Many Facilities For Alzheimer's Care

Named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), a German physician and psychiatrist who first identified it, Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia in the United States. Of the 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with the disease, the majority—5.1 million—are aged 65 years or older. Incidentally, the disease is more prevalent in women than in men. A disease that destroys brain cells, Alzheimer's has no cure and gets progressively worse over time. On average, an Alzheimer's sufferer dies well within a decade of diagnosis. Alzheimer's is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Also called residential or congregate care, Alzheimer's Care is a specialized form of Assisted Living, which combines 24-hour residential, healthcare and support services for senior citizens. Alzheimer's Care brings together architecturally different therapeutic environments known as Special Care Units (SCU) and specially trained personnel. SCUs can be standalone entities or extensions of Assisted Living communities, nursing homes, retirement communities and senior housing complexes. Besides Alzheimer's patients, SCUs may also care for those diagnosed with other forms of dementia, including vascular dementia, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Licensed and regulated by the state in which they operate, SCUs evaluate prospective residents to determine their specific needs and to customize an appropriate care plan. Besides medications to treat cognitive and behavioral symptoms associated with Alzheimer's, care plans also include non-drug approaches, including vision or hearing aids and pet therapy. While some SCUs may accept only those in the early or intermediate stages of the disease, some others may specialize in caring for individuals in the late stages of the disease.

Many Alzheimer's Care facilities—including SeniorCare Homes' properties in Overland Park, Kansas—are located in residential neighborhoods. SeniorCare Homes properties do not in any way advertise the fact that residents are special-needs individuals. In fact, residents live next door to and are encouraged to interact with healthy neighbors. Safe, secure and comfortable, SeniorCare Homes' properties are each home to no more than five senior citizens. This community-based Assisted Living approach of SeniorCare Homes also extends to encouraging and facilitating involvement of residents in such initiatives as the 'Memories in the Making' art program.