medical care. Home care services often focus on everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, and ensuring the person with dementia is safe. Home health care services involve licensed medical professionals and require a doctors order.
• Residential care may become necessary as a person with dementia requires more care and supervision than can be provided at home. Assisted living facilities may be able to provide enough support in the early stages of dementia, whereas nursing homes may be more appropriate for people who are no longer able to live safely at home. Continuing care retirement communities are multi-level care facilities that provide living accommodations and health services. A resident can move between multiple levels of care as needed.
• Hospice services provide end-of-life care and comfort for people with dementia and their families. These services can be received in the home or at a residential care facility, hospital, or hospice facility.

Alzheimers Resource Locator Tool

Our websites database contains information on over 300 programs that provide financial assistance or reduce the cost of caring for the elderly. Many of these programs are specifically applicable to those suffering from Alzheimers, dementia or other related memory disorders. One can search specifically for programs relevant to them by entering their demographic information into our Resource Locator Tool.

Eldercare Financial Assistance Locator

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Benefits Of Using A Long Term Care Policy For Custodial Care

We help facilitate opening an insurance claim with the long term care insurance provider and the patient. Common terms such as Elimination Periods, Monthly or Daily Benefit, Care Advisory Services, Stay at Home Benefits and Assistance with Daily Living Requirements are discussed as part of the intake process.

I know I repeat myself, but Ana is absolutely fabulous!!! She is not an aide, she is an angel sent from heaven!

Hear about what a patient said about Ana, Certified Nursing Assistant

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Using Reverse Mortgages For Alzheimers Care

The decision on whether or not to use ones home, through a reverse mortgage, to help pay for care is not an easy one. In many cases, it does not make good economic sense, but in other situations it does.

Reverse mortgages come due one year after the homeowner moves from their home. Given that most individuals with Alzheimers will eventually require residential care, it becomes a question of how many years until that point. Should one be at the early stage of the condition and wont require residential care for 5 years, a reverse mortgage might make good sense as a funding resource for occasional assistance around the home. However, if one might need to move within 2 years, a reverse mortgage would be considered an expensive source of funds. The exception to this rule is when the individual with Alzheimers has a healthy spouse who will continue to live in the home when the spouse with Alzheimers moves into a care facility. In this situation, a reverse mortgage could be a sound decision.

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Medicaid & Hcbs Waivers And Alzheimers Care

Medicaid is a state and federally funded health insurance program for low-income families and the elderly. Each state administers their Medicaid programs separately. Therefore, each state offers different benefits with regards to caring for individuals with Alzheimers or dementia.

Medicaid Waivers are state programs that allow individuals to receive care outside of nursing homes. Instead of requiring institutionalization, Medicaid Waiver participants can receive care, paid for by Medicaid, in their homes, the homes of relatives, and sometimes in adult foster care homes and assisted or senior living residences. Almost all Medicaid Waivers have both financial eligibility requirements and requirements that the participant have functional limitations. Very few, require a specific diagnosis of Alzheimers or dementia. Instead, they consider ones ability or inability to care for themselves by accessing their ability to perform their activities of daily living. From a functional perspective, mid to late stage Alzheimers patients typically qualify for Medicaid benefits quite easily.

For more information on Medicaid and each states waivers, please use the following links: General Medicaid, Home Care Waivers, Assisted Living Waivers, Adult Day Care Waivers, and Adult Foster Care Waivers.

Paying For Alzheimers Care Overview

Alzheimers disease, Lewy Body dementia, Frontotemporal dementia , and other related memory disorders and dementia affect over 5.5 million aging Americans. Depending on the stage of these diseases, individuals can require 24-hour supervision or care. This means each year in the U.S., there are billions of hours spent caring for individuals with these conditions. While the vast majority of that care is provided by friends and family members, what happens when those caregivers are not available? Who pays for Alzheimers care? Fortunately, there are many programs that provide financial assistance, respite care, and other forms of aid to help families and caregivers.

The worldwide cost of dementia care is approximately 1 trillion U.S. dollars. If dementia care were a country, it would be the worlds 17th largest economy.

Helpful Resources

• Find Affordable Elder Care

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Going Through An Agency

Advantages

• Youâll have a large number of caregivers to choose from. If one doesnât work out, you can try a different one.
• If your caregiver is sick or has an emergency, the agency will send a backup.
• Agencies often take care of the caregiverâs taxes and liability insurance.
• Agency caregivers are bonded and insured.
• Agency caregivers are often trained in things like CPR and first aid.
• Agencies often have a nurse to supervise the caregivers and check in on the client from time to time.
• If you have an issue with your caregiver, the agency can help resolve it.

Disadvantages

• Agencies are often more expensive than if you hire someone privately.
• You may have less of a say about whoâs assigned to your family.

Questions to Ask

Medicares Benefits For Alzheimers & Dementia

There is not a simple answer to the question does Medicare pay for Alzheimers care?. Medicare, like most health insurance, does not differentiate Alzheimers and dementia care from other conditions such as heart disease. Instead, Medicare has certain policies with regards to when and how much it will pay for care. For example, Medicare will pay for 100% of the cost of nursing home care if it is medically necessary for 20 days and 80% of the cost for an extra 80 days. If an individual with Alzheimers requires care in a psychiatric hospital, Medicare increases the number of days they will provide assistance up to 190 days.

Medicare does not pay for custodial or personal care that is provided in an assisted living residence. But it will pay for medical care provided in that location. The same applies for home care and adult day care. Personal care services, assistance with the activities of daily living and supervision that are typically necessary for Alzheimers patients are not covered. But medical care is covered. There is an exception to this for individuals receiving hospice care at home. Medicare will pay for homemaker services, which includes personal assistance for individuals determined to be in the final 6 months of their life.

New in 2019, Medicare Advantage plans are able to offer some long-term care services and supports as a supplemental health benefit, given they:

• Home modifications
• Personal emergency response systems
• Homemaker services

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Take The Sage Test At Home

Anyone can take the SAGE test anytime. Its free and you can get it here on the Ohio State University website.

Print the test and take it with a pen or pencil. Theres no time limit, but most people finish in about 15 minutes.

Sample questions from the test:

• How many nickels are in 60 cents?
• You are buying $13.45 of groceries. How much change would you receive back from a $20 bill?
• Write down the names of 12 different animals.
• Draw a large face of a clock and place in the numbers.Position the hands for 10 minutes after 11 oclock. On your clock, label L for the long hand and S for the short hand.

Tips For Home Safety For People With Dementia

As a caregiver or family member to a person with Alzheimers or related dementias, you can take steps to make the home a safer place. Removing hazards and adding safety features around the home can help give the person more freedom to move around independently and safely. Try these tips:

• If you have stairs, make sure there is at least one handrail. Put carpet or safety grip strips on stairs, or mark the edges of steps with brightly colored tape so they are more visible.
• Insert safety plugs into unused electrical outlets and consider safety latches on cabinet doors.
• Clear away unused items and remove small rugs, electrical cords, and other items the person may trip over.
• Make sure all rooms and outdoor areas the person visits have good lighting.
• Remove curtains and rugs with busy patterns that may confuse the person.
• Remove or lock up cleaning and household products, such as paint thinner and matches.

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Tips For A Healthy And Active Lifestyle For People With Dementia

Eating healthy and staying active is good for everyone and is especially important for people with Alzheimers and related dementias. As the disease progresses, finding ways for the person to eat healthy foods and stay active may be increasingly challenging. Here are some tips that may help:

• Consider different activities the person can do to stay active, such as household chores, cooking and baking, exercise, and gardening. Match the activity to what the person can do.
• Help get an activity started or join in to make the activity more fun. People with dementia may lack interest or initiative and can have trouble starting activities. But, if others do the planning, they may join in.
• Add music to exercises or activities if it helps motivate the person. Dance to the music if possible.
• Be realistic about how much activity can be done at one time. Several short mini-workouts may be best.
• Take a walk together each day. Exercise is good for caregivers, too!
• Buy a variety of healthy foods, but consider food that is easy to prepare, such as premade salads and single portions.
• Give the person choices about what to eat, for example, Would you like yogurt or cottage cheese?

Alzheimer’s And Dementia Aren’t The Same For Everyone

Alzheimer’s and dementia are unpredictable diseases. No two people will have the same experience with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Everything from the progression of the disease to the symptoms that are present or how cognition is impacted will vary from individual to individual.

Given the unpredictable nature of Alzheimer’s and dementia, you can never fully prepare for what will happen or how the disease will impact your loved one or family. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t prepare at all. It just means you must be prepared for the unexpected.

Below are the some of the most common examples of how Alzheimer’s and dementia impact the life of the individual and the family. The impact Alzheimer’s has on the life of your loved one and the family will vary drastically. You may only experience some of the changes and challenges, or you may experience them all.

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Alzheimers And Dementia Care Services

Assisting Hands Home Care can help those suffering from Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia with our memory care services in Dallas, Coppell,Highland Park, Richardson, University Park, TX, and the surrounding areas in Dallas and Tarrant counties.

Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia affect many seniors as more than 5 million are dealing with these conditions in the U.S. These diseases are degenerative diseases, meaning the symptoms are initially mild but become more severe over time. Seniors affected by all forms of dementia will need daily care and assistance as their cognitive abilities continue to decline.

Alzheimers Disease: A Devastating Diagnosis

Few diagnoses can devastate a family like Alzheimers disease. Its estimated that more than 5.5 million Americans suffer from this debilitating condition, which ranks as the sixth leading cause of death nationwide.

Alzheimers disease gradually robs our loved ones of their memory and thinking skills until they are unable to perform even the most routine everyday tasks. Initially, you may notice only mild symptoms that have a minimal impact on daily life:

• Short-term and long-term memory loss
• Difficulty solving simple problems
• Struggles with routine, day-to-day activities
• Forgets words or begins mixing up words
• Loses items or becomes lost more frequently
• Becomes confused about current time or place
• Confuses the names and identities of people
• Acts more irrationally, irritable, or depressed than usual

But over time, these symptoms will grow more severe. Once the disease reaches its final stages, a person with Alzheimers may lose all short-term and long-term memory, the ability to speak and to understand speech, and the ability to perform even the most basic personal tasks, such as how to use the bathroom or eat on their own.

Eventually, every Alzheimers disease patient will need supportive care to ensure their safety and well-being.

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Tips For Changes In Communication And Behavior For People With Dementia

Communication can be hard for people with Alzheimers and related dementias because they have trouble remembering things. They also can become agitated and anxious, even angry. In some forms of dementia, language abilities are affected such that people have trouble finding the right words or have difficulty speaking. You may feel frustrated or impatient, but it is important to understand that the disease is causing the change in communication skills. To help make communication easier, you can:

• Reassure the person. Speak calmly. Listen to his or her concerns and frustrations. Try to show that you understand if the person is angry or fearful.
• Allow the person to keep as much control in his or her life as possible.
• Respect the persons personal space.
• Build quiet times into the day, along with activities.
• Keep well-loved objects and photographs around the house to help the person feel more secure.
• Remind the person who you are if he or she doesnt remember, but try not to say, Dont you remember?
• Encourage a two-way conversation for as long as possible.
• Try distracting the person with an activity, such as a familiar book or photo album, if you are having trouble communicating with words.

If You Suspect Abuse Neglect Or Stealing

While itâs not common, there are some caregivers who take advantage of families. They may mistreat or neglect their clients. If your loved oneâs in immediate danger, call 911 or the police. If you see or suspect abuse or neglect, but theyâre not in immediate danger, call Adult Protective Services in your area.

If you donât have evidence, talk with your caregiver calmly about your concerns. There may be an explanation, so donât accuse them. If youâve hired through an agency, talk with them about it. Keep an eye on things, and donât be afraid to trust your instincts, even if it means you have to find a new caregiver.

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