Alzheimer's is a progressive disease that will eventually cause significant disruption in the life of both the patient and their family. The decision to care for a family member suffering from Alzheimer's at home rather than in a paid medical facility can be emotionally difficult, with most people choosing in-home care. According to the American Geriatrics Society's "2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures," in 2008 there were 9.9 million Americans that provided 8.5 billion hours of unpaid care for family members that suffer from Alzheimer's or other types of dementia. (see Reference 1)

In-Home Care

In the initial stages of Alzheimer's disease, many sufferers are able to live by themselves with family members providing support with tasks such as monitoring medications, providing transportation, shopping, cooking meals and helping with legal and financial affairs. Eventually all sufferers require full-time care. The decision to care for an Alzheimer's patient in home or a paid medical facility is a very difficult one for most families. Each situation is unique as there are many factors that will influence the decision. The size of the home and layout, presence of children or animals, flexibility in work schedule and financial situation will all need to be taken into consideration. Quite often, in-home caregivers experience financial difficulties, a loss of friends, limited social life and high levels of emotional stress and depression. The American Geriatrics Society says that the average caregiver who works a full-time job will miss more than three weeks of work each year to care for the family member. Up to one-fifth of the caregivers eventually quit their jobs to provide full-time care. (See Reference 2) If the family is able to provide a safe and structured environment and is aware of the challenge ahead of them, in-home care may be the appropriate decision. Be sure to take advantage of all resources available such as adult daycare facilities and part-time professional health aides. Although there is a lot of sacrifice involved in caring for a family member with Alzheimer's, there is significant reward as well.

Long-Term Care

Even if the decision is made to care for an Alzheimer's patient in the home, there will eventually come a time when family caregivers are unable to provide sufficient support. The biggest factors in the decision should be whether the family can adequately care for any health issues that have arisen and whether the patient has become a danger to themselves or others. As Alzheimer's progresses, patients tend to demonstrate disruptive behavior that can often become dangerous. As they become less aware of who the family is and where they are, they can become violent toward themselves and other family members. When this happens on a frequent and regular basis, it is a good time to look at placement alternatives. Other factors that indicate that it is time for placement in a facility is if the primary caregiver's health is at risk, the level of care required is too great for one person and there is no additional help, and any health conditions in the patient that require regular skilled nursing care.

Source:

2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures

American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging