Getting an Alzheimers diagnosis can be one of the most painful moments for a family. Not only are you being told that you have something unpreventable and incurable, but you’re being told that you have the 7th leading killer of Americans, which often spans a slow 10 - 20 year period of degeneration. Before succumbing to the grief and depression that seems so natural with this disease, you should know that there is one ray of hope: the Alzheimers Association. Their website is www.ALZ.org. If “knowing is half the battle,” then why not prepare yourself as best you can?

There are five core services you can get from the Alzheimers Association. The first service is a 24/7 Alzheimers help hotline. In addition to providing you and your family with a host of information on Alzheimers disease, the Association can also counsel on eldercare, adult day care, trained nursing facilities, lawyers, transportation, financial planning and home care. One of the most agonizing decisions to make is deciding when the time is right to move an Alzheimers patient into a long term care facility. The Association can help you to find the best care options for your family.

The second service the Association provides is their care consultation. There is someone there to provide supportive listening when the isolation, frustration, depression, fear or grief becomes overwhelming for an Alzheimers caregiver. Many caregivers report that the most difficult thing is the fear of losing the person, coupled with the sad realization that their loved ones can never regain their personalities or full mental capacity. There will be many decisions to be made along the way and obstacles may arise that you don’t know how to deal with, such as what to do when your loved one refuses to bathe or change clothes? So it’s best to call a professional for any questions you may have.

The third service provided by the Association is peer led or professional led their support groups. Some people shun these services because they don’t want to be seen as someone with a problem; however, the success rate and the manageability are so much higher for people attending these sessions. It sometimes helps to hear others’ stories because you can gain insights on where to take your loved one for care or what pitfalls to avoid.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 6:15 pm and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.