Determining the right time for your loved one with Alzheimer’s disease to transition to a nursing home can feel like an extraordinarily difficult challenge to tackle. It’s important to know that any strong emotions you might be feeling such as guilt, anxiety, and sadness are completely normal during this trying time. If you find yourself facing a tough decision, it may be helpful to break down the key considerations for individuals in this situation.
Though every family has a unique set of needs, preferences, constraints, and circumstances that may impact their decision, there are a few more general questions you should ask yourself that may ultimately help you come to a conclusion that allows both you and your loved one to feel like you’re doing the right thing. From types of long-term care facilities in question to the viability of home care, we’ve broken down everything you need to know.
Should You Move an Alzheimer’s Patient to a Nursing Home?
The decision to put a relative with Alzheimer’s disease in a nursing home is often a difficult one. A number of factors could lead to hesitation, including apprehension about the care that your loved one will receive, confusion about how you’ll spend your time, and anxiety that you’re taking the easy way out and letting your loved one down. At the same time, it’s not unselfish to consider that taking care of your loved one on your own requires significant social, financial, and personal sacrifices.
Ultimately, it may be in your best interests to consider the following points when making your decision:
- The patient’s safety: Individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease need a safe, healthy, and structured environment at all times. Some families can provide this at home. In other cases, nursing home placement is a better choice.
- The state of the disease: A patient with Alzheimer’s disease will need an increasing level of care and assistance as time progresses. You may be able to handle it now, but consider how much time and effort will be needed down the line.
- Your own physical and emotional health: As much as it’s important to protect your loved one’s health, you also have to consider your own wellbeing. If your mental and physical state is weakening as you try to keep your loved one afloat, it may be time to consider a transition.
Perhaps most significantly, it’s important to understand that deciding to put your relative in a nursing home is not a sign of failure in your role as a caregiver. Nursing homes don’t have to be seen as a last resort. Today’s long-term care facilities offer an exceptional level of care focused on maximizing the patient’s quality of life.
What Kinds of Long-Term Care Facilities Are Available for Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease?
“Nursing home” is a term commonly used when referring to any long-term care facility, but there are several kinds of suitable accommodations that may fit the bill. Each provides different levels of medical care, personal assistance, and support services. The quality and costs of care and services at long-term care facilities vary widely, and options vary from community to community. These include:
- Assisted-living facilities
- Residential care facilities
- Nursing homes
- Special care units
- Continuing-care communities
Ultimately, it’s important to talk to your family and friends, do your own research, and speak with a doctor or medical professional who can evaluate your loved one’s condition and determine if home care is still a viable option.
How to Respond When You’ve Made the Wrong Decision
Determining the right time to move your loved one to a nursing home is important for their overall health and safety. When you do eventually help your loved one make the transition, it’s vital that you feel secure about your decision and confident that your loved one rests in safe hands. Unfortunately, no matter how much preparation and groundwork goes into your evaluation, it’s not uncommon to discover that the nursing home experience is nothing like what you expected.
When nursing home employees and staff act negligently towards your loved one, it can be a devastating realization and the repercussions can be severe, which is why it is so important to do your research and ask plenty of questions in the early stages of the decision-making process. If you suspect that your loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse, you deserve to have compassionate and aggressive legal representation to recover compensation for the injuries, pain, and suffering endured.
Compassionate Lawyers for Nursing Home Abuse in New York
At Dalli & Marino, LLP, our New York nursing home abuse lawyers represent clients that have been neglected in their care facilities. Our highly skilled trial attorneys have successfully obtained millions of dollars in compensation for injured nursing home victims for over 23 years. We approach each case on an individual basis and are dedicated to helping you recover the money you deserve to compensate you for your loss. Give us a call at (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form today.
