Did you know that there are special residential settings for those with a Dementia? Times are hard enough when you are faced with the realization that your loved one needs more care then you add the pressure of finding a setting that has availability, in close proximity to you, which you can afford and that understands mom’s sun downing. Memory Care is available in both the assisted living and nursing home care settings. As a social worker myself, I have visited multiple Memory Care communities. I am comforted in the fact that all the staff have been trained and receive continued education on the many things that make this disease unique. Wandering, aggression, disruptive and resistiveness can all be symptoms of this disease. Memory Care staff will be able to address the issue from a “redirect don’t correct” standpoint. Its okay that “Jim” thinks its Saturday and he needs to get ready for work. Memory Care staff may assist “Jim” in picking out his work gear and prepare his sack lunch for the day. The mere fact that “Jim” was not corrected on the day and reminded that he is retired adds quality to his life. There comes a time when it is more effective for us to join their reality.
So don’t forget to include in your search those communities that offer Memory Care. And don’t forget to explore other possible payer sources such as Arizona Long Term Care (ALTCS). If your loved one is financially and medically approved for ATLCS a portion of their room and board can be covered by the program. For more information on Memory Care options and ALTCS please call JacksonWhite toll free at 1-800-243-1160 and ask to speak with one of our Elder Care Coordinators.
Hi TBI Advocate,
Twenty-one years of advocacy for my son (who was 21 years old at the time of his brain injury) have focused my drive to coach others (and experience in doing so) to reach their own goals for their family member/loved-one living with TBI caused challenges, and now results in my new website, CogentAdvocate.com.
Selections for inclusion on CogentAdvocate.com are made based on relevance and helpfulness to the ever expanding community of those who actively strive to make it easier for persons living with TBI caused challenges. I prefer to use the preceding term, where it works linguistically, whenever possible, but there is no getting away from using the term “disabled” in some instances, especially where agency services, and government legislation and policies refer to the whole category of persons whose lives are affected by one or more disabilities (the term now ingrained in laws, organizations, and policies), but there is strength in numbers and eventually we may coin a new and better term.
My son’s injury was so severe, and my advocacy so active, that upon his pending discharge from the rehab center in the same trauma center where his lifesaving treatments were made, the rehab doctor informed me that my son was the most severely injured patient who had ever taken residence in their program. I didn’t remember that phrase (most severely injured) being used at the time – so great was the shock that my son was being kicked-out of the only program for brain-injured persons I knew of, along with the realization that we no longer had an intact family or a family home to welcome him to – but I recently came across the entry when reading through an early journal from that period.
My blog begins with the injury and will gradually expand to cover much of the ensuing 21 years, with some current entries. I include pages that cover each state’s (and province’s) regulations and policies and practices), as well as support group locations and contacts, plus action pages and advocacy strategy, philosophy blurbs, and some job information. Readers of all of the pages are encouraged to send in their personal stories, and to ask questions, and to send links. I hope you will find it helpful and will forward it on to others.
I have placed a link to your website on the Alabama State Regs page, under How does a Special Needs Trust work? of my CogentAdvocate.com web pages. Please consider adding a link to my website, on yours, if you feel it will be a rich resource for those living with TBI caused challenges, and especially for their advocates. I emphasize the importance of maintaining an attorney who specializes in various TBI related areas.
I look forward to hearing from you
Leslie Sinclair
http://www.cogentadvocate.com
a life lived with dignity for all who live with challenges, due to TBI