Assisted living facilities provide professional care for those who need assistance with everyday living activities. These activities can include household chores, running errands and preparing meals. Assisted living offers individuals the chance to live as independently as possible while providing 24 hour care and support. It is a perfect transition for those who require more personal care than what is available at home but do not require the supervision or medical care around the clock that is typically provided in a nursing home.

Making the transition from home to an assisted living facility may be difficult for some people. Talking with family and friends before making the decision can help ease some of the concerns and anxiety that may develop. Living in an assisted living facility should feel as safe and comfortable as living at home. The best way to find a facility that meets those needs is to interview the staff and take a tour.

All questions and concerns should be addressed during the interview with a prospective facility. Discuss all needs with the staff and observe their responses. How well they can meet all of those needs should be fully addressed during this interview. In addition, staff members should be able to explicitly explain all activities and details of the community.

Talk with other residents in the facility to get a feel of what life is like within the community. If possible, try to make several trips throughout the day to get a more in-depth feel of the community at different times. In addition, ask about the various types of social activities as well as the safety services that are offered throughout the facility.

High-quality assisted living facilities should encourage independent living. An emergency call system should be readily available for all residents and around the clock security should be provided. Residents should have as much freedom as they desire with personalized plans that meet the needs of each resident and accommodates their disabilities.

The cost of an assisted living facility may depend on factors such as how many amenities and services that are offered. Medicare does not cover the costs of assisted living; however, individuals that have long term care insurance can have a significant portion of their expenses paid for during their stay at the facility. State Medicaid and other types of programs are also available for lower income individuals.

Assisted living facilities are often confused with nursing homes; however, the two senior communities are quite different. The main difference between assisted living facilities and nursing homes is the level of medical care. An assisted living facility allows residents a considerable amount of independent living with the idea that if it is necessary, there is some medical and personal support available to them. Nursing homes typically house older seniors who need supervision and help all day and night. Nurses are staffed in a nursing home on a 24 hour basis. A nursing home has a hospital like environment and the residents typically live in individual rooms within a big building.

The living arrangements in an assisted living facility are extremely similar to those found in regular homes. Individuals can choose from apartments or townhouses that have every feature that a person would need to live independently. Most of these developments feature either a studio or one bedroom with a kitchen or kitchenette. What sets these homes apart from independent living is staff is available when and if a resident needs help dressing, bathing and maintaining their home. The assisted living environment is targeted to adults who are over age 55. This living arrangement allows seniors to continue to live full lives without relying on family for support when they are at the point that they need a helping hand.

The loss of independence makes a person feel vulnerable. When ill health or other issues prove to make independent living in ones own home too risky to be an option, the right assisted living facility can be the only solution, but the move is often met with resistance because of the fear involved in losing even more control in one’s life. Overcoming the fear by pointing out the opportunities for increased quality of life may help even the most stubborn person see the move from their home as a benefit.

Finding a good balance can be tricky. You want to know that the assisted living facility that is chosen offers the proper level of assistance that is needed while at the same time allowing the level of independence that is wanted. Some of the services will actually give the resident more independence than they were able to practice when they lived on their own.

The ability to access transportation for necessary and enjoyment purposes can offer a lot of personal freedom to a person who is unable to drive. Having a communal dining room as well as a private kitchen means that one doesn’t have to cook unless they want to. Knowing that housekeeping help is available is freedom from drudgery for some.

The person who is used to living alone may find comfort in knowing that help is close at hand in the event of a fall or short term illness. A simple well being check on a regular basis can be tolerated by even the most private individual and can give confidence to a person who is unsteady on their feet or suffers an occasional lapse of memory. Knowing that the fears of distance care givers in the family are put to rest by the right choice of assisted living facilities available is also a desire that can be achieved.

Once health begins to fail, medical problems that require increased assistance can quickly escalate. In some lucky cases, recovery allows even more independence. It’s hard to see into the future to be able to plan what services the assisted living facilities provides will actually be needed. The cost of multi-level assistance can be costly and this factor must be weighed into the final decision.

Assisted living facilities that can provide medical care are more expensive that those that offer only housekeeping and transportation assistance. Some facilities offer a full range of services, but others are limited. Research the services carefully before choosing. Check to see if private insurance will pick up any of the costs. But, before the final decision is made, take care to find out if independence and dignity can be preserved.

Scientists are still trying to fully understand the cause or causes of Alzheimer’s disease. In the meantime, it’s helpful to understand the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s – plaques and tangles – and the risk factors that affect a person’s likelihood of developing the disease.

Plaques and Tangles
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a build-up of proteins in the brain. Though this cannot be measured in a living person, extensive autopsy studies have revealed this phenomenon. The build-up manifests in two ways:

* Plaques – deposits of the protein beta-amyloid that accumulate in the spaces between nerve cells
* Tangles – deposits of the protein tau that accumulate inside of nerve cells

Scientists are still studying how plaques and tangles are related to Alzheimer’s disease. One theory is that they block nerve cells’ ability to communicate with each other, making it difficult for the cells to survive.

Autopsies have shown that most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, but people with Alzheimer’s develop far more than those who do not develop the disease. Scientists still don’t know why some people develop so many compared to others. However, several risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease have been uncovered.

Age
Advancing age is the number one risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease. One out of eight people over the age of 65 has Alzheimer’s disease, and almost one out of every two people over the age of 85 has Alzheimer’s. The probability of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s nearly doubles every five years after age 65.

Family History
People who have a parent or sibling that developed Alzheimer’s disease are two to three times more likely to develop the disease than those with no family history of Alzheimer’s. If more than one close relative has been affected, the risk increases even more.

Scientists have identified two kinds of genes that are associated with this familial risk factor. The first is thought to be a “risk gene,” ApoE 4, that increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s, but does not guarantee it. In addition to ApoE 4, scientists think there could be up to a dozen more risk genes yet to be discovered.

The second kind of gene is a “deterministic gene” and is much rarer than risk genes. Deterministic genes are only found in a few hundred extended families around the world. If a deterministic gene is inherited, the person will undoubtedly develop Alzheimer’s, probably at a much earlier age.

Lifestyle Factors
Although age and family history are out of our control, scientists have also identified several lifestyle factors that can influence a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. A connection has been found between serious head injury and future development of Alzheimer’s, so those who practice safety measures such as wearing seat belts and not engaging in activities where there is a high risk of falling are at an advantage.

Evidence is also mounting for the promotion of exercise and a healthy diet to reduce Alzheimer’s risk. Avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, staying socially active, and engaging in intellectually stimulating activities have also been shown to have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Finally, there is a strong link between heart health and brain health. Those who are free of heart disease or related conditions are at a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s or another kind of dementia than those who have cardiovascular problems.

Vascular dementia results from impaired blood flow to the brain. After Alzheimer’s disease, it’s one of the second most common types of dementia, along with Lewy body dementia. It was formerly called multi-infarct dementia because it was thought to only be caused by small strokes. However, the name was changed to vascular dementia to reflect the array of conditions that can impair the blood’s ability to circulate to the brain. Vascular dementia often occurs alongside Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in mixed dementia. Between 1% to 4% of people over the age of 65 have vascular dementia, and the risk of developing it increases dramatically with age.

Causes of Vascular Dementia
Vascular dementia can occur either by a narrowing or a complete blockage of blood vessels in the brain, which deprives brain cells from nutrients and oxygen they need to function properly. Vascular dementia often results from several small strokes that occur over time. It can also occur after a single major stroke, which is sometimes referred to as post-stroke dementia. Not all strokes lead to dementia, but up to one-third of those who have a stroke will develop dementia within six months. Conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that don’t block blood vessels, but simply narrow them, can also lead to vascular dementia.

Risk Factors for Vascular Dementia
People who develop vascular dementia often have a history of one or more of the following: heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. In particular, if an individual has a history of multiple strokes, the risk of developing vascular dementia increases with the number of strokes experienced over time.

Symptoms of Vascular Dementia
People with vascular dementia often display multiple cognitive problems, including memory impairment and possibly aphasia, apraxia, agnosia, or problems with executive functioning.

In most cases, symptoms make it difficult to hold a job, carry out household responsibilities, or maintain social relationships. People with vascular dementia also experience neurological symptoms such as exaggerated reflexes, problems with walking and balance, and/or weakness in the limbs, hands, and feet. Depending on the individual and on the cause of the dementia, delusions, confusion, agitation, urinary problems, and/or depression can also accompany vascular dementia.

Interestingly, memory loss usually occurs later in the disease compared to when it appears in Alzheimer’s. In vascular dementia, the first symptoms are often the neurological ones, such as problems with reflexes, walking, and muscle weakness. On the other hand, memory problems and behavioral symptoms are commonly the first issues noticed in Alzheimer’s. Additionally, vascular dementia often progresses in a step-wise fashion. For example, the person will seem stable for a period of time, then suddenly get much worse, then continue to alternate between stable periods and sudden drops in functioning. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s disease progresses in a more gradual, downward fashion.

Diagnosis of Vascular Dementia
As with Alzheimer’s disease, a complete diagnostic workup should be performed in order to rule out other possible causes of the person’s symptoms. Vascular dementia is usually identified through imaging procedures, which can reveal strokes and narrowed or blocked arteries. Neuropsychological tests might also be conducted to determine the nature and extent of cognitive impairment.

Treatment of Vascular Dementia
No drugs have been approved by the FDA specifically to treat vascular dementia, but medications approved to treat Alzheimer’s sometimes help. Doctors often prescribe both a cholinesterase inhibitor (Aricept, Exelon, or Razadyne) and Namenda to treat vascular dementia.

Managing cardiovascular problems through medication and/or lifestyle changes may help slow the worsening of vascular dementia symptoms. It’s critical to monitor blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight, all of which impact brain health and the ease of blood flow to the brain.

Behavior management strategies are also useful for handling the challenging behaviors that sometimes accompany vascular dementia.

Prognosis for Vascular Dementia
Currently, there is no cure for vascular dementia. If the dementia was caused by multiple strokes, the person may get worse in a step-wise progression, where stable periods are interrupted by sudden downward episodes. Life expectancy for someone with vascular dementia is highly individual and depends on the nature of the cardiovascular problems that are causing the dementia, along with the person’s age and other medical conditions.

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Symptoms

Alzheimer’s disease may start with slight memory loss and confusion, but it eventually leads to irreversible mental impairment that destroys a person’s ability to remember, reason, learn and imagine.

Memory loss
Everyone has occasional lapses in memory. It’s normal to forget where you put your car keys or to blank on the names of people whom you rarely see. But the memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease persist and worsen. People with Alzheimer’s may:

• Repeat things
• Often forget conversations or appointments
• Routinely misplace things, often putting them in illogical locations
• Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects

Problems with abstract thinking
People with Alzheimer’s may initially have trouble balancing their checkbook, a problem that progresses to trouble recognizing and dealing with numbers.

Difficulty finding the right word
It may be a challenge for those with Alzheimer’s to find the right words to express thoughts or even follow conversations. Eventually, reading and writing also are affected.

Disorientation
People with Alzheimer’s disease often lose their sense of time and dates, and may find themselves lost in familiar surroundings.

Loss of judgment
Solving everyday problems, such as knowing what to do if food on the stove is burning, becomes increasingly difficult, eventually impossible. Alzheimer’s is characterized by greater difficulty in doing things that require planning, decision making and judgment.

Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Once-routine tasks that require sequential steps, such as cooking, become a struggle as the disease progresses. Eventually, people with advanced Alzheimer’s may forget how to do even the most basic things.

Personality changes
People with Alzheimer’s may exhibit:

• Mood swings
• Distrust in others
• Increased stubbornness
• Social withdrawal
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Aggressiveness

S. M. Wilson & Co. recently communicated that it will construct two new senior living facility additions worth approximately $12 million at the Concordia Village senior living campus in Springfield, Illinois operated by St. Louis-based Lutheran Senior Services. The projects include a new $10 million Skilled Nursing Facility and a $2 million Patio Homes addition to the Continuing Care Retirement Community for independent living. S. M. Wilson will provide pre-construction and construction management services for both new projects and work is expected to begin immediately.

The new 49,000 square foot Assisted Nursing Facility will contain four clusters of 16 resident rooms each and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011. The entire facility will be connected to the recently completed Concordia Village Campus expansion, and will also include new central laundry to service the entire Concordia Village Campus.

The 18,000 square foot Patio Homes addition will include three new three-unit independent living homes of approximately 2,000 square feet each. The homes will include two- and three-bedroom, two-bath units, all with attached garages and a wireless nurse call system connected to the campus’ central communications. The new homes will complement the 14 existing independent living Patio Homes built by S. M. Wilson in 2009 during the $30 million Phase I of the Concordia Village Continuing Care Retirement Community expansion. The Work on the Patio Homes is expected to be completed in December 2010.

Article From: www.seniorhousingnews.com